{Wednesday.}
The Next Morning, Santee Jack Told Us, We Should Reach
The Indian Settlement Betimes That Day; About Noon, We
Pass'd by
several fair Savanna's, very rich and dry; seeing great Copses of many Acres
that bore nothing but Bushes,
About the Bigness of Box-trees;
which (in the Season) afford great Quantities of small Black-berries,
very pleasant Fruit, and much like to our Blues, or Huckle-berries,
that grow on Heaths in England. Hard by the Savanna's we found the Town,
where we halted; there was not above one Man left with the Women,
the rest being gone a Hunting for a Feast. The Women were very busily
engag'd in Gaming: The Name or Grounds of it, I could not learn,
tho' I look'd on above two Hours. Their Arithmetick was kept
with a Heap of Indian Grain. When their Play was ended,
the King, or Cassetta's Wife, invited us into her Cabin. The Indian Kings
always entertaining Travellers, either English, or Indian;
taking it as a great Affront, if they pass by their Cabins,
and take up their Quarters at any other Indian's House.
The Queen set Victuals before us, which good Compliment they use generally
as soon as you come under their Roof.
The Town consists not of above a dozen Houses, they having
other stragling Plantations up and down the Country, and are seated upon
a small Branch of Santee-River. Their Place hath curious dry Marshes,
and Savanna's adjoining to it, and would prove an exceeding thriving Range
for Cattle, and Hogs, provided the English were seated thereon.
Besides, the Land is good for Plantations.
These Indians are a small People, having lost much of their former Numbers,
by intestine Broils; but most by the Small-pox, which hath often visited them,
sweeping away whole Towns; occasion'd by the immoderate
Government of themselves in their Sickness; as I have mention'd before,
treating of the Sewees. Neither do I know any Savages that have traded
with the English, but what have been great Losers by this Distemper.
We found here good Store of Chinkapin-Nuts, which they gather in Winter
great Quantities of, drying them; so keep these Nuts in great Baskets
for their Use; likewise Hickerie-Nuts, which they beat betwixt
two great Stones, then sift them, so thicken their Venison-Broath therewith;
the small Shells precipitating to the Bottom of the Pot,
whilst the Kernel in Form of Flower, mixes it with the Liquor.
Both these Nuts made into Meal, makes a curious Soop, either with clear Water,
or in any Meat-Broth.
From the Nation of Indians, until such Time as you come to the Turkeiruros
in North Carolina, you will see no long Moss upon the Trees;
which Space of Ground contains above five hundred Miles.
This seeming Miracle in Nature, is occasion'd by the Highness of the Land,
it being dry and healthful; for tho' this Moss bears a Seed
in a Sort of a small Cod, yet it is generated in or near low swampy Grounds.
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