{Thursday.}
On Thursday Morning We Left Bulls Island, And Went Thro' The Creeks,
Which Lie Between The Bay And The Main Land.
At Noon we went on Shore,
and got our Dinner near a Plantation, on a Creek having
the full Prospect of Sewee-Bay:
We sent up to the House,
but found none at Home, but a Negro, of whom our Messenger purchas'd some
small Quantity of Tobacco and Rice. We came to a deserted Indian Residence,
call'd Avendaugh-bough, where we rested that Night.
{Friday.}
The next Day we enter'd Santee-River's Mouth, where is fresh Water,
occasion'd by the extraordinary Current that comes down continually.
With hard Rowing, we got two Leagues up the River, lying all Night
in a swampy Piece of Ground, the Weather being so cold all that Time,
we were almost frozen ere Morning, leaving the Impressions of our Bodies
on the wet Ground. We set forward very early in the Morning,
to seek some better Quarters.
{Saturday.}
As we row'd up the River, we found the Land towards the Mouth,
and for about sixteen Miles up it, scarce any Thing but Swamp and Percoarson,
{Percoarson, a Sort of low Land.} affording vast Ciprus-Trees,
of which the French make Canoes, that will carry fifty or sixty Barrels.
After the Tree is moulded and dug, they saw them in two Pieces,
and so put a Plank between, and a small Keel, to preserve them
from the Oyster-Banks, which are innumerable in the Creeks and Bays
betwixt the French Settlement and Charles-Town. They carry two Masts,
and Bermudas Sails, which makes them very handy and fit for their Purpose;
for although their River fetches its first Rise from the Mountains,
and continues a Current some hundreds of Miles ere it disgorges it self,
having no sound Bay or Sand-Banks betwixt the Mouth thereof, and the Ocean.
Notwithstanding all this, with the vast Stream it affords at all Seasons,
and the repeated Freshes it so often allarms the Inhabitants with,
by laying under Water great Part of their Country, yet the Mouth is barr'd,
affording not above four or five Foot Water at the Entrance.
As we went up the River, we heard a great Noise, as if two Parties
were engag'd against each other, seeming exactly like small Shot.
{Sewee Indians.} When we approach'd nearer the Place, we found it to be
some Sewee Indians firing the Canes Swamps, which drives out the Game,
then taking their particular Stands, kill great Quantities of both Bear, Deer,
Turkies, and what wild Creatures the Parts afford.
These Sewees have been formerly a large Nation, though now
very much decreas'd, since the English hath seated their Land,
and all other Nations of Indians are observ'd to partake of the same Fate,
where the Europeans come, the Indians being a People
very apt to catch any Distemper they are afflicted withal;
the Small-Pox has destroy'd many thousands of these Natives,
who no sooner than they are attack'd with the violent Fevers,
and the Burning which attends that Distemper, fling themselves over Head
in the Water, in the very Extremity of the Disease; which shutting up
the Pores, hinders a kindly Evacuation of the pestilential Matter,
and drives it back; by which Means Death most commonly ensues;
not but in other Distempers which are epidemical, you may find among 'em
Practitioners that have extraordinary Skill and Success in removing
those morbifick Qualities which afflict 'em, not often going above 100 Yards
from their Abode for their Remedies, some of their chiefest Physicians
commonly carrying their Compliment of Drugs continually about them,
which are Roots, Barks, Berries, Nuts, &c. that are strung upon a Thread.
So like a Pomander, the Physician wears them about his Neck.
An Indian hath been often found to heal an English-man of a Malady,
for the Value of a Match-Coat; which the ablest of our English Pretenders
in America, after repeated Applications, have deserted the Patient
as incurable; God having furnish'd every Country with specifick Remedies
for their peculiar Diseases.
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