A N 
 
 AC COUNT 
 
 O F 
 
 EAST-FLORIDA. 
 
 WITH 
 
 Remarks on its future Importance 
 to Trade and Commerce. 
 
 Hie fegetes, illic venimt felicius uv*: 
 
 Arborei fruftus alibi, atque injujfa virefemt 
 Gramina. Vjrg. Georg. 
 
 LONDON; 
 
 Printed for G. Woodfali, near Charing-crofs; 
 R. Dymot, oppofite Somerfet-houfe, in the Strand j 
 J. Almon, in Piccadilly; Ricardson and Urqu* 
 Hart, under the Royal-Exchange. 
 
 [ Price Two Shillings, ] 
 
T o 
 
 The Most Honourable 
 
 CHARLES 
 
 Marquis of Rockingham. 
 
 First LORD of the Treasury, 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 AS the commercial inter efts 
 •“ 0 f Great-Britain are 
 
 weighed by your Lordjhip daily , 
 in order that they may be pro¬ 
 moted\ and a thorough know¬ 
 ledge of his majeftfs foreign 
 dominions is fought after , with 
 a view to the public fervice y 1 
 s flatter myfelf that an account 
 a a of 
 
dedication. 
 
 of a new colony, of which there 
 is none .as yet publijhed, will 
 have the honour of meeting with 
 your Lordjhifs approbation. 
 
 During my refdence in Eaft - 
 Florida, I employed myfelf in 
 acquiring a knowhdge of that 
 country: I made myfelf ac¬ 
 quainted, as far as my flay 
 there would permit, with its 
 foil and navigable rivers, its 
 climate andnaturalproduclions. 
 I can affureyour Lordjhip, that 
 my purfuit was made agreeable 
 by the fatisfaclory evidences 
 found ’ both of the goodnefs of 
 the foil, and the healthinefs of 
 the climate. > 
 
D E D ICA tlQ N. 
 
 In its climate it has the ad¬ 
 vantage of South-Carolina and 
 Georgia $ and from being nearer 
 the fun thanthofe colonies y will r 
 probably be found fuperior to 
 them in the produce of rice , in¬ 
 digo ^filk , cotton) &c. If I am 
 partial to Eaft-Florida> it is 
 not for want of knowing other 
 countries , either in Europe or 
 America^ for I have compared 
 it with them. I fufpeB myfelf 
 the lefs of this foible , becaufe 
 other gentlemen± who know the 
 country , rate the advantages to 
 be expected from this colony 
 higher than I do. 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 I have no views in publijhing 
 the following jheets> but the be¬ 
 nefit and advantages Greai- 
 Britain may reap , by encou- 
 ragingandpromoting this y oung 
 colony . And I injcribe them 
 to your Lordjhip, becaufe what¬ 
 ever is calculated for finch a 
 purpofe) cannot fail to gain 
 your Lordjhip’s attention and 
 countenance . I am y with the 
 greateft refpeB , 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 Your Lordlhip’s moft humble 
 and moft obedient fervant, 
 
 WILLIAM STORK. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 W HEN any new mat¬ 
 ter is laid before the 
 public, there is no doubt but 
 its reception depends not only 
 upon the real merits of what 
 is propofed, but in a great 
 meafure, upon the prepoffef- 
 iions already entertained up¬ 
 on that fubjetSL The author 
 of the following account of 
 Eaft-Florida, cannot but be 
 fenfible, how much his defign, 
 to mak e the nation acquainted 
 with that country, is difcou- 
 B raged, 
 
raged, by the prejudices, 
 which at prefent prevail a* 
 gainft it. The truth of the 
 matter is, that this country 
 is very little known in Eu¬ 
 rope: even the Spaniards, 
 who from indolence, and a 
 fear of the Indians, feldom 
 ventured beyond the lines of 
 St. Auguftine, made them- 
 felves but little acquainted 
 with it. Its broad fandy 
 beach makes a difadvanta- 
 geous appearance to (hips 
 that fail along this coaft; 
 and the accounts of mari¬ 
 ners have, for this reafon, 
 reprefented it as barren and 
 ufelefs. 
 
[iii] 
 
 ufelefs. The feveral cori- 
 feurrent accounts of the un- 
 healthinefs and infertility of 
 Weft-Florida, which feem 
 but too well founded 3 have 
 had no fmall effect, to in¬ 
 duce a belief in many per- 
 fons, that the whole of Flo¬ 
 rida, ceded to Great-Britain* 
 is little better than a Tandy 
 defert. Prejudices once en¬ 
 tertained, are not eafily over¬ 
 come 3 the lights offered to 
 remove them muft be ftrong, 
 in order to be convincing. 
 
 The defign of this work 
 is not only to fix the attend 
 tion of the miniftry upon an 
 B 2 objeS 
 
[ iv] 
 
 obje& of great national im¬ 
 portance ; but alfo to point 
 out to individuals, efpecially 
 to perfons of a middling for¬ 
 tune, to take up grants from 
 the crown, of lands in Eaft- 
 Florida$ where, the climate, 
 foil, and produce confidered, 
 the lands are of no lefs va¬ 
 lue than in the illands of the 
 Weft-Indies. 
 
 The author knows but of 
 two perfons now in England, 
 befides himfelf, (they are 
 fortunately both in parlia¬ 
 ment] who are actually ac¬ 
 quainted with this country. 
 One of them is the noble 
 lord 
 
lord whofe travels through 
 the continent of America, 
 have been made with fo 
 much benefit to the public. 
 The other is Mr. Denys 
 Rolle j who has already 
 made a confiderable fettle- 
 ment upon St. Juan’s River, 
 weft of Auguftine. 
 
 The importance of Eaft- 
 Florida, in a national view, 
 depends upon thefe two 
 groundsfirft, its fertility, 
 in producing fuch articles of 
 commerce, as are particu¬ 
 larly wanted by Great-Bri- 
 tain: fecondly, upon its con¬ 
 venience, from its fituation 
 4 and 
 
and other circumftances, to 
 carry on a beneficial com¬ 
 merce with the Spanilh fet- 
 tlements in time of peace 5 
 and to intercept, and cut off 
 their trade in time of wan 
 As to the fertility of Eaft- 
 Florida, without entering 
 into the detail of its producti¬ 
 ons, which (hall be referved 
 for the body of the work 5 
 I here propofe only to make 
 fome general remarks with 
 reference to this head5 and 
 muft intreat the reader for 
 a while to fufpend his opini¬ 
 on, and not take it implicit¬ 
 ly for granted, that that part 
 of 
 
of North-America, at pre* 
 fent fo little known, which 
 lies to the fouth of Georgia, 
 differs in its foil from the 
 reft of the continent; or is 
 unfit for fuch produ&ions, 
 as correfpond with the na¬ 
 ture of its climate. 
 
 In North-America we 
 meet with every fort of cli¬ 
 mate ; and in one part or 
 other, it is capable of yield¬ 
 ing every valuable produce 
 tion. If it be afked, which 
 part of this continent is the 
 beft, the queftion is too ge¬ 
 neral to receive a determi¬ 
 nate anfwer. We know in¬ 
 deed, 
 
[ viii ] 
 
 deed, that the foil of New¬ 
 foundland is, from the na¬ 
 ture of the climate, incapa¬ 
 ble of yielding a produce, 
 equally valuable with cot¬ 
 ton, indigo, or fugar. We 
 may go further, and for the 
 European trade, without dif¬ 
 ficulty, prefer the climate of 
 Carolina and Georgia, to 
 that of Canada or Nova- 
 Scotia. 
 
 If we take a view of A- 
 merica, or even of the globe 
 of the earth, we fhall find 
 the northern, even the tem¬ 
 perate climates,‘which are 
 moft agreeable to live in, 
 'are 
 
are the leaft adapted to the 
 purpofes of trade with Eu¬ 
 rope $ where the climate be¬ 
 ing of the fame nature, of 
 courfe yields nearly the fame 
 produ&ions. We lhall fee 
 this illuftrated, by compa¬ 
 ring the produce of the two 
 fmall iflands of St. Chrifto- 
 pher,and Rhode-Ifland, both 
 of them well fettled, and 
 well cultivated $ both fer¬ 
 tile, and almofl: of the fame 
 fize; the principal difference 
 betwixt them confifting in 
 this, that the former is fi- 
 tuated in dat. 17. and the 
 latter in 41. let an eftimate 
 C be 
 
be made of the annual ex¬ 
 ports of each j by compa¬ 
 ring them together we dis¬ 
 cover at once the difference 
 that is made by climate on¬ 
 ly ; the exports of the for¬ 
 mer are of great value, and 
 of the latter of very little. 
 
 Upon the continent itfelf 
 we cannot but be fenfible 
 that the fouthern colonies, 
 though the lateft fettled, 
 and therefore the fartheft 
 from the beft ftate of culti¬ 
 vation, yield more valuable 
 articles of trade than the 
 northern colonies; and (the 
 number of inhabitants confi- 
 
[ xi J 
 
 dered) greatly furpafs them 
 in the amount of their ex¬ 
 ports. 
 
 The colony of Georgia* 
 which from being a barrier 
 province, and other circum- 
 ftances, had, when fil'd fet¬ 
 tled, many disadvantages to 
 druggie with 5 yet the rapid 
 increafe, which it has lately 
 made in its exports > affords 
 fufficient proofs that its cli¬ 
 mate is perfe&ly adapted to 
 the purpofes, both for Eu¬ 
 ropean and American com¬ 
 merce j and fit for rice, filk, 
 and indigo \ which, fugar 
 •excepted, conditute themod 
 C 2 ya- 
 
[ xii ] 
 
 valuable article of trade. In 
 New-England, to fay no¬ 
 thing of Canada and Nova- 
 Scotia, where the winters 
 are Rill more fevere, the 
 earth is covered with fnow 
 at lead: three months in the 
 year i the rigour of the cli¬ 
 mate puts an end to all ve¬ 
 getation 5 the beafts of the 
 field require to be Iheltered 
 from the inclemencies of the 
 weather, and be fuftained 
 with fodder, laid by in fijm- 
 mer: even the laborious 
 hand of induftry is in this 
 feafon of the year deftitute 
 of all ufeful employment. 
 
 During 
 
[ xiii ] 
 
 During the fame period, 
 the vegetation in Carolina 
 and Georgia affords fufficient 
 food for cattle 5 no Ihelter 
 is required for them ; the 
 lakes and rivers are not 
 frozen, and the garden ve¬ 
 getables contribute greatly 
 to make a plenty of fufte- 
 nance. 
 
 I have dwelt the longer 
 upon a comparifon of the 
 northern with the fouthern 
 colonies, in order that by 
 lhewing the manifeft fuperi- 
 ority of the latter, in a com¬ 
 mercial view, no furprize 
 may be felt at the reprefen- 
 tation 
 
[ XIV ] 
 
 tation given of Eaft-Florida; 
 in which all perfons concur 
 who know that country, and 
 are alfo acquainted with the 
 proper cultivation of it. 
 
 If we carry the eye along 
 the eaftem coaft of North- 
 America, from Hudfon’s- 
 bay, down to the ifland of 
 Cuba ; which lies a little to 
 the fouth of the Cape of 
 Florida, as we draw nearer 
 the fun, the fouthern com¬ 
 mercial productions gene¬ 
 rally become better, and of 
 more intrinfick worth. It is 
 not only in fugar and indigo, 
 that Cuba furpafles all the 
 Englilh 
 
Englifti fettlements, lying 
 upon the continent, but in 
 all other productions, that 
 depend principally upon the 
 power of the fun. And in 
 this refpect, Eaft-Florida 
 hath the advantage of Caro¬ 
 lina and Georgia, as much 
 as Cuba has the advantage 
 of Eaft-Florida. 
 
