suitable to the climate. Hemp, and wine-grapes grow there to admiration:
{228} they have plenty of the former, and a variety of the latter that
grow spontaneously. If these were properly cultivated, there must be a
good return. I have gathered good hops in the woods opposite to Nuquose,
where our troops were repelled by the Cheerake, in the year 1760. There
is not a more healthful region under the sun, than this country; for the
air is commonly open and clear, and plenty of wholesome and pleasant
water. I know several bold rivers, that fill themselves in running about
thirty miles, counting by a direct course from their several different
fountains, and which are almost as transparent as glass. The natives
live commonly to a great age; which is not to be wondered at, when we
consider the high situation of their country,—the exercise they
pursue,—the richness of the soil that produces plenty for a needful
support of life, without fatiguing, or over-heating the planters,—the
advantages they receive from such excellent good water, as gushes out of
every hill; and the great additional help by a plain abstemious life,
commonly eating and drinking, only according to the solicitations of
nature. I have seen strangers however, full of admiration at beholding
so few old people in that country; and they have concluded from thence,
and reported in the English settlements, that it was a sickly
short-lived region: but we should consider, they are always involved in
treacherous wars, and exposed to perpetual dangers, by which, infirm and
declining people generally fall, and the manly old warrior will not
shrink. And yet many of the peaceable fellows, and women, especially in
the central towns, see the grey hairs of their children, long before
they die; and in every Indian country, there are a great many old women
on the frontiers, perhaps ten times the number of the men of the same
age and place—which plainly shews the country to be healthy. Those reach
to a great age, who live secure by the fire-side, but no climates or
constitutions can harden the human body, and make it bullet-proof.
The Cheerake country[116] abounds with the best herbage, on the richer
parts of the hills and mountains; and a great variety of valuable herbs
is promiscuously scattered on the lower lands. It is remarkable, that
none of our botanists should attempt making any experiments there,
notwithstanding the place invited their attention, and the public had a
right to expect so generous an undertaking from several of them; while
at the same time, they would be recovering, or renewing their health, at
a far easier, cheaper, and safer rate, than coasting it to our northern
colonies. {229}
On the level parts of the water-side, between the hills, there are
plenty of reeds: and, formerly, such places abounded with great brakes
of winter-canes.—The foliage of which is always green, and hearty food
for horses and cattle. The traders used to raise there flocks of an
hundred, and a hundred and fifty excellent horses; which are commonly of
a good size, well-made, hard-hoofed, handsome, strong and fit for the
saddle or draught: but a person runs too great a risk to buy any to take
them out of the country, because, every spring-season most of them make
for their native range. Before the Indian trade was ruined by our
left-handed policy, and the natives were corrupted by the liberality of
our dim-sighted politicians, the Cheerake were frank, sincere, and
industrious. Their towns then, abounded with hogs, poultry, and every
thing sufficient for the support of a reasonable life, which the traders
purchased at an easy rate, to their mutual satisfaction: and as they
kept them busily employed, and did not make themselves too cheap, the
Indians bore them good-will and respect—and such is the temper of all
the red natives.
I will not take upon me to ascertain the real difference between the
value of the goods they annually purchased of us, in former and later
times; but, allowing the consumption to be in favour of the last, what
is the gain of such an uncertain trifle, in comparison of our charges
and losses by a merciless savage war? The orderly and honest system, if
resumed, and wisely pursued, would reform the Indians, and regain their
lost affections; but that of general licences to mean reprobate pedlars,
by which they are inebriated, and cheated, is pregnant with complicated
evils to the peace and welfare of our valuable southern colonies.
As the Cheerake began to have goods at an under price, it tempted them
to be both proud, and lazy. Their women and children are now far above
taking the trouble to raise hogs for the ugly white people, as the
beautiful red heroes proudly term them. If any do—they are forced to
feed them in small penns, or inclosures, through all the crop-season,
and chiefly on long pursly, and other wholsome weeds, that their rich
fields abound with. But at the fall of the leaf, the woods are full of
hiccory-nuts, acorns, chesnuts, and the like; which occasions the Indian
bacon to be more streaked, firm, and better tasted, than any we meet
with in {230} the English settlements. Some of the natives are grown
fond of horned cattle, both in the Cheerake and Muskohge countries, but
most decline them, because the fields are not regularly fenced. But
almost every one hath horses, from two to a dozen; which makes a
considerable number, through their various nations. The Cheerake had a
prodigious number of excellent horses, at the beginning of their late
war with us; but pinching hunger forced them to eat the greatest part of
them, in the time of that unfortunate event. But as all are now become
very active and sociable, they will soon supply themselves with plenty
of the best sort, from our settlements—they are skilful jockies, and
nice in their choice.
