05 White or Black River
Clay County
About two miles below it, branches out White or Black River, it bears both names, the last by the English, ’tis navigable above 20 miles, some fay 30,…
This site is a county boat ramp and provides access to Black Creek.
February 2, 1766
Walked this morning to observe the soil, the wind north, and cool, landed at Popa fort, a small shallow entrenchment almost filled up with length of time; ‘tis 20 yards square; and as many from the river; a few yards back of it there is another about twice as big; here is a grove of orange-trees, and many acres of large live oaks, 2 or 3 foot in diameter, adjacent to which is a shallow but good swamp with some cypress-trees ; nearly opposite to this on the west side branches out a creek running 3 or 4 miles, on which grow large red cedars; and about two miles below it, branches out White or Black River, it bears both names, the last by the English; ’tis navigable above 20 miles, some fay 30, ’tis reckoned 20 to Caldwall’s store, our present boundary with the Creek Indians; this river or creek is about 100 yards wide and 3 fathom deep, more or less, its general course is west; we landed at a pine bluff, 300 yards long and 10 foot perpendicular, more or less, the upper surface of which, for a foot or more deep, is white sand, then 2 foot of an ash-coloured clay mixed with red and yellow sand, then 5 foot of a fine yellow sand, (no coarse sand is to be found in any of the southern provinces) then a tenacious ash-coloured clay to an unknown depth, reaching below the surface of the creek; there is a pretty spring runs into the creek just above the bluff; we lodged near its-mouth.
February 3, 1766
Set out early, cool morning, with white frost, wind N. W. Saw many high bluffs, near 20 foot high, but poor and sandy; some have a cypress-swamp behind them, others are level with the adjacent pine-land, in which is plenty of rank grass knee-high on one or both sides of these bluffs frequently runs out a small spring: We called at the Store, (this was a fine warm day) above which, the land is still higher, and produces live-oak, red and purple-berried bay, alder, maple, chinquapins, elm, linden, water-oak, myrtle, dogwood, vaccinium, palmetto, hamamelis, and cedar; here the creek divides into two branches nearly equal;