 In order to judge of the 
 produce to be expected from 
 a frelh foil, well fupplied 
 with navigable rivers, in the 
 climate of Eaft-Florida, let 
 usconfider the reft of the 
 globe, lying in the fame la¬ 
 titude, and we find Egypt, 
 Arabia 
 
[ xvi ] 
 
 Arabia Felix, Perfia, India, 
 China, and Japan; of which 
 China is the only country, 
 that has a tolerable govern- 
 ment; yet it muft be acknow¬ 
 ledged, that all of them are, 
 or have been, famous for 
 their riches and fertility. 
 When we fpeak, as it were, 
 proverbially, of the riches 
 of the eaft, we can allude to 
 no other country than thofe 
 that have been mentioned. 
 
 As to the fituation of 
 Florida, in refpedf of the 
 Spanifh trade, it need only 
 be obferved, that the Spani¬ 
 ards are too lazy to fupply 
 them- 
 
[ Xvii J 
 
 themfelves even with necef- 
 faries $ that the Havannah, 
 one of their richeft ports, is 
 only a few days fail from St. 
 Auguftine, and of courfe, is 
 much nearer to the capes of 
 Florida, which lie dire&ly 
 oppolite to that celebrated 
 harbour. The trade winds, 
 which perpetually blow with¬ 
 in the tropics, from eaft to 
 weft, render the communi¬ 
 cation betwixt the Havan¬ 
 nah and St. Auguftine al¬ 
 ways eafy, as they lie, in 
 refpe& to each other, north 
 and iouth. 
 
 D 
 
 As 
 
[ xviii ] 
 
 As to the fituation of 
 Florida, with a view to fur- 
 prize the Spanilh fhips in 
 time of war, the trade winds 
 oblige the regifter (hips and 
 galleons from Carthagena, 
 Porto Bello, and Vera Cruz, 
 the rich cargoes whereof 
 are very well known, to re¬ 
 turn to Europe through the 
 gulph of Florida, and to call 
 at the port of the Havan- 
 nah, in their way to Old 
 Spain. The ftrong current 
 that conftantly runs from 
 the eaft, between the Baha¬ 
 ma iflands and Cuba, right 
 into the gulph of Mexico, 
 as 
 
[ 3 
 
 as well as the trade winds, 
 which blow from the fame 
 quarter, greatly embarrafs 
 ftiips coming from the weft- 
 ward to the port of the Ha- 
 vannah, and expofe them 
 very much to the defigns of 
 an enemy. When vefiels, 
 in their way to Europe, 
 double the capes of Florida, 
 they are under a neceflity of 
 keeping near to the fhore, 
 in order to take the benefit 
 of the eddies and land 
 breezes. .When they have 
 got round the capes, and 
 fall in the ftream of the 
 gulph of Florida, they are 
 D ^ carried 
 
[ XX ] 
 
 carried forcibly to the north¬ 
 wards by the ftrength of 
 that noted current. A few 
 {hips of force may eafily take 
 every loaded veffel on its 
 way through this confined 
 {trait, which is about 50 
 miles wide, and fomewhat 
 more than 2,00 miles long; 
 and affords to {hips pafling 
 through it, but little choice 
 in the line of their naviga¬ 
 tion. 
 
 It is eafy to difcern the 
 utility of a fortified harbour 
 near the capes 5 it would 
 contribute not a little, to 
 fecure the command of the 
 gulph 
 
 3 
 
[ xsri ] 
 
 gulph of Mexico, as well as 
 Florida; the importance 
 whereof, I need not enlarge 
 upon. 
 
 I have infenfibly run to a 
 much greater length in this 
 introdu&ion than I intend¬ 
 ed. In eftimating the va¬ 
 lue of Eaft-Florida, I have, 
 unavoidably, counted upon 
 what it will be when fettled, 
 not upon what it is. 
 
 I forefee its climate and 
 produce, as well as its fitu- 
 ation, which, with refpe& 
 to the Spanilh dominions, 
 is of great moment, will 
 one day render it a very 
 im- 
 
[ xxii ] 
 
 important colony to Great- 
 Britain 5 yet, the town of 
 StAuguftine excepted, this 
 country is at prefent, for 
 want of inhabitants, little 
 better than a defart. 
 
 A N 
 
[ *3 3 
 
 A N 
 
 A C C O U N T 
 
 0 F 
 
 EAST-FLORIDA. 
 
 SECT. I. 
 
 Situation. 
 
 E AST-FLORIDA, the moft fouth- 
 ern colony upon the continent of Bri- 
 tifh America, lies between the 25th 
 2nd 31ft degree of north latitude. 
 
 Boundaries. 
 
 By the king’s proclamation, dated the 
 7th of Odober 1763, its boundaries were 
 fixed on the north by the river St. Mary’s, 
 on the eaft by the Atlantic ocean and 
 gulph of Florida, on the weft by the river 
 Apalachicola and the gulph of Mexico. 
 
 Extent. 
 
[ 24 ] 
 
 Extent. 
 
 Its length from north to fouth is 350 
 miles. Its breadth from the mouth of St. 
 Mary’s river, its northern limits, to the river 
 Apalachicola is about 240. 
 
 At the mouths of St. Juan’s river, 40 
 miles fouth of St. Mary’s, where the pen- 
 infula begins, it is 180 miles broad; and 
 grows narrower from thence to the capes of 
 Florida, where its breadth may be between 
 30 and 40 miles. It contains upon the 
 neareft calculation about x 2 millions of acres, 
 which is nearly as much as Ireland. 
 
 The fea coaft of Eaft-Florida is a low 
 flat country, interfered by a great num¬ 
 ber of rivers, very like Holland, or Suri¬ 
 nam in America. It continues flat for 
 about 40 miles from the coaft, and then 
 grows a little hilly, and in fome parts 
 rocky. 
 
 Florida difiers materially from the reft 
 of America in this, that almoft • all the 
 continent befides is covered with a thick 
 foreft; whereas the trees in Florida are at 
 a diftance from one another, and being 
 clear of under wood, this country has more 
 the 
 
t *5 i 
 
 the appearance of an open grove than a 
 foreft. 
 
 The rains and the heavy dews, which 
 are more frequent here than to the north¬ 
 ward, create fuch a luxuriant vegetation, 
 that the furface of the earth, notwithftand- 
 ing the heat of the fun, is never without a 
 good verdure. 
 
 SECT. II. 
 
 Soil. 
 
 A country fo extenfive as this cannot hut 
 have a variety of foil, the fandy is the moft 
 prevalent, efpecially towards the fea. 
 
 There are generally four ftrata or beds 
 of earth found in Eaft-Florida: the upper- 
 moft is a mould of earth, a few inches 
 thick ; beneath is a fand half a yard in 
 depth; below that a ftrong white clay, re- 
 fembling the marie in England, and may 
 be ufed as manure to the fandy land, this 
 ftratum is commonly four feet thick ; the 
 fourth layer is a rock compofed of petrified 
 fea fhells. The fertility of Florida is much 
 afcribed to thefe two ftrata of clay and 
 rock, which contribute to keep the fand 
 E moift, 
 
[ 26 ] 
 
 raoift, and prevent the rains from finking 
 away from the roots of the plants and trees* 
 
 In the interior parts the trees are larger, 
 the grafs higher, and the cattle bigger, 
 than toward the fea, efpecially in that 
 part of the peninfula which lies betwixt 
 the river St. Juan’s, and the fort of St. 
 Markd’Apalachie, which is about 150 miles 
 to the northweft of this river. 
 
 To take a view of the eaftern fliore of 
 Florida, beginning from the north: we 
 meet the river St. Mary’s, lying in the 30th 
 degree 47, latitude, it is a mile broad at 
 its mouth, where Amelia iiland is fituated; 
 it has five fathom water upon the bar at 
 low water, is navigable above 60 miles, 
 where it has three fathom water. It is the 
 belt harbour from the capes of Virginia to 
 thofe of Florida; it takes its rife out of the 
 great fwamp*, called by the Indians Owa- 
 qua-phe no-gaw. The lands upon the 
 banks of this river are the richeft in the 
 northern parts of the province; the abun¬ 
 dance 
 
 * The word fwamp is peculiar to America ; it there 
 fignifies a tract of land that is found and good, but by 
 lying low is covered with water. All the foreft trees 
 (pine excepted) thrive beft in the fvvamps, where the 
 foil is always rich; and when cleared and drained is 
 proper for the growth, of rice, hemp, and indigo. 
 
[ 2 7 ] 
 
 ■dance of cane-fwamps fufficiently fhews the 
 fertility thereof. The beft trees, that grow 
 in the fwamps on this river, are the live 
 oak and cedar, very ufeful for fhip-build- 
 ing; their extraordinary fize is a ftrong 
 mark of the goodnefs of the foil. A colony 
 of Bermudians is foon expected to fettle 
 upon this river, and the Amelia ifland. 
 
 St. Juan’s, now called St. John’s river, 
 lies 40 miles fouthward of St. Mary’s ; the 
 trad of land between them confifts of 
 plains covered with pihes; thefe plains 
 are called in America, pine-barrens, or 
 highlands, in contradiftindion to the 
 fwamps and lowlands. 
 
 We find a finking difference betwixt the 
 pine-barrens of Florida, and thofe to the 
 northwards ; the pine-barrens to the north¬ 
 wards, from the poverty of the foil, do 
 not anfwer the neceffary expence of clear¬ 
 ing. The clofenefs of the trees hinders 
 the grafs from growing under them, fo 
 that large trads of land are no further ufe¬ 
 ful than to make pitch and tar: whereas 
 in Florida, as the trees ftand at a greater 
 diftance, and both the rains and dews are 
 more frequent than to the northwards, 
 E 2 the 
 
[ 28 ] 
 
 the pine-barrens are covered with good 
 graft of a perpetual verdure. 
 
 In paffing through this part of Florida, 
 we find thofe plains frequently divided by 
 the fwamps above-mentioned, which be* 
 ing full of foreft-trees diverfify the afpect 
 of the country, as they form fo many 
 thick woods. 
 
 The fwamps are from half a mile to a 
 mile broad, and from two to five miles 
 long j the depth of the water is various, 
 but is fuch that in travelling they are 
 ufually rode through without much diffi¬ 
 culty. 
 
 From St. John’s river fouthwards to St, 
 Auguftine is 45 miles, the country is much 
 the fame as has been juft defcribed, but 
 not quite fo good, the fwamps being nei¬ 
 ther fo frequent nor fo large. 
 
 Before we fpeak of St. Auguftine, it 
 will be proper to take fome notice of the 
 river St. John’s, the principal river of this 
 province in point of utility and beauty, 
 and not inferior to any in America. The 
 fource of this river, which is not exa&ly 
 afcertained, is in all probability near the 
 capes of Florida ; it pafles through five 
 lakes, 
 
t *9 ] 
 
 lakes, the lowed of them is called by the 
 Indians the great lake; it is 20 miles long 
 and 15 broad, has eight feet water j there 
 are feveral iflands in it, and it is now called 
 lake George j it is 170 miles from the 
 mouth of the river. In going down from 
 hence the firft European habitation is Mr. 
 Spalding’s, an Indian trader’s ftore-houfe : 
 
 15 miles lower is Mr. Rolle’s fettlement; 
 the whole diftance from the lake to Mr. 
 Rolle’s is 45 miles, and the country be¬ 
 tween the beft difcovered yet. upon the 
 river. The tropical fruits and plants are 
 found in great abundance, and afford the 
 ftrongeft evidence that both the foil and 
 climate are fit for fugar, cotton, indigo, 
 and other Weft-India productions. Mr. 
 Rolle’s plantation is well fituated on the 
 eaftern banks, and is the moft confidera- 
 ble upon this river, which is here very 
 narrows 25 miles from Mr. Rolle’s, down* 
 ward, is Piccolata, a fmall fort with a 
 garrifon, the river is here three miles 
 broad. 
 
