One Of Our Marsh-Weeds, Like A Dock,
Has The Same Effect, And Possesses The Party With Fear And Watchings.
The Red-Root whose Leaf is like Spear-Mint, is good for
Thrushes and sore Mouths; Camomil, but it must
Be kept in the Shade,
otherwise it will not thrive; Housleek first from England;
Vervin; Night-Shade, several kinds; Harts-Tongue; Yarrow abundance,
Mullein the same, both of the Country; Sarsaparilla, and abundance more
I could name, yet not the hundredth part of what remains, a Catalogue of which
is a Work of many Years, and without any other Subject, would swell
to a large Volume, and requires the Abilities of a skilful Botanist:
Had not the ingenious Mr. Banister (the greatest Virtuoso we ever had
on the Continent) been unfortunately taken out of this World,
he would have given the best Account of the Plants of America,
of any that ever yet made such an Attempt in these Parts.
Not but we are satisfy'd, the Species of Vegetables in Carolina,
are so numerous, that it requires more than one Man's Age
to bring the chiefest Part of them into regular Classes;
the Country being so different in its Situation and Soil,
that what one place plentifully affords, another is absolutely a stranger to;
yet we generally observe, that the greatest Variety is found
in the Low Grounds, and Savanna's.
{Flowers.}
The Flower-Garden in Carolina is as yet arriv'd but to
a very poor and jejune Perfection. We have only two sorts of Roses;
the Clove-July-Flowers, Violets, Princes Feather, and Tres Colores.
There has been nothing more cultivated in the Flower-Garden,
which, at present, occurs to my Memory; but as for the wild
spontaneous Flowers of this Country, Nature has been so liberal,
that I cannot name one tenth part of the valuable ones; And since,
to give Specimens, would only swell the Volume, and give little Satisfaction
to the Reader, I shall therefore proceed to the Present State of Carolina,
and refer the Shrubs and other Vegetables of larger Growth, till hereafter,
and then shall deliver them and the other Species in their Order.
The Present State of Carolina.
When we consider the Latitude and convenient Situation of Carolina,
had we no farther Confirmation thereof, our Reason would inform us,
that such a Place lay fairly to be a delicious Country,
being placed in that Girdle of the World which affords Wine, Oil, Fruit,
Grain, and Silk, with other rich Commodities, besides a sweet Air,
moderate Climate, and fertile Soil; these are the Blessings
(under Heaven's Protection) that spin out the Thread of Life
to its utmost Extent, and crown our Days with the Sweets of Health and Plenty,
which, when join'd with Content, renders the Possessors
the happiest Race of Men upon Earth.
{The Present State of Carolina.}
The Inhabitants of Carolina, thro' the Richness of the Soil,
live an easy and pleasant Life. The Land being of several sorts of Compost,
some stiff, others light, some marl, others rich black Mould;
here barren of Pine, but affording Pitch, Tar, and Masts;
there vastly rich, especially on the Freshes of the Rivers,
one part bearing great Timbers, others being Savanna's or natural Meads,
where no Trees grow for several Miles, adorn'd by Nature
with a pleasant Verdure, and beautiful Flowers, frequent in no other Places,
yielding abundance of Herbage for Cattle, Sheep, and Horse.
The Country in general affords pleasant Seats, the Land
(except in some few Places) being dry and high Banks, {Necks of Land.}
parcell'd out into most convenient Necks, (by the Creeks)
easy to be fenced in for securing their Stocks to more strict Boundaries,
whereby, with a small trouble of fencing, almost every Man
may enjoy, to himself, an entire Plantation, or rather Park.
These, with the other Benefits of Plenty of Fish, Wild-Fowl, Venison,
and the other Conveniencies which this Summer-Country naturally furnishes,
has induc'd a great many Families to leave the more Northerly Plantations,
and sit down under one of the mildest Governments in the World;
in a Country that, with moderate Industry, will afford all
the Necessaries of Life.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 61 of 202
Words from 32892 to 33585
of 110081