From the head of the southern branch of Savanah-river, it does not
exceed half a mile to a head spring of the Missisippi-water, that runs
through the middle and upper parts of the Cheerake nation, about a
north-west course,—and joining other rivers, they empty themselves into
the great Missisippi. The above fountain, is called “Herbert’s
spring[LIV]:” and it was natural for strangers to drink thereof, to
quench thirst, gratify their curiosity, and have it to say they had
drank of the French waters.[117] Some of our people, who went only with
the view of staying a short time, but by some allurement or other,
exceeded the time appointed, at their return, reported either through
merriment or superstition, that the spring had such a natural bewitching
quality, that whosoever drank of it, could not possibly quit the nation,
during the tedious space of seven years. All the debauchees readily fell
in with this superstitious notion, as an excuse for their bad method of
living, when they had no proper call to stay in that country; and in
process of time, it became as received a truth, as any ever believed to
have been spoken by the delphic oracle. One cursed, because its
enchantment had marred his good fortune; another condemned his weakness
for drinking down witchcraft, against his own secret suspicions; one
swore he would never taste again such known dangerous poison, even
though he should be forced to do down to the Missisippi for water; and
another comforted himself, that so many years out of the seven, were
already passed, and wished that if ever he tasted it again, though under
the greatest necessity, he might be confined to the stygian waters.
Those who had their minds more inlarged, diverted themselves much at
their cost, {231} for it was a noted favourite place, on account of the
name it went by; and being a well-situated and good spring, there all
travellers commonly drank a bottle of choice: But now, most of the
packhorse-men, though they be dry, and also matchless sons of Bacchus,
on the most pressing invitations to drink there, would swear to forfeit
sacred liquor the better part of their lives, rather than basely renew,
or confirm the loss of their liberty, which that execrable fountain
occasions.
Footnote LIV:
So named from an early commissioner of Indian affairs. (A). Maj. John
Herbert who made a map of the Cherokee Country in 1715. In January of
that year he accompanied Col. George Chicken on a journey towards the
Tennessee Country, which Chicken journalized. Describing the spot, he
wrote: “We come to ye top of ye mountain and there we see the hade of
a River that Rones in to Chattahoushey River; about a mile on ye other
side of ye mountain ther begon ye hade of another River that Rones
into masashipey (Mississippi). Ouer march this day was 40 miles. Wee
come to Quoneashee ⅐ hower after 5 a clocke where ye River that we see
ye hade of was verry brode.” _Charleston Year Book for 1894_, p. 315.
(W)
About the year 1738, the Cheerake[118] received a most depopulating
shock, by the small pox, which reduced them almost one half, in about a
year’s time: it was conveyed into Charlestown by the Guinea-men,[119]
and soon after among them, by the infected goods. At first it made slow
advances, and as it was a foreign, and to them a strange disease, they
were so deficient in proper skill, that they alternately applied a
regimen of hot and cold things, to those who were infected. The old magi
and religious physicians who were consulted on so alarming a crisis,
reported the sickness had been sent among them, on account of the
adulterous intercourses of their young married people, who the past
year, had in a most notorious manner, violated their ancient laws of
marriage in every thicket, and broke down and polluted many of the
honest neighbours bean-plots, by their heinous crimes, which would cost
a great deal of trouble to purify again. To those flagitious crimes they
ascribed the present disease, as a necessary effect of the divine anger;
and indeed the religious men chanced to suffer the most in their small
fields, as being contiguous to the town-house, where they usually met at
night to dance, when their corn was out of the stalks; upon this pique,
they shewed their priest-craft. However, it was thought needful on this
occasion, to endeavour to put a stop to the progress of such a dangerous
disease: and as it was believed to be brought on them by their unlawful
copulation in the night dews, it was thought most practicable to try to
effect the cure, under the same cool element. Immediately, they ordered
the reputed sinners to lie out of doors, day and night, with their
breast frequently open to the night dews, to cool the fever: they were
likewise afraid, that the diseased would otherwise pollute the house,
and by that means, procure all their deaths. Instead of applying warm
remedies, they at last in every visit poured cold water on their naked
breasts, sung their religious mystical song, _Yo Yo_, &c. with a doleful
tune, {232} and shaked a calla-bash with the pebble-stones, over the
sick, using a great many frantic gestures, by way of incantantion. From
the reputed cause of the disease, we may rationally conclude their
physical treatment of it, to be of a true old Jewish descent; for as the
Israelites invoked the deity, or asked a blessing on every thing they
undertook, so all the Indian Americans seek for it, according on the
remaining faint glimpse of their tradition.