 -The bar at low water is nine feet deep, 
 its channel up to lake George is much 
 deeper; the breadth is very unequal, from 
 
[ 30 1 
 
 a quarter of a mile to three miles. The 
 tide rifes at the bar from five to eight 
 feet, and two feet at Mr. Rolle’s, though 
 125 miles from the fea. There are nei¬ 
 ther {hallows nor any rapidity in the river ; 
 the current, owing to the flatnefs of the 
 country, is very gentle, and veffels may 
 go up the river almoft as eafy as down, 
 for zoo miles j there is perhaps no river 
 in the world more commodious for navi¬ 
 gation. 
 
 St. Mark’s river takes its rife near the 
 mouth of St. John’s river, runs from north 
 to fouth parallel with the fea, till it empties 
 itfelf into the harbour of St. Auguftine : 
 from the flatnefs of the country, there are 
 many fait marflies on both Tides of the 
 river, almoft up to its fource ; thefe marlhes 
 may be eaflly defended from the tides, and 
 will make very rich lands, either for rice, 
 indigo, or hemp. 
 
 .We come now to the harbour of St. 
 Auguftine, which would be one of thq 
 beft in America, were it not for its bar, 
 which will not admit veffels of great bur¬ 
 den, 
 
C 31 1 
 
 den, as it has but eight feet water The 
 bar is furrounded by breakers, that have a 
 formidable appearance when you enter it, 
 but is not fo dangerous as it appears, on 
 account of the bar being very fliort: fince 
 the government has appointed a good pilot, 
 no veifels have been loft upon it. There 
 is a road on the north fide of the bar, with 
 good anchorage, for fuch (hips as draw 
 too much water to go into the harbour. 
 
 A neck of the main land to the north, 
 and a point of Anaftafia ifland to the fouth, 
 form the entrance of the port. Oppofite 
 to the entrance lies Fort St. Mark’s, fo 
 called from the river it lies upon ; this fort 
 is a regular quadrangle, with four bafti- 
 ons, a ditch fifty feet wide, with a covert* 
 way, places of arms, and a glacis: tine en¬ 
 trance of the gate is defended by a raveline; 
 it is. cafe-mated all round, and bomb-proof: 
 the works are entirely of hewn ftone, and 
 being finifhed according to the modem 
 tafte of military arehitefture, it makes a 
 very 
 
 * It is neceflary to obferve, that the depth of the 
 bars of the harbours on the eaftern fhoreof Eaft-Florida, 
 cannot be exaftly afeertained, as the tides there are 
 chiefly regulated by the winds; a ftrong wefterly wind 
 will make but fix feet, and an eafterly wind 12 feet 
 water upon the bar of St, Auguftine, at low water. 
 
[ 32 1 
 
 very handfome appearance, and may be 
 juftly deemed the prettieft fort in the 
 king’s dominions. 
 
 The town of St. Auguftine is iituated 
 near theglacis of the fort, on the weft fide 
 of the harbour; it is an oblong fquare, 
 the ftreets are regularly laid out, and in- 
 terfecl each other at right angles, they 
 are built narrow on purpofe to afford fhade. 
 The town is above half a mile in length, 
 regularly fortified with baftions, half-baf- 
 tions, and a ditch; befides thefe works it 
 has another fort of fortification, very An¬ 
 gular, but well adapted againft the enemy 
 the Spaniards had moft to fear: it confifts 
 of feveral rows of palmetto trees, planted 
 very clofe along the ditch, up to the para¬ 
 pet; their pointed leaves are fo many che- 
 vaux de frieze, that make it entirely im¬ 
 penetrable ; the two fouthern baftions are 
 built of ftone. In the middle of the town 
 is a fpacious fquare called the parade, open 
 towards the harbour: at the bottom of 
 this fquare is the governor’s houfe, the 
 apartments of which are fpacious and fuited 
 to the climate, with high windows, a bal¬ 
 cony in front, and galleries on both fides; 
 
 to 
 
[ 33 1 
 
 to the back part of the hpufe is joined a 
 tower, called in America a look-out, from 
 Which there is an extenfive profped to- 
 ■ wards the fea, as well as inland. There ai e 
 two churches within the walls of the 
 town, the parifn church a plain building, 
 and another belonging to the convent of 
 Francifcan friars, which is converted into 
 barracks for the garrifon. The houfes are 
 built of free-ftone, commonly two ftories 
 high, two rooms upon a floor, with large 
 windows and balconies; before the entry 
 of raoft of the houfes runs a portico of ftone 
 arches; the roofs are commonly flat. The 
 Spaniards confulted conveniency more than 
 tafte in their buildings; the number of 
 houfes in the Spaniards time, in the town, 
 and within the lines, was above 900; many 
 of them, eipecially in the fuburbs, being 
 built of wood or palmetto leaves, are now 
 gone to decay. The inhabitants of all 
 colou \ -white, negroes, mulattos, Indians, 
 &c. at the evacuation of St. Auguftine, 
 amounted to 5700, the garrifon included, 
 confifting of 2500 men. Half a mile from 
 the town, to the weft, ds a line with a 
 broad ditch and baftions, running from St. 
 Sebaftian’s creek to St. Mark’s river: a mile 
 F further 
 
C 34 ] 
 
 further- is another fortified line, with fome 
 redoubts, forming a fecond communication 
 between a {toccata fort upon St, Sebaftian’s 
 river, and fort Mofa upon the river St, 
 Mark’s. 
 
 Within the fir ft line, near the town, 
 was a fmall fettlement of Germans, who 
 had a church of their own. Upon St, Mark’s 
 river, within the fame line, was alfo an 
 Indian town, with a church built of free- 
 ftone, the fteeple is of good workmanfhip 
 and tafte, though built by the Indians: the 
 lands belonging to this townfhip, the go- 
 vernor has given as glebe-lands to the 
 parifh church. 
 
 The land about Auguftine, in all ap¬ 
 pearance the worft in the province, is yet 
 far from being unfruitful; it produces two 
 crops of Indian corn a year; the garden 
 vegetables are in great perfection j the 
 orange and lemon trees grow here, with¬ 
 out cultivation, to a larger fize, and pro* 
 cuce better fruit than in Spain or Por¬ 
 tugal. 
 
 Oppofite to the town of St. Auguftine, 
 lies the iiland of Anaftalia; this ifland is 
 about z 5 miles in length, and divided from 
 the 
 
C 35 3 
 
 the mam land by a narrow channel, called 
 Matanza river, though in reality, an arm 
 of the lea : the foil is but indifferent; at 
 preferitit is ufed for pafturage; but having, 
 fome creeks and fwamps in feveral parts, 
 may in time be cultivated to advantage. 
 
 At the north end of this ifland is a watch- 
 tower, or look-out, built of white ftone, 
 which ferves alfo as a land-mark for vef- 
 fels at fea. At the approach of any veffels, 
 fignals are made from this tower to the 
 fort; a few foldiers do duty there on that 
 account. A quarry of whitifh flone is op- 
 pofite to Auguftine, of which the fort and 
 houfes are built: ftone quarries are very 
 rare in the fouthern parts of America, 
 which makes this of Anaftafia the more 
 valuable; the ftone is manifcftly a concre¬ 
 tion of ftnall fhells petrified; it is foft un¬ 
 der ground, but becomes very hard and 
 durable by being expofed to the air. 
 
 Going fouthwards from Auguftirie, at 
 the diftance of a mile and a half, we come 
 to St. Sebaftian’s creek; this ftream takes 
 its rife five miles north of Auguftine, and 
 after making a fweep to the weft, empties 
 itfelf into the fea at this place; near the 
 F 2 mouths 
 
[ ] 
 
 mouths of. this creek are extenfive fait-, 
 water marlhes, overflown at high tides, 
 which may be eafily taken in; higher inland 
 are fine fwamps. 
 
 We come next to Wood-cutters creek, 
 which rifes 15 miles north of Auguftine, 
 and after defcribing a femicircle to the 
 weft, much like Sebaftian’s creek, but 
 with a larger fweep, empties itfelf into the 
 fea, fix miles below Auguftine j the lands 
 upon this creek confift of very good 
 fwamps and highlands. 
 
 At the Matanzas, 15 miles fouth of 
 Wood-cutters creek, is a fmall fort and har¬ 
 bour, fit for coafting veflels. The harbour 
 is oppofite the fouth point of Anaftafia 
 ifland, where there is a fecond watch- 
 tower. The foil between Wood-cutters 
 creek and the Matanzas is tolerably good, 
 on account of feveral creeks and fwamps. 
 
 From the Matanzas we come to Halli- 
 fax river, which, like St. Mark’s above 
 mentioned, runs parallel to the fea, and is 
 feparated from it only by a fandy beach, in 
 lome parts a mile, in others two miles 
 broad. This beach cr bank feems to be 
 formed by the lands; which, either by 
 hurri- 
 
[ 37 3 
 
 hurricanes, or.in a courfe of.ages, have 
 been wafhed up by the fea. The fource.of 
 this river, though certainly not very far. ' 
 from St. John’s river, is not as yet well af- 
 certainefl: before it reaches Mufquito in¬ 
 let, Tomoko river falls into it; this river 
 runs from weft to eaft; from this river to 
 St. John’s is only four miles land-carriage. 
 
 From the Matanzas to Mufquito inlet is 
 40 miles: at this place, Hillfborough river, 
 coming from the fouth, and Hallifax river 
 from the north, meet, and are both dis¬ 
 charged here into the fea: the bar of this 
 harbour has eight feet at low water. 
 
 I do not know any country befides Eaft- 
 Flbrida, where rivers have been obferved 
 to run parallel. to thp fea, where two 
 ftreams, as thofe laft mentioned, meet each 
 other from diredt oppoiite quarters; and 
 what is ftill more remarkable, where two 
 rivers, as the Hallifax, and St. John’s, at 
 fo fmall a diftance, flow different ways, 
 the ftream of which run parallel to each 
 other, one to the fouth, the other to the 
 north. 
 
 About Mufquito inlet the country is 
 low, and chiefly falt-marlh; what high¬ 
 land 
 
t 38 1 
 
 land there is, is covered with cabbage- 
 trees, papaw-tree, and other tropic plants, 
 which Ihews that Weft-India commodi¬ 
 ties may be raifed here. The weftern 
 banks of Hallifax and Hilllborough rivers 
 contain a great deal of excellent land; the 
 many orange groves, (which denote for¬ 
 mer Spanifh fetdements) and the frequent 
 remains of Indian towns, ihews that they 
 have been once well inhabited. We are 
 as yet unacquainted with the fources of 
 moll of the rivers in Eaft-Flonda, and 
 particularly that of Hilllborough river ; it 
 is generally believed to have a communi¬ 
 cation with an Indian inlet, called by the 
 Spaniards Rio Days, 60 miles to the 
 fouth, where there is fuch another har¬ 
 bour as Mufquito, with eight feet water ; 
 it is faid to communicate with St. John’s 
 river. 
 
 Between Indian river, and the capes of 
 Florida, are feveral rivers and harbours, 
 hut as they are not as yet actually fur- 
 veyed, it would be prefumption in me, to 
 impofe the reports of the Indians upon the 
 public as certain truth. We may confider 
 the fouthern parts of the peninfula, and 
 the 
 
I 39 1 
 
 the weftern coaft (the bay of Tampa, ex¬ 
 cepted) as terra incognita, till the furveyor- 
 general of the fouthern diftridt of Ame¬ 
 rica, has completed the adtual furvey of the 
 coaft and rivers. 
 
 SECT. III. 
 
 Climate. 
 
