Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/472

 4 6o APPENDIX.

induced to cultivate thofe commodities that would bed anfwer their de mands. Railing of filk, would extremely well agree with them, on ac count of its eafy procefs ; mulberry trees grow fpontaneoufly to a confider- able height here, and in the low lands through all our ibuthern colonies ^ which, were they topped, and tranfplanted near to the houfes, would fervc to feed the filk worms with their leaves. The eafy culture of this valuable commodity, filk, would not hinder the planter from attending the inviting products of the field. Thus the Indians would be gently led out of their uncultivated ftate of nature, and a fair opportunity would be given to dif- creet, fcnfible and pious teachers to inftruct them in die plain, and eafy principles of chriftianity.

The prodigious number of fertrfc hills lying near fome of the large flreams, and among the numberlefs fmaller branches of the Mifilfippi, from 33 to 37 degrees N. L. (and likewife in the two Floridas) are as well adapted by nature, for producing different forts of wine, as any place- whatever. The high lands naturally abound with a. variety of wine grapes : i therefore thefe extenfive lands were fettled, and planters met with due encouragement, Great Britain in a few years might purchafe here, with her own manufactures, a fufRcient fupply of as good wines as flie buys from her dangerous rival France, at a great difadvantage of trade, or even from Portugal. The level lands here, as in other countries, are badjy watered ; which therefore would abfolutely require the colony to be ex tended fix hundred miles up the Miflifippi, to anfvver the main defign of fettling it. The lands in our northern colonies are too much exhaufted to raife a fufficient quantity of hemp for their own confumption : and in digo does not grow to the north of Cape Fear river,, in North Carolina, on, account of the coldnefs of the climate. And as it grows only in rich lands, it is liable to be devoured the fecond year by fwarms of grafshoppers, and its roots are of fo penetrating a nature, as not only to impoverifh the ground, but requires more new fertile land than the planters can allow > fo that in a mort time, that product will ceafe of courfe in South Caro lina, and Georgia. This favourable country will fupply that growing de fect. In the Carolinas, and along the fea-ccaft to the Mifiifippi, tea grows fpontaneoufly, and doubtlefs, if the Eaft-India tea was tranfplanted into thofe colonies, it would grow, as well as in the eaftern regions of the fame latitude. The chief point confifts in curing ic well : but foreigners,, or experience, would foon overcome that difficulty by due encouragement.. Some years ago, a gentleman of South Carolina told me he raifed fome^ i. of.

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