it. If the vapor be fired in that state, the water soon becomes so warm that the hand cannot bear it, and evaporates wholly in a short time. This, with the circumjacent lands, is the property of His Excellency General Washington and of General Lewis. There is a similar one on Sandy river, the flame of which is a column of about twelve inches diameter, and three feet high. General Clarke, who informs me of it, kindled the vapor, staid about an hour, and left it burning. The mention of uncommon springs leads me to that of Syphon fountains. There is one of these near the intersection of the Lord Fairfax's boundary with the North mountain, not far from Brock's gap, on the stream of which is a grist mill, which grinds two bushel of grain at every flood of the spring; another near Cow-pasture river, a mile and a half below its confluence with the Bull-pasture river, and sixteen or seventeen miles from Hot springs, which intermits once in every twelve hours; one also near the mouth of the north Holston. After these may be mentioned the Natural Well, on the lands of a Mr. Lewis in Frederick county. It is somewhat larger than a common well; the water rises in it as near the surface of the earth as in the neighboring artificial wells, and is of a depth as yet unknown. It is said there is a current in it tending sensibly downwards. If this be true, it probably feeds some fountain, of which it is the natural reservoir, distinguished from others, like that of Madison's cave, by being accessible. It is used with a bucket and windlass as an ordinary well. A complete catalogue of the trees, plants, fruits, &c., is probably not desired. I will sketch out those which would principally attract notice, as being first, Medicinal; second, Esculent; third, Ornamental; or four, useful for fabrication; adding the Linnæan to the popular names, as the latter might not convey precise information to a foreigner. I shall confine myself too to native plants. 1. Senna. Cassia ligustrina. Arsmart. Polygonum Sagittatum. Clivers, or goose-grass. Galium spurium. Lobelia of several species. Indian physic. Spiria trifoliata. Euphorbia Ipecacuanha. Pleurisy root. Asclepias decumbens. Virginia snake-root. Aristolochia serpentaria. Seneca rattlesnake-root. Polygala Senega. Valerian. Valeriana locusta radiata. Gentiana, Saponaria, Villosa & Centaurium. Ginseng. Panax quinquefolium. 2. Tuckahoe. Lycoperdon tuber. Jerusalem artichoke. Helianthus tuberosus. Long potatoes. Convolvulas batatas. Granadillas. Maycocks, Maracocks, Passiflora incarnata. Panic. Panicum of many species. Wild pea. Dolichos of Clayton. Lupine. Lupinus perennis. Wild hop. Humulus lupulus. Wild cherry. Prunus Virginiana. Cherokee plum. Prunus sylvestris fructu majori. Clayton. Wild plum. Prunus sylvestris fructu minori. Clayton. Wild crab apple. Pyrus coronaria. Red mulberry. Morus rubra. Persimmon. Diospiros Virginiana. Sugar maple. Acer saccarinum. Scaly bark hiccory. Juglans alba cortice squamoso. Clayton. Common hiccory. Juglans alba, fructu minore rancido. Clayton. Paccan, or Illinois nut. Not described by Linnæus, Millar, or Clayton. Were I to venture to describe this, speaking of the fruit from memory, and of the leaf from plants of two years' growth, I should specify it as Juglans alba, foliolis lanceolatis, acuminatis, serratis, tomentosis, fructu minore, ovato, compresso, vix insculpto, dulei, putamine tenerrimo. It grows on the Illinois, Wabash, Ohio, and Mississippi. It is spoken of by Don Ulloa under the name of Pacanos, in his Noticias Americanas. Entret. 6. Black walnut. Juglans nigra. White walnut. Juglans alba. Chesnut. Fagus castanea. Chinquapin. Fagus pumila. Hazlenut. Corylus avellana. Grapes. Vitis. Various kinds; though only three described by Clayton. Scarlet strawberries. Fragaria Virginiana of Millar. Whortleberries. Vaccinium uliginosum. Wild gooseberries. Ribes grossularia. Cloudberries. Rubus Chamæmorus. 