Being under a necessity of making two or three days stay here, in order to refit myself, for by this time my stock of clothes was entirely worn out. I took this opportunity of visiting my friend doctor Wells, at his plantations near the city. And now being again new clothed, and furnished with a tolerable Indian poney, I took leave of my host and prepared to depart for Savanna.
Soon after I left Augusta, proceeding for Savanna, the capital, a gentleman overtook me on the road, who was a native of Ireland, and had lately arrived in this part of America with a view of settling a plantation in Georgia, particularly for the culture of those very useful fruits and vegetables that are cultivated up the Mediterranean, and which so largely contribute towards supporting that lucrative branch of commerce, i. e. the Levant trade; viz. Vitis vinifera, for wine, Vitis Corinthiaca, for Currants, Vitis Allobrogica, for Raisins, Olives, Figs, Morus, for feeding silk-worms, Amygdalus communis, Pistachia, Capparis, Citrus aurantium, Citrus limon, Citrus verrucosa, the great sweet scented Citron, &c. He was very ingenious, desirous of information and as liberal and free of communicating his own acquisitions and discoveries in useful science, and consequently a very agreeable companion. On our journey down we stopped a while to rest and refresh ourselves at the Great Springs, near the road, on our left hand, about midway between Augusta and Savanna. This amazing fountain of transparent cool water, breaks suddenly out of the earth, at the basis of a moderately elevated hill or bank, forming at once a bason near twenty yards over, ascending through a horizontal bed of soft socks, of a heterogeneous composition, chiefly a testaceous concretion of broken, entire and pulverised sea-shells, sand, &c. constituting a coarse kind of lime-stone. The ebullition is copious, active and continual over the ragged apertures in the rocks, which lie seven or eight feet below, swelling the surface considerably immediately above it. The waters descend swiftly from the fountain, forming at once a large brook, six or eight yards over, and five or six feet deep. There are multitudes of fish in the fountain of various tribes, chiefly the several species of bream, trout, cat-fish and garr: it was amusing to behold the fish continually ascending and descending through the rocky apertures. Observed that we crossed no stream or brook of water within twelve or fifteen miles of this fountain, but had in view vast savannas, swamps and Cane meadows, at no great distance from our road, on our right hand, which we may presume were the resources or reservoirs which contributed to the supplies of this delightful grotto. Here were growing on the ascents from the fountain, Magnolia grandiflora, Laurus Borbonia, Quercus sempervirens, Callicarpa; at a little distance a grove of the Cassine; and in an old field, just by, are to be seen some small Indian mounts. We travelled several miles over ridges of low swelling hills, whose surfaces were covered with particoloured pebbles, streaked and clouded with red, white, brown and yellow: they were mostly broken or shivered to pieces, I believe by the ancients in forming arrow-heads, darts, knives &c. for I observed frequently some of these misshapen implements amongst them, some broken and others spoiled in the making. These stones seemed to be a species of jasper or agate.
On my way down I also called at Silver Bluff, and waited on the honourable G. Golphin, Esq. to acknowledge my obligations to him, and likewise to fulfil my engagements on the part of Mr. T——y, trader of Mucclasse. Mr. Golphin assured me that he was in a disagreeable predicament, and that he feared the worst, but said he would do all in his power to save him.
After five days pleasant travelling we arrived at Savanna in good health.
List of the towns and tribes in league, and which constitute the powerful confederacy or empire of the Creeks or Muscogulges.
Towns on the Tallapoose or Oakfuske river, viz.
These speak the Muscogulge or Creek tongue, called the Mother tongue.
Oakfuske, upper.
Oakfuske, lower.
Ufale, upper.
Ufale, lower.
Sokaspoge.
Tallase, great.
Coolome.
Ghuaclahatche.
Otasse.
Cluale.
Fusahatche.
Tuccabatche.
Cunhutke.
Speak the Stincard tongue.
Mucclasse.
Alabama.