Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 11).djvu/80

 bowing to strangers, I was given to understand that this state boasts of a supereminent degree of civilization. We slept and supped at a farm-house, on roast leg of pork hot, price for all, one dollar; but we longed for some of the many squirrels and other game which we passed all day.

13th.—This day's journey of 80 miles lies through a valley of sand, nearly on a level with the sea, and without any hills, stones, or pebbles {52} on its surface. Roused at two this morning from my refreshing bed in the bosom of this vast wilderness, which, during the night, seems awfully dark and still. Intermitting sounds are, however, heard, something like the noise of a distant waterfall, and produced (a poet would say) by the trees becoming vocal and talking all together.

Language is inadequate to describe a journey through this interesting, romantic, fantastic forest. At one time the eye beholds large fleets or groves of naked masts, trees which have been girdled, and by time stripped of all their bark: at another, roads apparently conducting to the houses of great men; spots, too beautiful for description, into which the traveller enters by infinite serpentine windings. To find what? Miserable negro huts, and negroes, (if by night) with blazing torches in their hands. The roads and paths are so constantly and suddenly winding, and withal so beautiful, that common mortals might fear to proceed further, expecting to meet some mighty prince or celestial spirit in these sacred haunts; or perhaps some gigantic monster, rushing out of these dark shades to annihilate all. Imagination is here highly and almost fearfully excited. It is, therefore, difficult to rid one's self of the idea that one is certainly moving into some castle or palace, by favourite concealed paths, ornamented with magnolias. An archbishop seems consecrating the spot;