nd
sometimes marl. The middle of the necks, or ridges between the
rivers, is generally poor, being either a light sand, or a white
or red clay, with a thin mould. Yet even these places are stored
with chestnuts, chinkapins, acorns of the shrub oak, and a reedy
grass in summer, very good for cattle. The rich lands lie next the
rivers and branches, and are stored with large oak, walnut,
hickory, ash, beech, poplar, and many other sorts of timber, of
surprising bigness.

3. The heads of the rivers afford a mixture of hills, valleys and
plains, some richer than others, whereof the fruit and timber
trees are also various. In some places lie great plats of low and
very rich ground, well timbered; in others, large spots of meadows
and savannahs, wherein are hundreds of acres without any tree at
all, but yields reeds and grass of incredible height; and in the
swamps and sunken grounds grow trees as vastly big as I believe
the world affords, and stand so close together, that the branches
or boughs of many of them lock into one another; but what lessens
their value is, that the greatest bulk of them are at some
distance from water-carriage. The land of these upper parts
affords greater variety of soil than any other, and as great
variety in the foundations of the soil or mould, of which good
judgment may be made by the plants and herbs that grow upon it.
The rivers and creeks do in many places form very fine large
marshes, which are a convenient support for their flocks and
herds.

Sec. 8. There is likewise found great variety of earths for physic,
cleansing, scouring, and making all sorts of potter's ware; such as
antimony, talk, yellow and red oker, fuller's-earth, pipe-clay, and
other fat and fine clays, marl, &c.; in a word, there are all kinds of
earth fit for use.

They have besides, in those upper parts, coal for firing, slate for
covering, and stones for building, and flat paving in vast quantities,
as likewise pebble stones. Nevertheless, it has been confidently
affirmed by many, who have been in Virginia, that there is not a stone
in all the country. If such travelers knew no better than they said, my
judgment of them is, that either they were people of extreme short
memories, or else of very narrow observation. For though generally the
lower parts are flat, and so free from stones, that people seldom shoe
their horses; yet in many places, and particularly near the