 The climate of Eaft-Florida is an agree-; 
 able medium betwixt the fcorching heat of 
 the tropics, and the pinching cold of the 
 northern latitudes. All America, to the 
 north of the river Potomak, is greatly in¬ 
 commoded by .the feverities of the weather 
 for two or three months in the winter: In 
 Eaft-Florida there is indeed a change of 
 the fe.afons, but it is a moderate one; in 
 November and December many trees lofe 
 their leaves, vegetation goes on flowly, and 
 the winter is perceived. In the northern 
 parts of the province a flight froft hap¬ 
 pened laft year, the firft known there in 
 the memory of man : I do not find upon 
 enquiry, that fnow has ever been feen 
 there; the winters are fo mild, that the 
 i Spaniards 
 
[ 40 ] 
 
 •Spaniards at Auguftine had neither chim¬ 
 neys in their houfes, nor glafs windows. 
 The tendereft plants of the Weft-Indies, 
 fuch as the plantain, the allegator pear- 
 tree, the banana, the pine-apple or ana¬ 
 nas, the fugar-cane, &c. remain unhurt 
 during the winter, in the gardens of St. 
 Auguftine. 
 
 The fogs and dark.gloomy weather, fo 
 common in England, are unknown in this 
 country. At the equinoxes, efpecially the 
 autumnal, the rains fall very heavy every 
 day, betwixt eleven o’clock in the morn¬ 
 ing, and four in the afternoon, for fome 
 weeks together ; when a fhower is over, 
 the Iky does not continue cloudy, but al¬ 
 ways clears up, and the fun appears again: 
 the mildnefs of the feafons, and purity of the 
 air, are probably the caufe of the healthi- 
 nefs of this country. 
 
 By the belt accounts of the firft difco- 
 very of Eaft-Florida, it appears to have 
 been nearly as full of inhabitants as Peru 
 and Mexico; and thefe accounts are, in 
 lome meafure, verified, by the frequent 
 remains we find of Indian towns through¬ 
 out the peninftila. The natives are de- 
 fcribed 
 
[ 4* ] 
 
 ' fcribedto have been larger, and of a ftrongei 1 
 make 1 than the Mexico Indians. 
 
 When the Spaniards quitted Auguftirie, 
 many of them were of a great age, fome 
 above ninety: the Spanifh women were ob- 
 ferved to be more prolific here than in Old 
 Spain, where they are generally accounted 
 but indifferent breeders. 
 
 The inhabitants of the Spariifh fetfle- 
 ments in America confider Eaft-Florida, 
 with refpeft to its healthinefs, irt the fame 
 light that we do the fouth of France and 
 they looked upon Auguftine as the Mont¬ 
 pelier of America: the Spaniards, from the 
 Havannah and elfewhere, have frequently 
 reforted thither for the benefit of their 
 health. 
 
 Since it came into the hands of Greats 
 Britain, many gentlemen have experienced 
 the happy effedts.of its climate: Mr. Dun- 
 net, the fecretary of the province, and Mr. 
 Wilfon, a merchant there, both in a deep 
 confumption, have afcribed the recovery 
 of their health to the climate. 
 
 It is an indifputable fad, which can be. 
 proved by the monthly returns of the 
 ninth regiment, in garrifon in Eaft-Flori- 
 G da, 
 
[ 42 ] 
 
 da, that it did not lofe one lingle man by 
 natural death in the fpace of 20 months j 
 and as this regiment does duty in the fe- 
 veral forts, at different diftances from Au- 
 guftine, St. Mark’s d’ Apalachie at 200 
 miles, Piccolata 30, Matanzas 20, it proves 
 in the moft fatisfadtory manner, that the 
 climate is healthy in the different parts of 
 the province. 
 
 The peninfula of Florida is not broad, 
 and as it lies betwixt two feas, the air is 
 cooler, and oftener refrefhed with rains, 
 than on the continent: the entire abfence 
 of the fun for eleven hours makes the 
 dews heavy, and gives the earth time to 
 cool 5 fo that the nights in fummer are 
 lefs fultry here than in the northern lati¬ 
 tude, where the fun fhines upon the earth 
 for feventeen or eighteen hours out of the 
 twenty-four. The. heat, which in South - 
 Carolina, and in the fouthern part of Eu¬ 
 rope, is fometimes intolerable for want of 
 wind, is here mitigated by a never-failing 
 fea-breeze in the day-time, and a land- 
 wind at night. It is only in and near the 
 tropicks that the lea and land-breezes are 
 at all uniform or to be depended upon. 
 
 The 
 
t 43 ] 
 
 The white people work in the fields in 
 the heat of the day without prejudice to 
 their, health; gentlemen frequently ride 
 out for pleafure in the middle of the day j 
 and governor Grant is regularly on horfe- 
 back every day from eleven to three o’clock 
 in the afternoon. 
 
 SECT. IV. 
 
 Natural Productions. 
 
 Having already taken notice of the foil 
 and climate, upon which all vegetation 
 depends, I fhall now proceed to the vege¬ 
 table productions of Eaft-Florida. 
 
 In no one part of the Britifh dominions 
 is there found fo great a variety of trees, 
 plants and fhrubs, as in Eaft-Florida; 
 which, I fuppofe, is entirely owing to the 
 temperature of the climate, in which the 
 productions of the northern and fouthern 
 latitudes feem to flourifh together. With¬ 
 out attempting to enumerate all the foreft- 
 trees, I fhall only take notice of fuch as 
 are moft ufeful. 
 
 G a 
 
 The 
 
[ 44 ] 
 
 The white pine grows to a confidferable 
 fize, and is fit for mails, planks, and 
 other timber for houfe-building. 
 
 The red pine is a heavy wood, full of 
 rezin, and moil fit for pitch and tar ■, its 
 bark is of great ufe for tanning. 
 
 The fpruce fir here is quite a different 
 tree from that to the northward, but an-, 
 fwers the fame end for making the fpruce 
 beer. Thefe different forts of fir demand 
 a fandy foil, that has a clay, or other ftrong 
 earth beneath it. 
 
 The white cedar: of this tree are made 
 boards, fhingles, clapboards, and ftaves 
 for dry cafks. 
 
 The red cedar is ufed for pofls and 
 boards, the trunk is feldom above 14 feet 
 high, and the limbs are ufually crooked, 
 and very proper for fhip-building. 
 
 The cyprefs tree grows to a greater fize 
 here than to the northward ■, and being 
 larger than any other tree, is ufed for 
 making canoes. 
 
 The live oak (fo called from being an 
 evergreen) is tougher, and of a better 
 grain than the Englith oak, and is highly 
 efteemed for fhip-building, 
 
 1 The 
 
[ 45 1 
 
 The chefnut oak, very little known in 
 other parts of America, is very common 
 in Florida. Its leaf is like that of a horfe- 
 chefnut, the acorn it bears is two inches 
 long, and in tafte like a chefnut: it affords 
 excellent maft for hogs, and is an exceed¬ 
 ing good timber. 
 
 Mahagony grows only in the fouthern 
 and interior parts of the peninfula; it is in 
 fize and quality inferior to the Jamaica, 
 but good enough to become an article of 
 trade: the wood-cutters from Providence, 
 one of the Bahama iflands, come to Eaft- 
 Florida to cut mahagony, and carry it off 
 clandeftine'iy. 
 
 Red bays: this tree feems a baftard 
 mahagony, and is not yet known in Europe j 
 it may come into repute in time, when 
 the belt of mahagony is become ftill more 
 fcarce. 
 
 The walnut, and hiccory (which is a 
 fpecies of walnut) are fo common, that 
 they, with the chefnut-tree, though beau¬ 
 tiful woods, are ordinarily ufed for fire* 
 wood: they afford good maff for hogs. 
 
 Black 
 
[ 46 ] 
 
 Black cherry-tree, is a beautiful wood, 
 the tree bigger than in Europe, the fruit 
 fmall and of little ufe. 
 
 Maple: its wood is of a fine variegated 
 grain, fit for cabinet-work. In the fpring 
 they tap it, in order to make fugar of its 
 juice. 
 
 The ath, Iocuft, and dog-wood-trees 
 are here in abundance, and fit for the mill, 
 or wheelwrights work, and other ordinary 
 purpofes. 
 
 The mulberry-tree, both the red and 
 white, are natives of the country, the fo- 
 refts are full of them ; they grow here to 
 a larger fize than in any other country. 
 
 The leaf of this tree being the food of 
 the filk-worm, and the climate perfectly 
 adapted to that tender infect, I {hall, in a 
 proper place, make fome obfervations upon 
 the cultivation of filk. 
 
 The fuftic and bratiletto, ufeful as dying 
 woods, are likewiie found in Eaft-Florida. 
 
 Safiafras of Florida was always reckoned 
 the bed in America. 
 
 Balfam-tree, of the fize and with leaves 
 like the fycamore tree in England, yields 
 the true balfam of Tolu. 
 
 The 
 
[, 47 ] 
 
 The magnolia, tulip-laurel, tupelow- 
 tree, are all beautiful, and very ornamental 
 in gardens and pleafure-grounds. 
 
 Fruit-Trees. 
 
 It is obfervable in America, that though 
 no country has a greater variety of valuable 
 foreft-trees, yet there are but few fruit- 
 trees, natives of the continent, worth men¬ 
 tioning. 
 
 All the fruit-trees (an indifferent fort of 
 plumb, and a fmall black cherry excepted) 
 have been imported from Europe, and 
 thrive exceeding well. In Florida, a ftranger 
 cannot help being ftruck with the luxuri- 
 ancy of the orange-tree ; it is larger in fize, 
 and produces greater abundance and better 
 flavoured fruit than in Spain or Portugal r 
 this tree is fo well adapted to the climate, 
 that it has fpread itfelf every-where, and is 
 fo far from a rarity, that the inhabitants, 
 not apprehenfive of fcarcity, frequently cut 
 down the tree in order to gather the fruit. 
 
 The lemons, limes, citrons, pomegra¬ 
 nates, figs, apricots, peach, &c. grow here, 
 in high perfection. 
 
 Shrubs 
 
[ 48 ] 
 
 Shrubs and Plants. 
 
 The myrtle-wax fhrub is, without 
 doubt, the moft ufeful of the fpontaneous 
 growth of America; it is found in all forts 
 of foil, and in fuch plenty in Eaft-Florida, 
 that were there hands enough to gather 
 the berries, they could fupply all England 
 with wax: the procefs of making it is 
 very fimple; they bruife the berries, boil 
 them in water, and fkim the wax off, 
 which is naturally of a bright green co¬ 
 lour, but may be bleached like bees-wax, 
 and, on account of its hardnefs, is well 
 adapted for candles in hot countries. 
 
 Of the opuntia, or prickly pear, are dif¬ 
 ferent fpecies in Eaft-Florida; on one fort, 
 with a fmooth leaf, is the cochineal infedt, 
 found in incredible plenty : of the fruit of 
 the other fpecies, is made a vegetable co¬ 
 chineal, which may be ufed in ordinary 
 purpofes inftead of the true cochineal. 
 
 The vines, the fenna fhrub, farfaparilla, 
 China-root, wild indigo, water and mufk- 
 melons, are indigenous plants of Eaft- 
 Florida, 
 
 I 
 
[ 49 ] 
 
 I cannot omit mentioning a herb of the 
 growth of Eaft-Florida, of which, as yet, 
 very little notice has been taken, notwith¬ 
 standing the great advantage that may be 
 derived from it: this herb refembles en¬ 
 tirely our famphire in England, and is cal¬ 
 led barilla or kaly $ it is the fame of which 
 in Spain the pearl-a{hes are made, in the 
 manner as the kelp in Scotland the fea- 
 coaft, marlhes, and low-lands, overflown at 
 high tides, are covered with it here in 
 Florida. 
 
