{Saturday 20 Miles.}
Next Morning Very Early, We Waded Thro' The Savanna, The Path Lying There;
And About Ten A
Clock came to a hunting Quarter, of a great many Santees;
they made us all welcome; shewing a great deal
Of Joy at our coming,
giving us barbacu'd Turkeys, Bear's Oil, and Venison.
Here we hir'd Santee Jack (a good Hunter, and a well-humour'd Fellow)
to be our Pilot to the Congeree Indians; we gave him a Stroud-water-Blew,
to make his Wife an Indian Petticoat, who went with her Husband.
After two Hours Refreshment, we went on, and got that Day about twenty Miles;
we lay by a small swift Run of Water, which was pav'd at the Bottom
with a Sort of Stone much like to Tripoli, and so light,
that I fancy'd it would precipitate in no Stream, but where it naturally grew.
The Weather was very cold, the Winds holding Northerly.
We made our selves as merry as we could, having a good Supper
with the Scraps of the Venison we had given us by the Indians,
having kill'd 3 Teal and a Possum; which Medly all together
made a curious Ragoo.
{Sunday 15 Miles.}
This Day all of us had a Mind to have rested, but the Indian
was much against it, alledging, That the Place we lay at,
was not good to hunt in; telling us, if we would go on, by Noon,
he would bring us to a more convenient Place; so we mov'd forwards,
and about twelve a Clock came to the most amazing Prospect I had seen
since I had been in Carolina; we travell'd by a Swamp-side,
which Swamp I believe to be no less than twenty Miles over,
the other Side being as far as I could well discern, there appearing
great Ridges of Mountains, bearing from us W.N.W. One Alp with a Top
like a Sugar-loaf, advanc'd its Head above all the rest very considerably;
the Day was very serene, which gave us the Advantage of seeing a long Way;
these Mountains were cloth'd all over with Trees, which seem'd to us
to be very large Timbers.
At the Sight of this fair Prospect, we stay'd all Night; our Indian
going about half an Hour before us, had provided three fat Turkeys
e'er we got up to him.
The Swamp I now spoke of, is not a miry Bog, as others generally are,
but you go down to it thro' a steep Bank, at the Foot of which,
begins this Valley, where you may go dry for perhaps 200 Yards,
then you meet with a small Brook or Run of Water, about 2 or 3 Foot deep,
then dry Land for such another Space, so another Brook, thus continuing.
The Land in this Percoarson, or Valley, being extraordinary rich,
and the Runs of Water well stor'd with Fowl. It is the Head
of one of the Branches of Santee-River; but a farther Discovery
Time would not permit; only one Thing is very remarkable,
there growing all over this Swamp, a tall, lofty Bay-tree,
but is not the same as in England, these being in their Verdure
all the Winter long; which appears here, when you stand on the Ridge,
(where our Path lay) as if it were one pleasant, green Field,
and as even as a Bowling-green to the Eye of the Beholder;
being hemm'd in on one Side with these Ledges of vast high Mountains.
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