Whatever the degree of probability attending these legends, it
would seem that the settlers of Virginia had an acquaintance with
the Cherokees prior to that of the South Carolina immigrants, who
for a number of years after their first occupation, confined their
explorations to a narrow strip of country in the vicinity of the
sea-coast, while the Virginians had been gradually extending their
settlements far up toward the headwaters of the James River and had
early perceived the profits to be derived from the Indian trade.
Sir William Berkeley, governor of Virginia, equipped an expedition,
consisting of fourteen Englishmen and an equal number of Virginia
Indians, for the exploration of the country to the west of the existing
settlements. The party was under the command of Capt. Henry Batt, and
in seven days' travel from their point of departure, at Appomattox,
they reached the foot of the mountains. The first ridge they crossed
is described as not being very high or steep, but the succeeding ones
"seemed to touch the clouds," and were so steep that an average day's
march did not exceed three miles.
They came upon extensive and fertile valleys, covered with luxuriant
grass, and found the forests abounding in all kinds of game, including
turkeys, deer, elk, and buffalo. After passing beyond the mountains
they entered an extensive level country, through which a stream flowed
in a westward course, and after following it for a few days they
reached some old fields and recently deserted Indian cabins. Beyond
this point their Indian guides refused to proceed, alleging that
not far away dwelt a powerful tribe that never suffered strangers
who discovered their towns to return alive, and the expedition was
therefore compelled to return. According to the historian, Burke, this
expedition took place in 1667, while Beverly, not quite so definite,
assigns it to the decade between 1666 and 1676.[5] It is believed that
the powerful nation of Indians alluded to in the narrative of this
expedition was the Cherokees, and, if so, it is apparently the first
allusion made to them in the history of the colonial settlements.
That the Virginians were the first to be brought in contact with the
Cherokees is further evidenced by the fact that in 1690 an Indian
trader from that colony, bearing the name of Daugherty, had taken up
his residence among them, which is alleged by the historian[6] to
have been several years before any knowledge of the existence of the
Cherokees reached the settlers on Ashley River in South Carolina.