 Animals. 
 
 There is no animal of this country bet¬ 
 ter worth mentioning than the deer, which 
 is found in great plenty j the deer-fkins 
 are, at prefent, the only article of expor¬ 
 tation of Eaft-Florida. 
 
 The buffalo is found in the favannahs, 
 or natural meadows, in the interior parts 
 of Eaft-Florida; the peculiarity of the 
 American buffalo is, that inftead of hair, 
 it is covered with a fine frizzled wool. 
 
 The bear in America is confidered not 
 as a fierce, carnivorous, but as an ufeful 
 H animal ; 
 
[ 50 ] 
 
 animal; it feeds in Florida upon grapes, 
 chefnuts, acorns, &c. It is reckoned very 
 good food, efpecially the bear hams, &c. 
 
 The racoon is a fpecies of the bear, but 
 fmaller; he is of the fize and colour of 
 a badger, and is eiteemed very delicate 
 eating. 
 
 Hares are very plenty, but not bigger 
 than an Englifh rabbit. 
 
 I have mentioned but a few of the moil 
 ufeful of wild animals: (if we except the 
 moofe-deer and beaver) Eaft-Florida has 
 all the wild animals common to America; 
 though I muft acknowledge, that the ikins 
 of thofe of the fur kind are of little value, 
 the climate being too hot for them. 
 
 As to the domeftic animals, they are, 
 in general, the fame that we have in Eu¬ 
 rope ; the horned cattle as big as in Eng-: 
 land, efpecially in the inland parts. 
 
 The horfes are of the Spaniih breed, of 
 great fpirit, but little ftrength ; they are 
 ieldom above 14 hands high: the Indians 
 here, by mixing the Spaniih breed with 
 the Carolina, have excellent horfes, both 
 for fervice and beauty. 
 
[ 5i ] 
 
 From the great plenty of fine mall, the 
 hogs grow here to an uncommon fize ; and 
 their flelh is fatter and better fhail in any 
 other country. 
 
 Sheep, goats, and caprittos, thrive here 
 very well, but mull be fecured at night 
 agstinli the wolves and foxes, fill the coun¬ 
 try is better fettled. 
 
 Birds. 
 
 Florida, on account of its climate, lias a 
 great variety of birds; immenfe numbers 
 migrate thither in winter, to avoid the cold 
 of the northern latitudes. In the woods 
 are plenty of wild turkeys, which are bet¬ 
 ter tailed, as well as larger, than our tame 
 ones in England. 
 
 The pheafant is in fize like the Euro¬ 
 pean, its' plumage like that of our par¬ 
 tridge. The American partridge is not 
 much bigger than a quail, and feems to 
 be of that fpecies. 
 
 The wild pigeons, for three months in 
 the Year, are in fuch plenty here, that an 
 account of them would feem incredible. 
 
 H 2 
 
 All 
 
[ 52 3 
 
 All the different forts of water-fowls be¬ 
 longing to America, (the fwan excepted) 
 are found here in the greateft abundance. 
 
 Fish. 
 
 The rivers of the fouthern provinces of 
 North-America abound greatly with fi£h, 
 but Florida rather more than any other: 
 thofe moftly made ufe of, are the bafs, 
 mullet, different forts of rays, and flat- 
 fifh, cat-filh, fea-trout, and black-fifh. 
 
 Of ihell-fi£h: feveral forts of crabs, 
 prawns, and fhrimps, of an extraordinary 
 £ze. 
 
 The oyfters are fo plentiful here, that no¬ 
 thing is more common, than at low water, 
 to fee whole rocks of them. 
 
 There are three forts of fea-turtle com¬ 
 mon in haft-Florida, the logger-head, 
 hawk’s-bill, and green-turtle. There are 
 likewife two forts of land-turtle, one of 
 them is amphibious, and the other, not fo, 
 is called a terrapin. 
 
 Insects. 
 
[ 53 1 
 
 Insects. 
 
 If one confiders the extent of Eaft-Flo¬ 
 rida, and the fraall number of inhabitants 
 it has had thefe fixty years, fince the na-> 
 tive Indians were exterminated by the 
 creeks, one would be apt to think it muft 
 of courfe be overrun with venomous infedts 
 and reptiles: feveral writers who mention. 
 Florida, have taken it for granted to be fo j 
 amongft others, the gentleman who lately 
 wrote major Rogers’s Hifto'ry of North- 
 America, tells us, Eaft-Florida would be 
 a fine country, were it not for the innu¬ 
 merable venomous infedts with which it is 
 infefted : the fadt is quite otherwife j if 
 we except the allegator, Eaft Florida has 
 fewer infedts than any other province in 
 America : during my flay there, I faw but 
 two black fnakes; Mr. Rolle, who for 
 eighteen months lived conftantly in the 
 woods, has feen but one rattle-fnake. If 
 Eaft-Florida is fo happy as to have fo few- 
 venomous creatures, it is not owing to a 
 fupernatural or miraculous caufe, like the 
 bleffings of St. Patrick upon Ireland, but 
 to a very plain and natural one, which is, 
 
 3 thatl 
 
t 54 ] 
 
 that the hunting-parties of the Creek In¬ 
 dians, who are difperfed through the 
 whole province, continually fet the grafs 
 on fire, for the conveniency of hunting; 
 by which means, not only the infedts but 
 their eggs alfo are deftroyed. 
 
 Allegators are here in great number, 
 they never attack men either in the water 
 or upon land; all the mifchief they do, is 
 carrying off young pigs from the planta¬ 
 tions near the rivers. 
 
 There is an infedt in Eaft-Florida, not 
 known in other parts of America, which is 
 a large yellow fpider; the hind part of his 
 body is bigger than a pigeon’s egg, and the 
 reft in proportion j its web is a true yellow 
 filk, fo ftrong as to catch fmall birds, 
 upon which it feeds : the bite of this fpi¬ 
 der is attended with a fwelling of th« 
 part, and great pain, but no danger of 
 life. 
 
 A great variety of lizards are found here, 
 fome of them very beautiful, changing 
 their colour like the cameleon; they arc 
 quite a harmlefs infedt. 
 
 SECT. 
 
[ 55 3 
 
 SECT. V. 
 
 Of CULTIVATION, 
 Rice. 
 
 From the climate of Florida, and the 
 great variety of tropical, as well as north¬ 
 ern produdions, that are natives of this 
 country, there is reafon to exped, that 
 cotton, rice, and indigo, not to mention 
 fugar, will grow here as. well as in any 
 part of the globe. The planters from Ca¬ 
 rolina, that have vifited Florida, fince it 
 came into our pofleffion, are of opinion, 
 that it is much fitter for the produdion of 
 rice, even than South-Carolina, 
 
 The great peculiarity, and indeed the 
 principal difficulty, attending the cultiva¬ 
 tion of rice, in a proper climate, arifes. 
 from the neceffity of laying the ground 
 where it is fown under water at two ftated 
 periods. It is manifeft, that not many 
 fituations can have this command of water; 
 but from the number of rivers in Florida, 
 and the nature of the country, which ap-. 
 proaches to a level without being fo, it is 
 
[ 5 6 ] 
 
 cafy to difcern, that the flreams of water 
 can be guided more at pleafure, than if 
 the inequalities of the furface were greater. 
 
 Florida is in the fame latitude with 
 Bengal and China, where rice grows in 
 greater plenty than any where elfe in the 
 world ; and when the variety of fwamps, 
 rivulets, and water-iide lands are conli- 
 dered, we may give credit to what a very 
 knowing and eminent planter of Carolina 
 lays, who has been up the river St. John’s 
 as high as lake George, that the country 
 from that lake to Mr. Rolle’s, 45 miles in 
 length, will, in his opinion, yield as much 
 rice as is produced in all South-Carolina. 
 
 Where the foil and climate is proper for 
 rice, there is no grain in the world yields 
 fo much profit to a planter. 
 
 Cotton. 
 
 Since every colony in America feems to 
 have, as it were, a llaple commodity pecu¬ 
 liar to itfelf, as Canada the fur; Maflachu- 
 fets-bay, filh; Connecticut, lumber; New- 
 York and Penfylvania, wheat; Virginia 
 and Maryland, tobacco; North-Carolina, 
 pitch and tar; South-Carolina, rice and 
 indigo } 
 
[ 57 1 
 
 indigo; Georgia, rice and filk. I am much, 
 difpofed to prognofticate, that cotton will, 
 in time, be a ftaple commodity in Florida, 
 'The cotton (hrub is known to thrive 
 beftin alight Tandy foil, and in a climate 
 that has frequent rains: the pine-barrens, 
 and worft parts of Florida, as well as its 
 climate, are therefore fit for this (hrub. 
 
 It is needlefs to fay any thing of the 
 utility and importance of cotton as an ar¬ 
 ticle of trade ; Bengal, and the Coroman¬ 
 del coaft, in great meafure, owe their riches 
 to it j the calicoes, chints, muflins, &c. &c. 
 annually imported by the Eaft-India com¬ 
 pany, and. fold, at fuch. immenfe profit, are 
 all made of cotton. 
 
 The quantity imported, from the Weft-. 
 Indies, notwithftanding the great increafe 
 lately made in the produce of it at Tortola, 
 one of the Virgin-iflands belonging to. 
 Great-Britain, bears but a fmall propor¬ 
 tion to the whole confumption. A great 
 demand has raifed the price of the Turkey- 
 cotton from five-pence to ten-pence a 
 pound, and of the Weft-India, from nine- 
 pence to two (hillings. 
 
 Tfee 
 
 l 
 
[ 5M 
 
 TheManchefter manufactures are greatly 
 cramped by the fcarcity of this commodity, 
 and would be confiderably extended fhould 
 cotton become plentiful in England. 
 
 A fmall bounty upon the growth of it 
 in Florida, might be attended with good 
 effect, and be a wife encouragement of an 
 infant colony. 
 
 Mr. Rolle has planted the cotton-tree in 
 Florida, where he has found it thrive fg> 
 well, as plainly proves the foil and climate 
 is adapted to it, 
 
 Silk. 
 
 With refpedi to the cultivation of filk in 
 Florida, there is not the lead; doubt of the 
 climate being better adapted to the filk*- 
 worm than any country in Europe, or 
 probably, in America : filk abounds much 
 more in India, Perfia, and China, which 
 are in the latitude of Florida, than in 
 Italy.- 
 
 A confiderable increafe has. of late been 
 made in the growth of filk in Carolina 
 and Georgia ; at Puriiburgh, filk is become 
 the ftaple commodity of the place: this 
 
 -i town 
 
[ 59 1 
 
 town was fettled about 40 years ago, by 
 fome natives of Switzerland; it lies 30 
 miles eaft of Savannah. 
 
 In Carolina and Georgia the Worms are 
 often injured by accidental frofts, and cold 
 mornings, in the l'pring, efpecially if it is 
 a late one; they are fometimes actually 
 deftroyed, and at other times are benumb¬ 
 ed and made fickly for want of warmth: 
 this inconvenience is alfo frequently expe¬ 
 rienced in Italy: it is almoft unneceflary 
 to remark, that the fouthern fituation of 
 Florida has placed it out of the reach of 
 this difafter. 
 
 In Georgia there is often a great deal of 
 thunder and lightning in the fpring-feafon* 
 which is apt to affett and injure the iilk- 
 worm; whereas in Florida, where fre¬ 
 quent (bowers refrefh the air, and the fea- 
 breezes keep it in conftant agitation, the 
 thunder is neither fo common or fo vio* 
 lent i experience will probably {hew, that 
 this country is as much adapted to the filk- 
 worm as to the mulberry-tree, on which 
 it feeds. It has been before obferved, that 
 this tree grows in its utmoft luxuriance 
 in all parts of Florida. 
 
