Bartram’s Travels... V
The botanist, without a guide, pene¬
trates into the territory of the Over¬
hills tribes.
May we suppose that mankind feel
in their hearts a predilection for the
society of each other; or are we de¬
lighted with scenes of human arts and
cultivation, where the passions are flat¬
tered and entertained with variety of
objects for gratification?
I found myself unable, notwith¬
standing the attentive admonitions
and persuasive arguments of reason,
entirely to erase from my mind those
impressions which 1 had received from
the society of the amiable and polite
inhabitants of Charleston; and 1 could
not help comparing my present situa¬
tion in some degree to Nebuchadnez¬
zar's. when expelled from the society
of men, and constrained to roam in
the mountains and wilderness, there
to herd and feed with the wild beasts
of the forests.
After parting with my late com¬
panion. I went forward with all the
alacrity that prudence would admit of,
that 1 might as soon as possible see
the end of my toil and hazard, being
determined at all events to cross the
Jorc mountain, said to be the highest
land in the Cherokee country.
After a gentle descent. I entered
on an extremely stony narrow vale,
through which coasted swiftly a large
creek, twelve or fifteen yards wide,
roaring over a rocky bed, which 1
crossed with difficulty and danger, the
ford being incommoded by shelving
rocks, full of holes and cliffs. After
leaving this rocky creek, my path led
me upon another narrow vale or
glade, down which came in great haste
another noisy brook, which I re¬
peatedly crossed and recrosscd. some¬
times riding on narrow level grassy
verges close to its banks; still ascend¬
ing, the vale gradually terminated,
being shut up by stupendous rocky
hills on each side, leaving a very nar¬
row gap or defile, towards which my
road led me. ascending the steep sides
of the mountains; when, after rising
several wearisome ascents, and find¬
ing myself over-heated and tired, I
halted at a little grassy lawn, through
which meandered a sweet rivulet.
Here 1 turned my horse to graze, and
sal down to rest on a green bank just
beneath a high frowning promotory, or
obtuse point of a ridge of the moun¬
tain yet above me, the friendly rivulet
making a circuit by my feet; and now
a little rested. I took out of my wallet
some biscuit and cheese, and a piece
of neat's longue, composing myself to
case and refreshment: when suddenly
appeared within a few- yards, advanc¬
ing towards me from behind the point,
a stout likely young Indian fellow,
armed with a rifle gun. and two dogs
attending. Upon sight of me he stood,
and seemed a little surprised, as 1
was very much; but instantly recol¬
lecting himself and assuming a coun¬
tenance of benignity and cheerfulness,
he came briskly to me and shook
hands heartily, and smilingly inquired
from whence I came, and whither
going; but speaking only in the Chero¬
kee tongue, our conversation was not
continued to a great length. 1 pre¬
sented him with some choice Tobacco,
which was accepted with courtesy and
evident pleasure, and to my inquiries
concerning the roads and distance to
the Ovcrhill towns, he answered me
with perfect cheerfulness and good
temper. We then again shook hands,
and parted in friendship; he descended
the hills, singing as he went.
Of vegetable productions observed
in this region, were the following, viz.
Acer striatum, Ac. rubrum, Juglans
nigra, Jug. alba., Jug. Hiccory, Mag¬
nolia acuminata, Quercus alba. O.
tinctoria, Q. rubra. Q. prinus, with the
other varieties common in Virginia:
Tbit It another extract from the dlar» of William
Bertram, who In 1775 explored our mountalnt.
Panax ginseng, Angelica lucida, Con-
vallaria majalis, Haicsia, Stewartia.
Styrax, Staphylea, Evonimus. Vibur¬
num, Cornus Florida, Bctula nigra,
Morus, Tilia. Ulmus, Fraxinus,
Норса
tinctoria, Annona, Bignonia semper-
virens, Aristolochia frutcsccns, Bi-
gonia radicans, &c. Being now re¬
freshed by a simple but healthy meal.
I began again to ascend the Jorc moun¬
tains, which I at length accomplished,
and rested on the most elevated peak;
from whence I beheld with rapture
and astonishment a sublimely awful
scene of power and magnificence, a
world of mountains piled upon moun¬
tains. Having contemplated this amaz¬
ing prospect of grandeur, I descended
the pinnacles, and again falling into
the trading path, continued gently de¬
scending through a grassy plain, scat-
teringly planted with large trees, and
at a distance surrounded with high
forests. I was on this elevated region
sensible of an alteration in the air,
from warm to cold, and found that
vegetation was here greatly behind,
in plants of the same kind of the
country below; for instance, when I
left Charleston, the yellow Jasmine
was rather past the blooming days,
and here the buds were just begin¬
ning to swell, though some were in
bloom. Continued more than a mile
through this elevated plain to the pitch
of the mountain, from whence pre¬
sented to view an expansive prospect,
exhibiting scenes of mountainous land¬
scape, westward, vast and varied, per¬
haps not to be exceeded any where.
My first descent and progress down
the west side of the mountain was re¬
markably gradual, easy and pleasant,
( Continued on page 25)
a
THE STATE. NOVEMBER 14. 1959
