{Thursday.}
The Next Day We Travell'd On Our Way, And About Noon Came Up
With A Settlement Of Santee Indians,
There being Plantations
lying scattering here and there, for a great many Miles.
They came out to meet us, being
Acquainted with one of our Company,
and made us very welcome with fat barbacu'd Venison,
which the Woman of the Cabin took and tore in Pieces with her Teeth,
so put it into a Mortar, beating it to Rags, afterwards stews it with Water,
and other Ingredients, which makes a very savoury Dish.
At these Cabins came to visit us the King of the Santee Nation.
He brought with him their chief Doctor or Physician, who was warmly and neatly
clad with a Match-Coat, made of Turkies Feathers, which makes a pretty Shew,
seeming as if it was a Garment of the deepest silk Shag.
This Doctor had the Misfortune to lose his Nose by the Pox,
which Disease the Indians often get by the English Traders
that use amongst them; not but the Natives of America have for many Ages
(by their own Confession) been afflicted with a Distemper
much like the Lues Venerea, which hath all the Symptoms of the Pox,
being different in this only; for I never could learn,
that this Country-Distemper, or Yawes, is begun or continu'd
with a Gonorrhoea; yet is attended with nocturnal Pains in the Limbs,
and commonly makes such a Progress, as to vent Part of the Matter by Botches,
and several Ulcers in the Body, and other Parts; oftentimes Death ensuing.
I have known mercurial Unguents and Remedies work a Cure,
following the same Methods as in the Pox; several white People,
but chiefly the Criolo's, losing their Palates and Noses
by this devouring Vulture.
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