more properly called the Alleghany Mountains, have their southern beginning near the bay of Mexico, in the latitude of 32°, extending northerly on the back of the British colonies, and running parallel with the sea coast to the latitude of 40° north; but their distance from the sea, on the west, is not exactly known, though it is generally thought to be above 200 miles. A great part of these mountains is covered with rocks, some of which are of a stupendous height and bulk; the soil between them is generally black and sandy, but in some places differently coloured, composed of pieces of broken rock and spar, of a glittering appearance, which seem to be indications of minerals and ores, if proper search was made for them. Chestnuts and small oaks are the trees that principally grow on these mountains, with some chinkapin* and other small shrubs. The grass is *Fagus thin, mixed with vetch and small pease; and in some places there is very little vegetable appearance.

The rocks of the Appalachian mountains seem to engross one half of the surface. They are mostly of a light grey colour; some are of a coarse grained marble like alabaster; others of a metallic lustre; some pieces are in the form of flate, and brittle; others in lumps, and hard; and some appear with spangles, or covered over with innumerable small shining specks, like silver. These frequently appear at the roots of trees when torn down. The different spars are found mostly on the highest and steepest parts of the hills, where there is little grass and few trees; but the greatest part of the soil between the rocks is generally a dark sandy-coloured kind of mould, and shallow; yet fertile, and productive of good corn, which encourages the Tallapoosa, a clan of the Cherokee Indians, to settle among them in latitude 34°: and they are the only Indian nation that has a constant residence upon these mountains.