THE LAND OF EDEN 
115 
least very gay. We encamped upon Hico river, pretty high up, and had 
much ado to get our house in order, before a heavy shower descended upon 
us. I was in pain lest our sick men might suffer by the rain, but might have 
spared myself the concern, because it had the effect of a cold bath upon 
them, and drove away their distemper, or rather changed it into a canine 
’’appetite, that devoured all before it. It rained smartly all night long, which 
made our situation on the low-ground more fit for otters than men. 
6th. We had abundance of drying work this morning after the clouds 
broke away and showed the sun to the happy earth. It was impossible for 
us to strike the tents till the afternoon, and then we took our departure, and 
made an easy march of four miles to another branch of Hico river, which 
we called Jesuit’s creek, because it misled us. We lugged as many of the 
dainty pieces of the buffalo along with us as our poor horses could carry, 
envying the wolves the pleasure of such luxurious diet. Our quarters were 
taken upon a delightful eminence, that scornfully overlooked the creek, and 
afforded us a dry habitation. We made our supper on the tongue and udder 
of the buffalo, which were so good, that a cardinal legate might have made 
a comfortable meal upon them during the carnival. Nor was this all, but 
we had still a rarer morsel, the bunch rising up between the shoulders of this 
animal, which is very tender and very fat. The primings of a young doe, 
which one of the men brought to the camp, were slighted amidst these dain- 
ties, nor would even our servants be fobbed off with cates so common. The 
low-grounds of this creek are wide in many places, an,d rich, but seem to lie 
within reach of every inundation ; and this is commonly the case with most 
low-grounds, that lie either on the rivers or on the creeks that run into them. 
So great an' inconvenience lessens their value very much, and makes high- 
land, that is just tolerable, of greater advantage to the owner. There he will 
be more likely to reap the fruits of his industry every year, and not run the 
risk, after all his toil, to see the sweat of his brow carried down the stream, 
and perhaps many of his cattle drowned into the bargain. Perhaps in times 
to come people may bank their low-grounds as they do in Europe, to confine 
the water within its natural bounds to prevent these inconveniences. 
7th. The scarcity of bread, joined to the impatience of some of our com- 
pany, laid us under a kind of necessity to hasten our return home. For 
that reason we thought we might be excused for making a sabbath day’s 
journey of about five miles, as far as our old camp upon Sugar Tree creek. 
On our way we forded Buffalo creek, which also empties its waters into Hico 
river. The woods we rode through were open, and the soil very promising, 
great part thereof being low-grounds, full of tall and ‘large trees. A she 
bear had the ill luck to cross our way, which was large enough to afford 
us several luxurious meals. I paid for violating the sabbath by losing a pair 
of gold buttons. I pitched my tent on the very spot I had done when we 
ran the dividing line between 'V'irginia and Carolina. The .beech whose 
bark recorded the names of the Carolina commissioners was still standing, 
and we did them the justice to add to their names a sketch of their characters. 
We got our house in order time enough to walk about and make some slight 
observations. There were sugar trees innumerable growing in the low- 
grounds of this creek, from which it received its name. They were many of 
them as tall as large hickories, with trunks from fifteen to twenty inches 
through. The woodpeckers, for the pleasure of the sweet juice which these 
trees yield, pierce the bark in many places, and do great damage, though the 
trees live a great while under all these wounds. There grows an infinite 
quantity of maidenhair, which seems to delight most in rich grounds. The 
sorrel tree is frequent there, whose leaves, brewed in beer, are good in drop- 
sies, green-sickness, and cachexies. We also saw in this place abundance 