 I 2 
 
 Sugar.' 
 
I 60 } 
 
 Sugar. 
 
 As there is no production of the Weft- 
 Indies affords a planter fo much profit as 
 fugar, there is no doubt but fugar will foon 
 be planted in Florida. The fugar-cane 
 grew at Auguftine, and in the truftees 
 garden in Savannah in Georgia, in as great 
 perfection as in the Weft-Indies. We are 
 not however yet, for want of experiments, 
 perfectly informed with what degree of 
 iuccefs fugar can be raifed in Florida. It 
 is certain the fugar-cane is a tender plant, 
 that requires both a good and a moift foil, 
 as well as a hot climate to bring it to per¬ 
 fection. 
 
 The fugar-cane is not a native of the 
 Weft-Indies, as is commonly taken for 
 granted; nor will it grow there with¬ 
 out art and cultivation. 
 
 The common ufe of fugar in Europe 
 was introduced by the Portuguefe, who 
 tranfplanted it from the Eaft-Indies into 
 the Madeira iftands'; the fugar-cane flou- 
 riflied there, and in the Canaries, which 
 •are in the latitude of Florida, fo well, that 
 all 
 
C 61 3 
 
 all Europe was fupplied from thence with 
 fugar. 
 
 The loaf-fugar at this day, in Germany, 
 is called Canary-fugar. Sugar is plentiful 
 and common in Egypt, in parts further 
 from the tropic than Florida. Pliny, the 
 elder, makes it the produce of Arabia and 
 India. 
 
 In the neighbourhood of Malaga, fu¬ 
 gar ufed to be railed in-, great abun¬ 
 dance, and it is grown in fome parts of 
 Spain at this day. The fouth of Spain is 
 ten degrees north of the capes of Florida. 
 The plantane-tree and allegator pear, the 
 tendered; of the tropical plants, are in full 
 perfection at Auguftine. 
 
 As both the foil and climate of Eaft- 
 Florida feem fit for fugar, one cannot rea- 
 fonably doubt, but the cultivation of it 
 will be attended with fuccefs •, and if in 
 fome refpects Florida be found inferior to 
 the Weft-Indies, which I do not expect, 
 it has in other refpects the advantage of 
 them. 
 
 The flock of a fugar planter is not only 
 procured, but fupported at a vaft expence; 
 the exceffive price of labour in the Weft- 
 Indies, 
 
[ 6 2 j 
 
 Indies, arifing from the unhealthinefs of 
 the climate, and the dearnefs of the necef- 
 faries of life, virtually amounts to a tax 
 upon the fugar planter; not only all kind 
 of cloathing, but provifions too, muft be 
 imported from Europe, and the northern 
 plantations. 
 
 The materials for building, all the lum¬ 
 ber required to ere£t and repair the fugar 
 works, muft be fetched from the conti¬ 
 nent : in Florida they are found upon the 
 foot. In the iflands, the wages of a car¬ 
 penter, mafon, &c. run up as high as ten 
 drillings a day ; the natural plenty in Flo¬ 
 rida will make labour there comparatively 
 cheap. 
 
 The overfeer, and other white fervants, 
 will, beyond all queftion, be hired much 
 cheaper in a plentiful and good climate, 
 than in a fcarce and fickly one. 
 
 Not only overfeers and fervants will be 
 had at a reafonable price, but horfes, cows, 
 and oxen, may be purchafed at lefs than 
 one fixth of the price they bear in the 
 Weft-Indies. Mules and horfes are there 
 fold from 201. to 301. a-piece: a fervice- 
 a'ole horfe in Florida may be had for 4I. 
 
 The 
 
. [.*3 ] 
 
 The price of an ox is no more than 3 1 . in 
 Florida. ' It is not only the prime coft of 
 the flock that differs fo much, in the two 
 countries, but the-expence of maintaining 
 it bears the fame comparative difference; 
 grafs and fodder for the cattle, and com 
 and flefh-meat for the fervants, are very 
 jfcarce in the iflands, and very plentiful in - 
 Florida. 
 
 When the fugar is made, it is often ne- 
 ceffary, in the Weft-Indies, to carry it at a 
 great expence by land, a confiderable di- 
 fiance to the fhipping-places: this expence 
 will be faved in Florida, where a planter 
 will be fure to make his plantation on the 
 fide of a navigable river. 
 
 In Florida the lands are not fold, as in 
 the ceded iflandsj but given upon conditi¬ 
 ons, which intereft leads the grantee to 
 perform and the refervation made to the 
 crown is only a halfpenny an acre, after 
 the end of three, five, or ten years, which 
 is regulated by the extent of the grants. 
 
 It often happens in‘the Wefl-Indies, as 
 it did laft year, that when the ground is 
 prepared, and the cane planted, the rains, 
 or feafons as they are called, fail; as often 
 as 
 
[ 64 ] . 
 
 as this is the cafe, the crop is ruined by- 
 drought, a misfortune which is not to be 
 apprehended in Florida. 
 
 Indigo. 
 
 Both the foil and climate of Eaft-Florida 
 feem to fuit this plant; the Spaniards 
 planted fome of the guatimala indigo in 
 their gardens at Auguftine, where I have 
 feen, in a poor, fandy foil, indigo plants of 
 a larger fize, and in a more luxuriant ftate, 
 than ever I faw in South-Carolina in the 
 ficheft and bell cultivated lands: I was in¬ 
 formed the Spaniards cut it four times a 
 year. 
 
 Indian Corn. 
 
 This grain is the common food in Ame¬ 
 rica ; the Spaniards being confined within 
 the lines of Auguftine, ufed to raife two 
 crops a year upon the fame ground; which 
 I mention rather as a mark of the fertility 
 of the foil, than of the good hulbandry of 
 the Spaniards: it grows here in alrnoll 
 every foiL 
 
 Hemp. 
 
t 6j ] 
 
 HEMP; 
 
 The large bounties granted by parlia¬ 
 ment, and the confiderable premiums by 
 the fociety of arts and fciences, will in¬ 
 duce fome of the new fettlers to cultivate 
 hemp; it requires a frelh, ilrong, moift 
 foil: the fwatiips, after being cleared and 
 drained for rice, are fitteft to be fown with 
 hemp for the firlt and fecond year. 
 
 Vines. 
 
 It is not at all doubtful whether the 
 vine will flourifh in Florida, becaufe it 
 grows there, and in almoft all parts of 
 America, fouth of Delaware, in great 
 plenty. The wild grapes of America are 
 of little worth, they ufually run up the 
 trees of the forefts, where they are too 
 much fhaded, and for want of cultivation, 
 of no value. 
 
 The dearriefs of labour, and the cheap- 
 nefs of foreign wines in America, have 
 both contributed to prevent the planting 
 of vineyards more frequently. The French 
 refugees planted fome in South-Carolina, 
 K and 
 
[ 66 ] 
 
 and I have drank a red wine of the growth 
 of that province little inferior to burgundy^ 
 When it is obferved that the richeft 
 wines are produced in the iflands of Ma¬ 
 deira and the Canaries, in the ifland of 
 Cyprus, and in other parts of the Levant, 
 lying nearly in the latitude of Eaft-Flo- 
 rida; it will, probably, not be owing to 
 any defedt either in foil or climate, but to 
 the dearnefs of labour, or negligence of 
 the inhabitants, if wine is not produced 
 hereafter in fome plenty upon this con¬ 
 tinent. 
 
 Currants, raifins, figs, and olives-, will 
 mou probably thrive here whenever they 
 2re planted. 
 
 Having finifhed what I had to fay of the 
 country of Eaft-Florida, I muft, before I 
 conclude, add one word more upon the 
 fubjedt of procuring inhabitants for it. 
 
 The government has acted agreeably to 
 the wife and mafculine fpirit of its policy, 
 in laying the new foundation of feveral 
 extenfive colonies. Civil as well as mili¬ 
 tary eftablilhments have been provided 
 thefe three years for the two Florida’s, at 
 an expence of near ioo,oool. a year; but 
 
 Hill 
 
[ $7 ] 
 
 ftill the inhabitants of both of them pnt 
 together, (foldiers and favages excepted) 
 would make but a thin congregation in a 
 fmall parifh-church. 
 
 If the government refolves not to ftir 
 one ftep further, it has gone already a great 
 deal too far; Florida, without inhabitants, 
 is l'o much worfe than nothing, that Great- 
 Britain lofes near 100,000 1 . a year by it. 
 
 Governments, garrifons, eftablilhments 
 civil and military, without inhabitants, or 
 any meafures taken to procure them, feems 
 fomething ftrange. It is very unufual to 
 take all the meafures requifite to a particu¬ 
 lar end but one, and to negledt a lingle 
 one, which being omitted, renders all the 
 reft abortive. 
 
 If a farmer Ihould purchafe an eftate, 
 hire fervants, prepare the ground for low¬ 
 ing, have the feed-corn ready, and ftill 
 fave the expence of putting it in the 
 ground, his neighbours would laugh hearti¬ 
 ly at him. Rice, cotton, and indigo, will 
 grow in Eaft-Florida, whenever they are 
 put in the ground, but they will not grow 
 without. We muft not expedt becaufe a 
 country is a good one, that it therefore 
 K 2 will 
 
[ 68 1 
 
 will work miracles, and without fo much 
 as rowing the teeth of Cadmus’s ferpent *, 
 of itfelf produce the human fpecies. , 
 
 If Eaft-Florida fettles itfelf, which it is 
 left to do, it will be the firft colony on the 
 continent that ever did fo: the fadt, as 
 far as experience goes, overturns the theory. 
 
 Notwithilanding every wife and gene¬ 
 rous meaiure is taken by governor Grant 
 for the good of Eaft-Florida, yet his pro¬ 
 clamation to invite new fettlers, dated the 
 i ft of Odtober, 1764, has not been hitherto, 
 attended with any vifible effect. When 
 we confider the amount of the prefent 
 eftablhhments for that country, it teems 
 to be bad oeconomy to ftay for years, in 
 order to fee whether Florida will fettle it- 
 felf cr not. None of the American pro¬ 
 vinces are fo well peopled, as to fpare inhabi¬ 
 tants ; and were any of the inhabitants to 
 the northward dilpoled to go to Florida, 
 it is, with refpedt to the migration of fa¬ 
 milies, quite inacceffible by land, for want 
 of roads, and ferrys to pafs the feveraj 
 large rivers ; and fuch inhabitants as may 
 be willing to feek a new habitation, can-; 
 
 not 
 
 Ovid. iv. Metam. 
 
[ 69 ] 
 
 Dot afford the expence of conveying them* 
 felves and families by fea. 
 
 Neither is Florida likely to be fettled 
 by inhabitants from Europe, unlefs the 
 goverment will defray the expences, and 
 pay the paffage, for men who have nei¬ 
 ther money nor credit to convey them- 
 felves thither. Will any man go from 
 Europe to Florida at his own expence, 
 when he can go to South-Carolina paffage 
 free, and have lands given him when he, 
 gets there, without any expence j and be¬ 
 sides this, be fupplied with neceffaries and 
 provifion for a twelvemonth. South-Ca¬ 
 rolina, though fettled above a century, is 
 ftill at an expence of 40001. a year, as a 
 bounty given upon the importation of fo¬ 
 reign pro tenants * : we ought to follow 
 their 
 
 * By foreign fettlers is to be undertlood, i. Germans 
 from the Rhine, Mofelle, and other parts, where they 
 cultivate vineyards. 2 . Eroteftants ftom the fouthern 
 provinces of France, ufed to the culture of (ilk, olives, 
 vines, &c. 3. Inhabitants of the iflands of Greece, and 
 the Archipelago ; they are a very fober, induftrious peor 
 pie, well (killed in the cultivation of cotton, vines, rai- 
 fins, currants, olives, almonds, and filk-worms: the 
 foil and climate of Eaft-FIorida is adapted to every one 
 of thefe articles. 
 
