[61] of grain at every flood of the spring; another, near the Cowpasture river, a mile and a half below its confluence with the Bullpasture river, and 16 or 17 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 1. Medicinal, 2. Esculent, 3. Ornamental, or 4. Useful for fabrication; adding the Linnæan to the popular [62] names, as the latter might not convey precise information to a foreigner. I shall confine myself too to native plants. 1 In the edition of 1853, a paragraph is here inserted, as follows: "We are told that during a great storm on the 25th of December, 1798, the Syphon Fountain, near the mouth of the North Holston, ceased and a spring broke out about 100 feet higher up the hill."* Syphon fountains have been explained by supposing the duct which leads from the reservoir to the surface of the earth to be in the form of a syphon, a, b, c, where it is evident that till the water rises in the reservoir to d, the level of the highest point of the syphon, it cannot flow through the duct, and it is known that when it once begins to flow it will draw off the water of the reservior to the orifice a, of the syphon. If the duct be larger than the supply of the reservoir, possibly the force of the waters and loosening of the earth by them, during the storm above mentioned, may have opened a more direct duct as from e to f, horizontally or declining, which issues higher up the hill than the one fed by the syphon. In that case it becomes a common spring. Should this duct be again closed or diminished by any new accident, and both springs be kept in action from the same reservoir." * A note to this new paragraph, as above starred, is: "See Pleasant's Argus, August 16, '99; that this disappeared December 25, '98 on which day a spring broke out 100 feet higher up the hill." Indian physic. Spiria trifoliata. Euphorbia Ipecacuanha. Pleurisy root. Asclepias decumbens. Virginia snake-root. Aristolochia serpentaria. Black snake-root. Actæ racemosa. Seneca rattlesnake-root. Polygala Senega. Valerian. Valeriana locusta radiata. Gentiana, Saponaria, villosa & centaurium. Ginseng. Panax quinquefolium. Angelica. Angelica sylvestris. [63] 2. Tuckahoe. Lycoperdon tuber. Jerusalem artichoke. Helianthus tuberosus. Long potatoes. Convolvulas batatas. Granadillas. Maycocks, Maracocks, Passiflora incarnata. Indian millet. Holcus laxus. Holcus striosus. Wild oat. Zizania aquatica. Wild pea. Dolichos of Clayton. Lupine. Lupinus perennis. Wild hop. Humulus lupulus. Wild cherry. Prunus virginiana. 1 "There is a plant, or weed, called the Jamestown weed (Datura pericarpiis erectis ovatis. Linn.) of a very similar quality. The late Dr. Bond informed me, that he had under his care a patient, a young girl, who had put the seeds of this plant into her eye, which dilated the pupil to such a degree, that she could see in the dark, but in the light was almost blind. The effect that the leaves had when eaten by a ship's crew that arrived at Jamestown, are well known. (An instance of temporary imbecility produced by them is mentioned. Beverl. H. of Virg. b 2, r 4.)”-Charles Thomson in appendix. Cherokee plumb. Prunus sylvestris fructu majori. Clayton. Red mulberry. Morus rubra. Sugar maple. Acer saccharinum. Scaly bark hiccory. Juglans alba cortice squamoso. Clayton. Common hiccory. Juglans alba, fructu minore rancido. Clayton. [64] Paccan, or Illinois nut. Not described by Linnæus, Miller 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, dulci, putamine tenerrimo. It grows on the Illinois, Wabash, Ohio, and Missisipi. It is spoken of by Don Ulloa under the name of Pecanos, in his Noticias Americanas. Entret. 6. Black walnut. Juglans nigra. 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. Black poplar. Populus nigra. Aspen. Populus tremula. Linden, or lime. Tilia 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? Fringe, or snow drop-tree. Chionanthus virginica. Barberry. Barberis vulgaris. Redbud, or Judas-tree. Cercis canadensis. [66] 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. Upright honeysuckle. Azalea nudiflora.1 Yellow jasmine. Bignonia sempervirens. Calycanthus floridus. American aloe. Agave virginica. Sumach. Rhus. Qu. species? 4. Reed. Arundo phragmitis. Virginia hemp. Acnida cannabina. Flax. Linum virginianum. Black, or pitch-pine. Pinus tæda. [67] White pine. Pinus strobus. Yellow pine. Pinus virginica. Spruce pine. Pinus foliis singularibus. Clayton. Hemlock spruce fir. Pinus canadensis. Arbor vitæ. Thuya occidentalis. Juniper. Juniperus virginica (Called cedar with us.) Cypress. Cupressus disticha.? 1 In the edition of 1853 is added: "Azalea viscosa." In the edition of 1787 is here inserted: "White cedar. Cupressus Thyoides." Black jack oak. Quercus aquatica. Clayton. Query? Ground oak. Quercus pumila. Clayton. Live oak. Quercus virginiana. Black birch. Betula nigra. Millar. 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. Tobacco. Nicotiana. 1 In the edition of 1853 this note is added: “Qu. If known in Europe before the discovery of America? Ramusio supposes this to be the grain described by Diod. Dic. L. 2, in his account of the travels of Iambulus, in the following passage: “Φύεσθαι γὰρ παρ' αὐτοῖς καλαμον πολύν, φέροντα καρπὸν δαψιλῆ, παρεμφερῆ τοῖς λευκοῖς ὀρόβοις [Ceci bianchi.—Ital. Ers. Franc.] τοῦτου οὖν συναγαγόντες βρέχουσιν ἐν ὕδατι θερμῶ, μέχρις ἂν τὸ μέγεθος ἔχωσιν ὡς ὠοῦ περιστερᾶς. ἔπειτα συνθλάσαντες καὶ τρίψαντες ἐμπείρως ταῖς χερσί, διαπλαττουσιν ἄρτονς. οὖς ὀπτήσαντες σιτοῦνται, διαφόρους ὄντας τῇ γλυκύτι. Ramusio says of the maize in Italia, ai tempi nostri, [1550] é stato, veduto "la prima volta," and the island in which it was found by Iambulus was Sumatra.-I. Ramus. 174. The Maison rustique says that Turkey Corn came first from the West Indies into Turkey, and from thence into France.'-L. 5, c. 17. Zimmerman says: 'Il tire son origine des pays chauds de l'Amerique.' Zoologie geographique, page 24. Il frumentone fu dalla America in Ispagne, e quindi in altri pæsi della Europa.' 'Dalli Spagnuoli di Europa e di America è chiamato il frumentone col nome Mais, preso dalla lingua Haitina che si parlava nella isola oggidi appellata Spagnuola, o sia di S. Domenico.'-Clavigero i., 56. Il frumentone, biada dalla providenza accordata a quella parte del mondo in vece del frumento dell Europa, del riso del Asia, e del miglio d'Africa.'-a. Clavig., 218. Acosta classes Indian Corn with the plants peculiar to America, observ |