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GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 365
Dined with a large Company at the Governors, & drank tea there with
many well dressed ladies.
"The road from Savanna to Augusta is for the most part through
Pine barrens; but more uneven than I had been accustomed to since
leaving Petersburg, in Virginia, especially after riding about 30 miles
from the City of that name; and here & there indeed a piece of Oak
land is passed on this Road but of small extent & by no means of the
first quality.
'' Thursday 19th. Received & answered an address from the Citizens
of Augusta;—dined with a large Company at their Court Ho—and went
to an assembly in the evening at the Academy; at which time there were
between 60 & 70 well dressed ladies.
'' Friday 20th. Viewed the Ruins or rather small Remns of the Works
which had been erected by the British during the War and taken by
the Americans—Also the falls which are about 2 miles above the Town;
and the Town itself.—These falls (as they are called) are nothing more
than, rapids—They are passable in their present state by boats with
skillful hands but may at very small expense be improved by removing
a few rocks only to straighten the passage—Above them there is a
good boat navigation for many miles; by which the produce may be &
in some measure is transported—At this place, i. e. the falls, the good
lands begin; & encrease in quality to the westward & no. ward. All
below them except the interval lands on the Rivers and Rice Swamps
which extend from them, the whole country is a Pine barren—The town
of Augusta is well laid out with wide & spacious streets—It stands on
a large area of a perfect plane but is not yet thickly built tho surpris
ingly so for the time; for, in 1783 there were not more than half a
dozen houses; now there are not less than—containing about—souls of
which—are blacks. It bids fair to be a large Town being at the head
of the present navigation & a fine country back of it for support, which
is settling very fast by Tobacco planters—The culture of which article
is increasing very fast and bids fair to be the principal export from
the State; and from this part of it, it certainly will be so.
"Augusta, though it covers more ground than Savanna, does not
contain as many Inhabitants, the latter having by the late census be
tween 15 and 1500 whites and about 800 blacks.
'' Dined at a private dinner with Govr. Telfair today; and gave him
dispatches for the Spanish Govr of East Florida, respecting the Counte
nance given by that Governt to the fugitive Slaves of the Union:—
wch dispatches were to be forwarded to Mr. Seagrove,- Collector at St.
Marys, who was requested to be the bearer, of them, and instructed to
make arrangements for the prevention of these evils, and if possible for
the restoration of the property—especially of those slaves wch had gone
off since the orders of the Spanish Court to discountenance this practice
of recg. them.
"Saturday 21. Left Augusta about 6 o'clock and takg leave of
the Governor & principal Gentlemen of the place at the Bridge over
Savanna River where they had assembled for the purpose I proceeded
in Company with Coins Hampton and Taylor & Mr. Lithgow, a com
mittee from Columbia (who had come to meet & conduct me to that
place) & a Mr. Jameson from the Village of Granby on my Rout—Dined