 Without doubt, many of my readers, efpecially thofe 
 unacquainted with America, will be apt to aik, why 
 fiioufd 
 
 4 
 
E 7 ° ] 
 
 their example, and not content ourfelveg 
 with the name only of governments and 
 colonies. 
 
 Should the parliament of Great-Britain 
 give only the fame bounty that Carolina 
 gives, Eaft-Florida would Hand a chance 
 at leaft, of becoming inhabited ; the heal- 
 thinefs and fertility of this country will be 
 known by degrees; and I do not doubt, 
 but foreigners may be induced to go thither 
 upon the fame terms they are tempted to 
 go to other colonies. I believe feveral 
 perfons of note intend to apply for grants 
 of land in Eaft-Florida, with a view of 
 railing vines, or other articles there, by 
 the 
 
 Ihould we make choice of foreigners, and not of our own 
 fubjects ? to which I would anfwer, that thefe foreign¬ 
 ers, when fettled in an Englilh colony, are no longer 
 foreigners, but fubjefts to Great-Britain. It would be 
 very impolitic to encourage, or fo much as to counte¬ 
 nance the emigration of induftrious hufbandmen, and 
 ufeful manufacturers; and thofe which are either charge¬ 
 able, or ufelefs to the public here in England, will be 
 much more fo in a new colony; befxdes, experience 
 convinces us, that foreigners are the fitted: people to fet¬ 
 tle America. The provinces of Per.fylvania, New- 
 York, and New-Jerfeys, chiefly inhabited by Germans 
 and Dutch, are the belt peopled, and the moft wealthy 
 upon the continent, notvvitbftanding the little value 
 their produce is of, in comparifon to the fouthern colo¬ 
 nies: and it is undoubtedly true, that the flourifhing 
 fiate America is in, is chiefly owing to the continual 
 importation of foreign fettlers. 
 
[ 7 1 J 
 
 the help of negroes: and it is alfo trud; 
 that the condition of each'grant, requires 
 the having one white inhabitant to ioo 
 acres of land; but it is furely impolitic, to 
 make the adtual fettling of new colonies 
 depend upon a flight and precarious foun¬ 
 dation, without affifting the laudable de- 
 figns of thofe who apply for grants, and 
 feconding their views, by promoting the 
 importation of foreign proteftants, to fup- 
 ply them with cheap fervants, and ufeful 
 labourers. 
 
 At a time when public oeconomy is ab- 
 folutely neceffary, I do not wifh to fee 
 fuch fums expended to fettle Florida, as 
 has been done with refpedt to Nova-Sco- 
 tia; but fince a method of encouraging fo¬ 
 reigners to fettle in America has been 
 fometime practifed, and experience has 
 fhewn it to be both frugal and efficacious, 
 I flatter myfelf the adminiftration will 
 adopt the fyftem of Carolina, or fome other 
 equally expedient. 
 
 The amount of the civil eftabliihment 
 in Eaft-Florida, is 5700 1 . a year, granted 
 by parliament: If Great-Britain fhould 
 difpofe of an equal fum, to encourage the 
 fet- 
 
t p ] 
 
 fettling of the colony, and allow drily 
 25001. to be paid as a bounty of 4I. per 
 bead to the matter of the fhip, for every 
 foreign proteftant imported to fettle in 
 Eaft-Florida; to allow 2500 1 . more, to 
 fupply the new fettlers with provifion for 
 nine months, and the remaining 700 1. to 
 be diftributed at the dilcretion of the go¬ 
 vernor, in provincial premiums, upon the 
 growth of cotton, hemp, filk, and vines. 
 
 Should this be done, his majefty’s go¬ 
 vernors may have the pleafure of diftri- 
 buting juftice, and his generals affording 
 fafety to the king’s fubjedts, that may here¬ 
 after be found in that colony. 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
[ n l 
 
 A P PE N D I X, 
 
 T N order that perfons unacquainted with 
 A the author, may have other teftimonies 
 belides his own, relative to matters con¬ 
 tained in the aforegoing fheets, he has 
 thought proper to infert the following ex¬ 
 tracts of letters and accounts, which it is 
 in his power to authenticate, if necelfary. 
 
 Extract of a proclamation, by his excel¬ 
 lency James Grant, Efqj governor of 
 . Eaft-Florida. 
 
 * And whereas it may greatly contribute 
 to the fpeedy fettling of this his majefty’s pro¬ 
 vince, to inform all perfons of the healthi- 
 nefs, foil, and productions thereof; I do, 
 in this proclamation further publilh, and 
 make known, that the former inhabitants 
 lived to great agesj his majefty’s troops, 
 fince their taking poffeffion of it, have en¬ 
 joyed an uninterrupted ftate of good 
 health : fevers, which are fo common du¬ 
 ring the autumn, in other parts of Ame- 
 L rica, 
 
[ 74 3 
 
 rica, are unknown here. The winter is 
 fo remarkably temperate, that vegetables 
 of all kinds are railed during that feafon 
 without any art. 
 
 The foil on the coaft is in general fandy, 
 but productive with proper cultivation. 
 The lands are rich and fertile in the inte¬ 
 rior parts of the province, and on the fides 
 of the rivers, which are numerous. Fruits 
 and grains may be rajfed with little la¬ 
 bour : the late inhabitants had often two 
 crops of Indian corn in one year, and the 
 breeder here will be under no neceflity of 
 laying up fodder for the winter ; for there 
 is at all times fufficient quantity of pallure 
 to maintain his cattle. 
 
 The indigo plant remains unhurt for fe- 
 veral years, and may be cut four times in 
 a feafon. Wild indigo is found here in 
 great abundance; which, with proper cul¬ 
 tivation, is efteemed in the French iilands 
 to be the bell. 
 
 From the great luxuriancy of all the 
 Well-Indian weeds, found in the fouthern 
 part of this province, it is not to be doubt-r 
 ed, but that all the fruits and productions 
 of the Well-Indies may be railed here; 
 
 though 
 
[ 7j i 
 
 though either from want of induftry of thft 
 late inhabitants, or from the frequent in¬ 
 terruptions they met with from the Indi¬ 
 ans, no improvements of that kind-were 
 ever attempted. Oranges, limes, lemons, 
 and other fruits, grow fpontaneoully over 
 the country. 
 
 This province abounds with mahagony, . 
 and all kind of lumber, fit for tranfporta- 
 tion, or (hip-building; and the conveyance 
 of the commodities, or productions hereof 
 will be attended with little expence, as 
 there is water-carriage every where.’ 
 
 AbflraCt of a letter from an emiaent planter 
 in South-Carolina, to a ndble lord iri 
 England, dated, Charles-town, Auguffe 
 27, 1765. 
 
 ‘ Soon after my arrival at Auguftine, I , 
 fet out for.St. Juan’s river, and arrived 
 that evening at Piccolata, a fmall fort upon 
 the banks of St. Juan ? s •, next morning we 
 proceeded up the river as far as Mr. Rolle’s 
 town, which may be about 30 miles from 
 Piccolata : the land on both fides oft the 
 fiver is very indifferent, except fome fpots 
 L 2 here 
 
;[ 76 J 
 
 here and' there ; but at Mr. Rolle’s the 
 good land begins. After ftaying one night 
 at Mr. Rolle’s, we fet out for Lake George, 
 went that day as far as Spalding’s ftore, 
 and next day arrived at Lake George, which 
 is 20 miles long, and 15 broad. From 
 Mr. Rolle’s to Lake George, which is near 
 50 miles, is one continued body of excel¬ 
 lent land j I may fay the bell in the king’s 
 dominions. This tratt alone is capable of 
 producing yearly more rice than the whole 
 province of South-Carolina has ever yet 
 produced in a year: thefe lands feem to 
 me more adapted to rice and indigo, than 
 any thing elfe : it is better land than mine 
 at Winyaw, which is reckoned fome of 
 the belt in South-Carolina. We intended 
 to crofs the lake, but the wind blowing 
 frelh, and we in an open boat, it was not 
 thought fafe to venture, and therefore 
 Aimed back, after ftaying one night and a 
 day. Our guide, who was a man of credit, 
 informed us, that after you pafs over Lake 
 George, there was good land on each fide 
 of the river for 50 miles; when you meet, 
 with another fake, not quite fo large as 
 lake George: when that is crofted, the. 
 
 country, 
 
[ 77 1 
 
 country, as far as you can fee, on both tides 
 of the river, is a frefh water marfh: f@r 40 
 miles higher up, thefe mar/hes are extraor r 
 dinary rich lands ; here the river begins to 
 be Shallow, but from the mouth to this 
 place, it is the beft and fafeft navigation I 
 ever have feen. At this place, in a ftill 
 evening, the furf of the fea is heard, and 
 plenty of fea-.birds.are feen in the river; 
 which is a fign it -cannot be above feven or 
 eight miles from the fea. 
 
 In coming down the river, within a. few 
 miles from Mr. Rolle’s, we pitched upon 
 an/ifland where we landed, and examined 
 it ; it may contain about 14 or. 15Q.0 acres ; 
 a ridge of high lands runs acrofs, on which 
 is a continued grove of orange-trees, live- 
 oak, wM cherries, and magnolia; on each 
 fide of this ridge, is as fine a body of rich 
 low lands as any in the world: Near this 
 ifland is a trad of very good, land, feparated 
 from it by a creek ofabout 40 yards'wide, 
 and deep.enough for any flap. Great plenty 
 of ffefh water fifh is here in the river, and 
 abundance of ducks, and wild turkies upon 
 the ifland. I fhall return to Eaft-Horida, 
 next November, and carry negroes with 
 
C 7.8 3 
 
 me j as the governor will not grant us our 
 land, till the negroes are arrived in the 
 province. 
 
 St. Auguftine, May I, .1765. 
 
 * Sir, 
 
 * In confequence of your defire, and 
 your purpofe to bring to Eaft-Florida fo¬ 
 reign proteftants, in cafe I could affure 
 you the land to be good, and fit for culti¬ 
 vation; in anfwer to which, I acquaint 
 you, that, by order of the lords of trade, 
 and virtue of my appointment, as furveyor- 
 general of the fouthern diftriftof North- 
 America, I have made, fince January, an 
 exaft furvey of the land, and fea-coaft, 
 from St. Auguftine towards the cape of 
 Florida, as far as latitude 26. 40. the fpe- 
 cial charts of which, as well as a general 
 map, with my journal, I have tranfmitted 
 fo the board of trade; and make no doubt 
 will be publiflied for the inftrudion of 
 fuch as are of your good difpofition. You 
 may inform thofe, who choofe to become 
 inhabitants of Eaft-Florida, at this favour¬ 
 able juncture of its beginning, that the 
 firft comers will have great advantages in 
 
 the 
 
r 79 ] 
 
 the choice of their land. There is variety 
 of foil in Eaft-Florida; the high lands, 
 fome very rich, with a clay foundation ; 
 fome lefs, with a fandy bottom, and fomfc 
 quite fandy: the firft and fecond produce 
 oranges fweet and four, lemons, oak,alh,red 
 bay, fpice-tree, papaw-tree, and pine; the 
 third fort of foil produces the cabbage-tree, 
 the arboreous grape-vine, the plumb-tree, 
 and opuntia, on which the cochineal worm 
 is nourifhed. 
 
 The low lands are partly cyprefs and tu- 
 pelow fwarnps, partly frelh water marih, 
 without any tree, except cedar, on the 
 foot of the high lands; partly falt-water 
 marfh, full of the barilla, and the man¬ 
 grove-tree. There is an inland navigation 
 moftly thro’ the whole province, by which 
 the produce may be conveyed to the capes, 
 or to St. Mary’s river to the northward/ 
 
 Abftrad of a letter from a gentleman in 
 Auguiline, to his friend'in London. 
 
