TRAVELS IN' 
474 
feem to be foffile, or in Tome degree of petrifac- 
tion, or otherwife tranfiinuted, particularly thofe 
curious productions called birds bills, or fharks 
teeth (dentes carchariae), belemnites, &c. loofely 
mixed with a defecated earth compofed of fand, 
clay, particles of marie, vegetable rubbifh, dec. And 
again we obferve fhells, marcafites, belemnites, 
dentes carchariae, with pieces of wood tranfmuted, 
black and hard as fea coal, lingiy interfperfed in 
the black vitriolic ftrata of earth ; v/hen this black 
earth is expofed to the fun and dry air, the little 
thin laminae leparate, and foon difeover a fine, 
white cryftallization, or aluminous powder; but this 
very foon difappears, being again incorporated with 
the general mafs, which gradually diiTolves or falls 
like quick lime, and appears then a grayifh, ex- 
tremely fine, dry micaceous powder, which fmells 
like gun-powder. 
The North Weft of Cape Fear, here at Afliwood, 
is near three hundred yards over (when the ftream 
is low and within its banks), and is eighty or ninety 
miles above the capes. Obferved growing here- 
abouts a great variety of very curious and beautify 
flowering and fwee't Teemed fhrubs, particularly Cal- 
licarpa, PEfculus pavia, ftoribus coccineis, caule fuf- 
fruticofo, iEfculus fylvatica, floribus ex aibo et 
cameo eleganter variegatis, caule arboreo, Ptelea 
trifoliata. Sty rax, Stev/artia, Fothergilla, Amorpha, 
Myrica, Stillingia fruticofa, foliis lanceolatis, utiqn- 
que glabris, frudlu trioocco, Olea Americana, foliis 
lanceolato-ellipticis, baccis atro-purpureis (Purple 
berried bay), Catefby. Ilex dahoon, Caftine Yapon,. 
Azalea, varieties, Kalmea, Cyrilla, Liquidambar pe- 
regrinum, Sideroxylon, Andromeda iucida, &c. 
Leaving Afhv/ood, and continuing up the Weft 
fide 