When they found their theological regimen had not the desired effect,
but that the infection gained upon them, they held a second
consultation, and deemed it the best method to sweat their patients, and
plunge them into the river,—which was accordingly done. Their rivers
being very cold in summer, by reason of the numberless springs, which
pour from the hills and mountains—and the pores of their bodies being
open to receive the cold, it rushing in through the whole frame, they
immediately expired: upon which all the magi and prophetic tribe broke
their old consecrated physic-pots, and threw away all the other
pretended holy things they had for physical use, imagining they had lost
their divine power by being polluted; and shared the common fate of
their country. A great many killed themselves; for being naturally
proud, they are always peeping into their looking glasses, and are never
genteelly drest, according to their mode, without carrying one hung over
their shoulders: by which means, seeing themselves disfigured, without
hope of regaining their former beauty, some shot themselves, others cut
their throats, some stabbed themselves with knives, and others with
sharp-pointed canes; many threw themselves with sullen madness into the
fire, and there slowly expired, as if they had been utterly divested of
the native power of feeling pain.
I remember, in _Tymáse_, one of their towns, about ten miles above the
present Fort Prince-George, a great head-warrior, who murdered a white
man thirty miles below _Cheeòwhee_, as was proved by the branded
deer-skins he produced afterward—when he saw himself disfigured by the
small pox, he chose to die, that he might end as he imagined his shame.
When his relations knew his desperate design, they narrowly watched him,
and took away every sharp instrument from him. When he found he was
balked of his intention, he fretted and said the worst things their
language {233} could express, and shewed all the symptoms of a desperate
person enraged at his disappointment, and forced to live and see his
ignominy; he then darted himself against the wall, with all his
remaining vigour,—his strength being expended by the force of his
friends opposition, he fell sullenly on the bed, as if by those violent
struggles he was overcome, and wanted to repose himself. His relations
through tenderness, left him to his rest—but as soon as they went away,
he raised himself, and after a tedious search, finding nothing but a
thick and round hoe-helve, he took the fatal instrument, and having
fixed one end of it in the ground, he repeatedly threw himself on it,
till he forced it down his throat, when he immediately expired.—He was
buried in silence, without the least mourning.
Although the Cheerake shewed such little skill in curing the small pox,
yet they, as well as all other Indian nations, have a great knowledge of
specific virtues in simples; applying herbs and plants, on the most
dangerous occasions, and seldom if ever, fail to effect a thorough cure,
from the natural bush. In the order of nature, every country and climate
is blest with specific remedies for the maladies that are connatural to
it—Naturalists tell us they have observed, that when the wild goat’s
sight begins to decay, he rubs his head against a thorn, and by some
effluvia, or virtue in the vegetable, the sight is renewed. Thus the
snake recovers after biting any creature, by his knowledge of the proper
antidote; and many of our arts and forms of living, are imitated by
lower ranks of the animal creation: the Indians, instigated by nature,
and quickened by experience, have discovered the peculiar properties of
vegetables, as far as needful in their situation of life. For my own
part, I would prefer an old Indian before any chirurgeon whatsoever, in
curing green wounds by bullets, arrows, &c. both for the certainty,
ease, and speediness of cure; for if those parts of the body are not
hurt, which are essential to the preservation of life, they cure the
wounded in a trice. They bring the patient into a good temperament of
body, by a decoction of proper herbs and roots, and always enjoin a most
abstemious life: they forbid them women, salt, and every kind of
flesh-meat, applying mountain allum,[120] as the chief ingredient. {234}
In the year 1749, I came down, by the invitation of the governor of
South-Carolina, to Charles-Town, with a body of our friendly Chikkasah
Indians: one of his majesty’s surgeons, that very day we arrived, cut
off the wounded arm of a poor man. On my relating it to the Indians,
they were shocked at the information, and said, “The man’s poverty
should have induced him to exert the common skill of mankind, in so
trifling an hurt; especially, as such a butchery would not only
disfigure, but disable the poor man the rest of his life; that there
would have been more humanity in cutting off the head, than in such a
barbarous amputation, because it is much better for men to die once,
than to be always dying, for when the hand is lost, how can the poor man
feed himself by his daily labour—By the same rule of physic, had he been
wounded in his head, our surgeons should have cut that off, for being
unfortunate.” I told the benevolent old warriors, that the wisdom of our
laws had exempted the head from such severe treatment, by not settling a
reward for severing it, but only so much for every joint of the branches
of the body, which might be well enough spared, without the life; and
that this medical treatment was a strong certificate to recommend the
poor man to genteel lodgings, where numbers belonging to our great
canoes, were provided for during life.[121] They were of opinion
however, that such brave hardy fellows would rather be deemed men, and
work for their bread, than be laid aside, not only as useless animals,
but as burdens to the rest of society.
