[x] CHAP. XX Particulars relative to the manners of the inhabitants of Kentucky.-Horses and cattle.-Necessity of giving them salt. -Wild Horses caught in the Plains of New Mexico.-Exportation of salt provisions [CHAP.] XXI 243 Nasheville.-Commercial details.-Settlement of the Natches 250 CHAP. XXII Departure for Knoxville.-Arrival at Fort Blount.-Remarks upon the drying up of the Rivers in the Summer.-Plantations on the road.-Fertility of the soil.-Excursions in a canoe on the river Cumberland CHAP. XXIII Departure from Fort Blount to West Point, through the Wilderness.-Botanical excursions upon Roaring River.-Description of its Banks.-Saline productions found there.—Indian Cherokees.-Arrival at Knoxville [xi] CHAP. XXIV Knoxville.-Commercial intelligence.-Trees that grow in the - CHAP. XXV General observations on the state of Tennessea.-Rivers Cumberland and Tennessea.-What is meant by East Tennessea or Holston, and West Tennessea or Cumberland.-First settlements in West Tennessea.-Trees natives of that country CHAP. XXVI Different kinds of produce of West Tennessea.-Domestic manufactories for cottons encouraged by the Legislature of this State.-Mode of letting out Estates by some of the Emigrants 255 258 265 271 276 CHAP. XXVII East Tennessea, or Holston.-Agriculture.-Population.-Com Departure from Jonesborough for Morganton, in North Carolina.-Journey over Iron Mountains.-Sojourn on the mountains. Journey over the Blue Ridges and Linneville Mountains.-Arrival at Morganton . CHAP. XXIX General observations upon this part of the Chain of the Alleghanies. Salamander which is found in the torrents.— Bear hunting CHAP. XXX Morganton.-Departure for Charleston.-Lincolnton.-Chester.-Winesborough.-Columbia.-Aspect of the Country on the Road.-Agriculture, &c. &c. . CHAP. XXXI 280 283 286 290 General observations on the Carolinas and Georgia.-Agriculture and produce peculiar to the upper part of these states 296 CHAP. XXXII Low part of the Carolines and Georgia.-Agriculture.-Population.-Arrival at Charleston 301 TRAVELS, &C., &C. CHAP. I Departure from Bourdeaux.-Arrival at Charleston.Remarks upon the yellow fever.-A short description of the town of Charleston.— Observations upon several trees, natives of the old continent, reared in a botanic garden near the city. CHARLESTON, in South Carolina, being the first place of my destination, I went to Bourdeaux as one of the ports of France that trades most with the southern parts of the United States, and where there are most commonly vessels from the different points of North America. I embarked the 24th of [2] September 1801, on board the John and Francis, commanded by the same captain with whom I returned to Europe several years ago.1 A fortnight after our departure we were overtaken by a calm, within sight of the Açorian Islands. Saint George's and Graciosa were those nearest to us, where we clearly distinguished a few houses, which appeared built with stone and chalk; and the rapid declivity of the land divided by hedges, which most likely separated the property of different occupiers. The major part of these islands abound with stupendous mountains, in various directions, and beyond which the summit of Pico, in a pyramidical form rises majestically above the clouds, which were then illumined 1 The date given here is evidently wrong; the translation in Phillips's Voyages gives it as August 25, which corresponds with the arrival of Michaux in Charleston.-ED. by the rays of the setting sun. A gentle breeze springing up, we soon lost sight of that charming prospect, and on the 9th of October following entered the Charleston roads, in company with two other vessels which had left Bourdeaux, the one eighteen days, and the other a month before us. The pleasure that we felt on discovering the shore was very soon abated. The pilot informed us that the yellow fever had made dreadful ravages at Charleston, and was still carrying off a great number of the inhabitants. This intelligence alarmed the [3] passengers, who were fourteen in number, the most of whom had either friends or relatives in the town. Every one was fearful of learning some disastrous news or other. The anchor was no sooner weighed than those who had never been accustomed to warm countries were escorted by their friends to the Isle of Sullivan. This island is situated about seven miles from Charleston. Its dry and parched-up soil is almost bereft of vegetation; but as it is exposed to the breeze of the open sea, the air is generally cool and pleasWithin these few years, since that bilious and inflammatory disorder, commonly known by the name of the yellow fever, shows itself regularly every summer at Charleston, a great number of the inhabitants and planters, who took refuge in the town to escape the intermittent fevers which attack seven-tenths of those resident in the country, have built houses in that island, where they sojourn from the early part of July till the first frost, which usually takes place about the 15th of November. A few of the inhabitants keep boarding-houses, where they receive those who have no settled residence. It has been remarked that foreigners, newly arrived from Europe or the states of North America, and [4] who go ant. |