The Reptiles, or smaller Insects, are too numerous to relate here,
this Country affording innumerable Quantities thereof;
as the
Flying-Stags with Horns, Beetles, Butterflies, Grashoppers,
Locust, and several hundreds of uncouth Shapes, which in the Summer-Season
are discovered here in Carolina, the Description of which
requires a large Volume, which is not my Intent at present.
Besides, what the Mountainous Part of this Land may hereafter
lay open to our View, Time and Industry will discover,
for we that have settled but a small Share of this large Province,
cannot imagine, but there will be a great number of Discoveries made
by those that shall come hereafter into the Back-part of this Land,
and make Enquiries therein, when, at least, we consider that
the Westward of Carolina is quite different in Soil, Air, Weather,
Growth of Vegetables, and several Animals too, which we at present
are wholly Strangers to, and to seek for. As to a right Knowledge thereof,
I say, when another Age is come, the Ingenious then in being
may stand upon the Shoulders of those that went before them,
adding their own Experiments to what was delivered down to them
by their Predecessors, and then there will be something
towards a complete Natural History, which (in these days)
would be no easie Undertaking to any Author that writes
truly and compendiously, as he ought to do. It is sufficient at present,
to write an honest and fair Account of any of the Settlements,
in this new World, without wandring out of the Path of Truth,
or bespattering any Man's Reputation any wise concern'd
in the Government of the Colony; he that mixes Invectives
with Relations of this Nature rendering himself suspected of Partiality
in whatever he writes.
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