I do not remember to have seen or heard of an Indian dying by the bite
of a snake, when out at war, or a hunting; although they are then often
bitten by the most dangerous snakes—every one carries in his shot-pouch,
a piece of the best snake-root, such as the _Seneeka_, or
fern-snake-root,—or the wild hore-hound, wild plantain, St. Andrew’s
cross, and a variety of other herbs and roots, which are plenty, and
well known to those who range the American woods, and are exposed to
such dangers, and will effect a thorough and speedy cure if timely
applied. When an Indian perceives he is struck by a snake, he
immediately chews some of the root, and having swallowed a sufficient
quantity of it, he applies some to the wound; which he repeats as
occasion requires, and in proportion to the poison the snake has infused
into the wound. For a short space of time, there is a terrible conflict
through all the body, by the jarring qualities of {235} the burning
poison, and the strong antidote; but the poison is soon repelled through
the same channels it entered, and the patient is cured.
The Cheerake mountains look very formidable to a stranger, when he is
among their valleys, incircled with their prodigious, proud, contending
tops; they appear as a great mass of black and blue clouds, interspersed
with some rays of light. But they produce, or contain every thing for
health, and wealth, and if cultivated by the rules of art, would furnish
perhaps, as valuable medicines as the eastern countries; and as great
quantities of gold and silver, as Peru and Mexico, in proportion to
their situation with the æquator. On the tops of several of those
mountains, I have observed tufts of grass deeply tinctured by the
mineral exhalations from the earth; and on the sides, they glistered
from the same cause. If skilful alchymists made experiments on these
mountains, they could soon satisfy themselves, as to the value of their
contents, and probably would find their account in it.
Within twenty miles of the late Fort-Loudon, there is great plenty of
whet-stones for razors, of red, white, and black colours. The silver
mines are so rich, that by digging about ten yards deep, some desperate
vagrants found at sundry times, so much rich ore, as to enable them to
counterfeit dollars, to a great amount; a horse load of which was
detected in passing for the purchase of negroes, at Augusta, which
stands on the south-side of the meandering beautiful Savanah river, half
way from the Cheerake country, to Savanah, the capital of Georgia. The
load-stone is likewise found there, but they have no skill in searching
for it, only on the surface; a great deal of the magnetic power is lost,
as being exposed to the various changes of the weather, and frequent
firing of the woods. I was told by a trader, who lives in the upper
parts of the Cheerake country, which is surrounded on every side, by
prodigious piles of mountains called Cheèowhée, that within about a mile
of the town of that name, there is a hill with a great plenty of
load-stones—the truth of this any gentleman of curiosity may soon
ascertain, as it lies on the northern path[122] that leads from
South-Carolina, to the remains of Fort-Loudon: and while he is in search
of this, he may at the same time make a great acquest of riches, for the
load-stone is known to accompany rich metals. I was once near that
load-stone {236} hill, but the heavy rains which at that time fell on
the deep snow, prevented the gratifying my curiosity, as the boggy deep
creek was thereby rendered impassable.
In this rocky country, are found a great many beautiful, clear,
chrystaline stones,[123] formed by nature into several angles, which
commonly meet in one point: several of them are transparent, like a
coarse diamond—others resemble the onyx, being engendered of black and
thick humours, as we see water that is tinctured with ink, still keeping
its surface clear. I found one stone like a ruby, as big as the top of a
man’s thumb, with a beautiful dark shade in the middle of it. Many
stones of various colours, and beautiful lustre, may be collected on the
tops of those hills and mountains, which if skilfully managed, would be
very valuable, for some of them are clear, and very hard. From which, we
may rationally conjecture that a quantity of subterranean treasures is
contained there; the Spaniards generally found out their southern mines,
by such superficial indications. And it would be an useful, and
profitable service for skilful artists to engage in, as the present
trading white savages are utterly ignorant of it. Manifold curious works
of the wise author of nature, are bountifully dispersed through the
whole of the country, obvious to every curious eye.
Among the mountains, are many labyrinths, and some of a great length,
with many branches, and various windings; likewise different sorts of
mineral waters, the qualities of which are unknown to the natives, as by
their temperate way of living, and the healthiness of their country,
they have no occasion to make experiments in them. Between the heads of
the northern branch of the lower Cheerake river, and the heads of that
of Tuckasehchee, winding round in a long course by the late Fort-Loudon,
and afterwards into the Missisippi, there is, both in the nature and
circumstances, a great phænomenon—Between two high mountains, nearly
covered with old mossy rocks, lofty cedars, and pines, in the valleys of
which the beams of the sun reflect a powerful heat, there are, as the
natives affirm, some bright old inhabitants, or rattle snakes,[124] of a
more enormous size than is mentioned in history. They are so large and
unwieldy, that they take a circle, almost as wide as their length, to
crawl round in their shortest orbit: but bountiful nature compensates
the heavy motion of their bodies, for {237} as they say, no living
creature moves within the reach of their sight, but they can draw it to
them; which is agreeable to what we observe, through the whole system of
animated beings. Nature endues them with proper capacities to sustain
life;—as they cannot support themselves, by their speed, or cunning to
spring from an ambuscade, it is needful they should have the bewitching
craft of their eyes and forked tongues.