January 30, 1766

Journal Entry

"Fine morning; set out from Roll’s, whose steward, Mr. Banks, was very kind to us, and seems to be a sober, careful, and agreeable man; we rowed 8 miles, crossing the river to Gray’s creek, which is 60 yards wide, and two fathom and a half deep; we went about 7 miles up it; its general course is west by south, and generally pretty straight, good high swamps on each side, though on the north side the pines come near, especially near the upper part, where the ground is poor; we could not pass near so far, as we had depth of water, by reason of many old trees fallen across the creek at 7 foot deep and 10 to 12 yards broad; great floods certainly come down it, for there were great banks of sand 4 foot, more or less high, drove on its banks; here is very good grass growing in the pine-woods knee high. We rowed down again crossed the river, and encamped at a great orange-grove, where thousands of orange-trees grow as thick as possible, and full of sour and bitter-sweet fruits; this is about four miles by land from Mr. Roll’s, though near 8 by water; he claims it in his 20,000 acres; some of it is good swamp, but mostly pine-land."

Rice Creek, north of Palatka. In 1765 a planter named Joseph Gray owned the land in this area. Gray's Creek, as Bartram knew this waterway, was named after him. The Georgia-Pacific Paper Mill located nearby discharges effluent into the creek.

A cargo carrier departs Rice Creek. When John Bartram's battoe was rowed seven miles up this river, it was known as Gray's Creek.

Federal Point and Deep Creek, east of the St. Johns River, once the northern boundary of Denys Rolle's 78,000-acre plantation tract. After exploring Rice Creek in 1766, John Bartram and his companions crossed the St. Johns River to camp at this location. This area is now heavily farmed for potatoes and other winter vegetables.

Federal Point is probably where John Bartram and his companions camped on the night of January 30, 1766.