for corn and other provisions.

The town of Cuscowilla stands in an extremely pleasant situation, upon a
high, swelling ridge of sand-hills, within three or four hundred yards
of a large and beautiful lake, which continually washes a sandy beach,
under a moderately high, sloping bank; terminated on one side by
extensive forests of orange-groves, and overtopped with magnolias,
palms, poplars, limes, live oaks, and other trees. The ground, between
the town and the lake, is adorned by an open grove of tall pine-trees,
which, standing at a considerable distance from each other, admit a
delightful prospect of the sparkling waters. The lake abounds with
various kinds of excellent fish and wild fowl.

The inhabitants of Cuscowilla have each a small garden attached to their
dwellings, for the purpose of producing corn, beans, tobacco, and other
useful articles; but the plantation which supplies them with their chief
vegetable provisions, is near the great Alachua savannah, and about two
miles distant. This plantation has one common enclosure, and is worked
and tended by the whole community: yet every family has its particular
part, marked off when planted; and this portion receives the common
labour and assistance, until the corn, or other articles cultivated upon
it, are ripe. Each family then gathers and deposits in its store-house
its own proper share, setting apart a small gift or contribution for a
public granary, which stands near the centre of the plantation.

Mr. Bartram made several excursions to places in the vicinity of
Cuscowilla and the Alachua Swamp. In one of these, he came to a little
clump of shrubs, where he observed several large snakes, entwined
together. They were each about four feet in length, and as thick as a
man's wrist. Mr. Bartram approached, and endeavoured to irritate them,
but they appeared perfectly harmless. Numerous herds of cattle and deer,
and many troops of horses were seen peacefully browsing on the grass of
the savannah, or strolling through the groves on the surrounding
heights. Large flocks of wild turkeys were also observed in the woods.

At some distance from Cuscowilla, is an Indian town called
_Talahasochte_, which Mr. Bartram some time afterwards visited. It is
delightfully situated on the elevated east bank of a river called
_Little St. John's_. The habitations were, at this time, about thirty in
number, and constructed like those of Cuscowilla; but the council-house
was neate