 ‘ Sir, 
 
 ‘ According to your defire, I made all 
 poffible enquiry about the proper place to 
 take up a trad of land; but have not till 
 lately. 
 
[ 8o ] 
 
 lately, been able to get fatisfadion on that 
 head. I am informed, by a gentleman 
 living upon St. John’s, that the lands on 
 that river, below Piccolata, are, in gene¬ 
 ral, good; and that there is growing there 
 now, good wheat, Indian corn, indigo, 
 and cotton j that the indigo promifes well 
 for a good crop; and indeed there is all 
 reafon to believe, that this will exceed 
 either Carolina or Georgia for indigo, as 
 our climate is fo much lefs affeded by the 
 froft than theirs: I am farther informed, 
 by one of the principal planters in Caro¬ 
 lina, who came here to take up land, that 
 above Piccolata, for 40 miles along the 
 river, is as good fwamp, or rice land, as 
 any in Carolina : this gentleman is come 
 to live here, as he finds Eaft-Florida much 
 healthier than South-Carolina, and that it 
 is fo, is the opinion of every body: agues 
 and fevers are diforders hardly known 
 here. Some gentlemen are gone to the 
 fouthwards, to a place called Mufquito, to 
 take up land, as there is great expedition 
 of fugar; as in that part they never have 
 any froft, and the foil naturally produces 
 the Weft-Ihdian plants. You will find 
 1 your 
 
[ 8i ] 
 
 your grant no inconfiderable matter, as it bag 
 all the appearance we ihall make a figure 
 here in time, if we are properly encouraged 
 from home. It is true, the bar of Auguf- 
 tine is a great bar to our hopes j it has a 
 dreadful appearance to ftrangers, though 
 if a veffel draws but eight or nine feet wa¬ 
 ter, it may fafely come over. 
 
 It is not expenfive living here - y all kind 
 of provifion is cheaper here than in Eng¬ 
 land } and houfe-rent exceffive cheap, and 
 good houfes they are, though built in the 
 Spanifh fafhion, which is the propereft for 
 this country. 
 
 
 M 
 
[ ] 
 
 For the gratification and inftruttion of 
 fuch of my readers as may be inclined to 
 petition for a grant, or to take up land in 
 Ealt-Florida, according to a proclamation 
 iffued by his excellency governor Grant, 
 dated, October i, 1764. I have annexed 
 both the conditions of the grant, and the 
 terms of the proclamation. 
 
 A PROCLAMATION. 
 
 EAST-FLORIDA. 
 
 * By his excellency James Grant, Efq; 
 captain-general, governor and comman¬ 
 der in chief, in and over the faid pro¬ 
 vince, and vice-admiral of the fame. 
 
 * TT/'HEREAS the king, by his royal 
 
 ’ ’ infiructions, has commanded me 
 to iflue a proclamation, to make known 
 the terms and conditions, on which all 
 perfons may obtain grants of lands in 
 the faid province j I do, in obedience to 
 his majefty’s inftruftions, iifue this my 
 proclamation, and make known to all per¬ 
 fons, that they may, on application to me 
 in council, at St. Auguftine, obtain grants 
 of 
 
[ 8 3 ] 
 
 of lands* in the faid prpvince of Eaft-Flo- 
 rida, in the following quantities, and on 
 the following terms and conditions. 
 
 That ioo acres of land will be granted 
 to every perfon, being mailer or miilrefs of 
 a family, for him or herfelf * and 50 acres 
 for every white or black man, woman, or 
 child, of which fuch perfon’s family ihall 
 confift, at the adtual time of making the 
 grant: and in cafe any perfon applying as 
 aforefaid, ihall be defirous to take up a 
 larger quantity of land than the family- 
 right entitles fuch perfons to, upon (hew¬ 
 ing a probability of cultivation, an addi¬ 
 tional number of acres, not exceeding 
 1000, may be obtained, upon paying, to 
 the receiver of the quit-rents, the fum of 
 five ihillings fterling, for every 50 acres of 
 fuch additional grant, on the day of the 
 date of the faid grant. 
 
 That the quit-rents of the land granted 
 in this province, to be one halfpenny per 
 acre, payable to his majeily, his heirs and 
 lucceffors, yearly, on the feaft of St. Micha¬ 
 el, which Ihall happen two years after the 
 date of the grant. 
 
 M 2 
 
 That 
 
[ 8 4 ] 
 
 That in all grants of land to be made, 
 regard will be had to the' profitable and 
 unprofitable acres; fo that each grantee 
 may have a proportionable number of one 
 fort and the other j as likewife, that the 
 breadth of each trad of land be one-third 
 of the length of fuch tract j and that the 
 length of each trad do not extend* along 
 the banks of any river, but in the main 
 land ,• and thereby the faid grantees may 
 have each a convenient lhare of what ac¬ 
 commodation the faid river may afford, 
 either for navigation, or other wife. 
 
 That all perfons, on fulfilling the terms 
 of the firft grant, may have a further grant 
 of the like quantity of lands, on the lame 
 terms and conditions aforefaid. 
 
 That for every 50 acres of plantable 
 land, each grantee lhall be obliged, within 
 three years after the date of the grant, to 
 clear and work three acres, at leaft, on 
 that part of the trad which they lhall 
 think moft convenient or advantageous; 
 or elfe, to drain or clear three acres of 
 fwampy, funken ground; or drain three 
 acres of marlh, if any fuch within his or 
 her grant, * 
 
 That 
 
t 85 ] 
 
 That -for every 50 acres of land, ac¬ 
 counted barren, every grantee fhall be 
 obliged to put on his or her land, within 
 three years after the date of the grant, 
 three neat cattle; which number every 
 perfon fhall be obliged to continue on their 
 lands, till three acres for every fifty be fully 
 cleared and improved. 
 
 That if any perfon fhall take up a trad 
 of land, wherein there fhall be no part fit 
 for prefent cultivation, without manuring 
 and improving the fame, every fuch gran¬ 
 tee fhall be obliged, within three years 
 from the date of the grant, to ered on 
 fome part of the land, one good dwelling- 
 houfe, at leaf!: 20 feet in length, and 16 
 in breadth; and alfo to put on the land, 
 the number of three neat cattle for every 
 50 acres. 
 
 That if any . perfon, who fhall take up 
 any flony or rocky grounds, not fit for 
 culture or pafture, fhall, within three years 
 after the palling the grant, begin to em¬ 
 ploy thereon, and continue to work for 
 three years then next enfuing, in digging 
 any ftone-quarry, or other mine, one good 
 hand, 
 
[ 86 1 
 
 hand, for every ioo acres, it fhall be ac¬ 
 counted a fufEcient cultivation. 
 
 That every three acres which {hall be 
 cleared and worked as aforefaid, and every 
 three acres which {hall be drained as afore¬ 
 faid, {hall be accounted a fufficient feating, 
 planting, cultivation and improvement, to 
 keep for ever from forfeiture 50 acres of 
 land in any part contained within the fame 
 grant; and the grantee {hall be at liberty 
 to withdraw the {lock, or forbear working 
 in any quarry or mine, in proportion to 
 fuch cultivation and improvement as {hall 
 be made on the plantable lands, or upon 
 the fwampy or funken grounds, or marlhes, 
 which {hall be included in the fame 
 grant. 
 
 That when any perfon who {hall here¬ 
 after take up and patent any land, {hall 
 have feated, planted, or cultivated and 
 improved the faid land, or any part of it, 
 according to the directions and conditions 
 abovementioned, fuch patentee may make 
 proof of fuch feating, planting, and culti¬ 
 vation or improvements, in any court of 
 record in the faid province, or in the court 
 of the country, diftriCt, or precindt, where 
 1 fuch 
 
[ *7 ] 
 
 fuch lands fhall be, and have fuch proofs 
 certified to the regifter and office, and there 
 entered with the record of the faid patent j 
 a copy of which fhall be admittecl on any 
 trial, to prove the feating and planting fuch 
 lands.’ 
 
 At the court of St. James’s. 
 
 < TXTHereas the lords commiffioners for 
 V ' trade and plantations have reprefent- 
 ed to his majefty, at this board, that appli¬ 
 cation has been made to them, by , pray¬ 
 ing for a grant of lands in his majefty’s pro¬ 
 vince of Eaft-Florida, in order to make a 
 fettlement thereupon, his majefty, this 
 day, took the fame into confideration j and 
 having received the opinion of the lords 
 commiffioners for trade and plantations, 
 and alfo of a committee of the lords of his 
 majefty’s moft honourable privy-counci! 
 thereupon, is hereby pleafed, with the ad¬ 
 vice of his privy-council, to order, that 
 the governor and . commander in chief of 
 his majefty’s province of Eaft-Florida, for 
 the time being, do caufe acres of 
 
 land to fie furveyed, in one contiguous 
 trait, in fuch part of the faid province as 
 
[ 88 J 
 
 the faid , or his attorney, fhall 
 
 choofe, not already granted, or furveyed to 
 others; and upon return of fuch furvey, 
 conformable to his majefty’s directions in 
 general inftrudtions, to pafs a grant for the 
 tame to the faid , under the feal 
 
 of the faid province, upon the following 
 terms, conditions and refervations, viz. 
 
 That the grantee do fettle the lands 
 with proteftant white inhabitants, within 
 ten years from the date of the grant, in 
 the proportion of one perfon for every 
 ioo acres. 
 
 That if one third of the land is not fet¬ 
 tled with white proteftant inhabitants in 
 the abovementioned proportion, within 
 three years from the date of the grant, the 
 whole to be forfeited to his majefty, his 
 heirs or fucceflors. 
 
 That fuch part of the whole trad as is 
 not fettled with white proteftant inhabi¬ 
 tants at the expiration of ten years from 
 the date of the grant, to revert to his ma¬ 
 yfly, his heirs or fucceflors. 
 
 That an annual quit-rent of one half¬ 
 penny, fterling, per acre, be referved to 
 his majefty, his heirs or fucceflors, pay¬ 
 able 
 
[ 8 9 ] 
 
 able on the feaft of St. Michael, in-every 
 year, to commence, and become payable, 
 upon one half of the faid land, on the ; faid 
 feaft of St. Michael, which ihall firft hap¬ 
 pen after the expiration of five years, from 
 the date of the grant j and to be payable 
 on every enfuing feaft-of St. Michael, or 
 within fourteen days after ; and the whole 
 quantity to be fubjeft in like manner to 
 the like quit-rent, at the expiration of ten 
 years. 
 
 That there be a refervation in the faid 
 grant to his majefty, his heirs and fuccef- 
 fors, of all thofe parts of the land, which 
 the furveyor fhall, upon the return of the 
 furvey, report to be proper for erecting 
 fortifications, public wharfs, naval yards, 
 or for other military purpofes. 
 
 That there be a refervation to his ma¬ 
 jefty, his heirs and fucceflors, of all mines 
 of gold, filver, copper, lead, and coals. 
 
 That any part of the land which fhall 
 appear, by the furveyor’s report, to be well 
 adapted to the growth of hemp or flax, it 
 Ihall be a condition of the grant, that the 
 grantee lhall fow, and continue annually 
 N to 
 
[ 90 3 
 
 to cultivate a due proportion of the land, 
 not lefs than one acre in every iooo, with 
 that beneficial article of produce. And 
 the governor or commander in chief of his 
 majefty’s province of Eaft-Florida, for the 
 time being, and all others whom it may 
 concern, are required to carry his majefty’s 
 commands, hereby fignified, into execu¬ 
 tion.