3. Plane tree. Platanus occidentalis. Poplar. Liriodendron tulipifera. Populus heterophylla. Black poplar. Populus nigra. Aspen. Populus tremula. Linden, or lime. Telia Americana. Red flowering maple. Acer rubrum. Horse-chesnut, or buck's-eye. Esculus pavia. Catalpa. Bignonia catalpa. Umbrella. Magnolia tripetala Swamp laurel. Magnolia glauca. Cucumber-tree. Magnolia acuminata. Portugal bay. Laurus indica. Red bay. Laurus borbonia. Dwarf-rose bay. Rhododendron maximum. Laurel of the western country. Qu. species? Wild pimento. Laurus benzoin. Sassafras. Laurus sassafras. Locust. Robinia pseudo-acacia. Honey-locust. Gleditsia. 1. 6 Dogwood. Cornus florida. Fringe, or snow-drop tree. Chionanthus Virginica. Barberry. Barberis vulgaris. Redbud, or Judas-tree. Cercis Canadensis. Holly. Ilex aquifolium. Cockspur hawthorn. Crataegus coccinea. Spindle-tree. Euonymus Europæus. Evergreen spindle-tree. Euonymus Americanus. Itea Virginica. Elder. Sambucus nigra. Papaw. Annona triloba. Candleberry myrtle. Myrica cerifera. Dwarf laurel. Kalmia angustifolia called ivy with us. Kalmia latifolia Ivy. Hedera quinquefolia. Trumpet honeysuckle. Lonicera sempervirens. Yellow jasmine. Bignonia sempervirens. American aloe. Agave Virginica. Virginia hemp. Aenida cannabina. Black, or pitch-pine. Pinus tæda. Yellow pine. Pinus Virginica. Spruce pine. Pinus foliis singularibus. Clayton. Hemlock spruce Fir. Pinus Canadensis. Abor vitæ. Thuya occidentalis. Juniper. Juniperus Virginica (called cedar with us.) Cypress. Cupressus disticha. White cedar. Cupressus Thyoides. Black oak. Quercus nigra. The following were found in Virginia when first visited by the English; but it is not said whether of spontaneous growth, or by cultivation only. Most probably they were natives of more southern climates, and handed along the continent from one nation to another of the savages. Round potatoes. Solanum tuberosum. Pumpkins. Cucurbita pepo. Cymlings. Cucurbita verrucosa. Squashes. Cucurbita melopepo. There is an infinitude of other plants and flowers, for an enumeration and scientific description of which I must refer to the Flora Virginica of our great botanist, Dr. Clayton, published by Gronovius at Leyden, in 1762. This accurate observer was a native and resident of this State, passed a long life in exploring and describing its plants, and is supposed to have enlarged the botanical catalogue as much as almost any man who has lived. Besides these plants, which are native, our farms produce wheat, rye, barley, oats, buck-wheat, broom corn, and Indian corn. The climate suits rice well enough, wherever the lands do. Tobacco, hemp, flax, and cotton, are staple commodities. Indigo yields two cuttings. The silk-worm is a native, and the mulberry, proper for its food, grows kindly. We cultivate, also, potatoes, both the long and the round, turnips, carrots, parsnips, pumkins, and ground nuts (Arachis.) Our grasses are lucerne, st. foin, burnet, timothy, ray, and orchard grass; red, white, and yellow clover; greensward, blue grass, and crab grass. The gardens yield musk-melons, water-melons, tomatoes, okra, pomegranates, figs, and the esculant plants of Europe. The orchards produce apples, pears, cherries, quinces, peaches, nectarines, apricots, almonds, and plums. Our quadrupeds have been mostly described by Linnæus and Mons. de Buffon. Of these the mammoth, or big buffalo, as called by the Indians, must certainly have been the largest. Their tradition is, that he was carnivorous, and still exists in the northern parts of America. A delegation of warriors from the Delaware tribe having visited the Governor of Virginia, during the revolution, on matters of business, after these had been discussed and settled in council, the Governor asked them some questions relative to their country, and among others, what they knew or had heard of the animal whose bones were found at the |