Page:A Topographical Description of the State of Ohio, Indiana Territory, and Louisiana.djvu/230

 214 to thirty, and some of the largest from one hundred and fifty to two hundred houses. The towns are all built compact. The houses stand in clusters of 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 together, irregularly arranged up and down the banks of the rivers and small streams. Each cluster contains a clan, or family of relations, who eat and live in common. Each town has a public square, hot-house and yard near the centre, appropriated to various public uses. General M'Gillivra, estimated the number of warriors to be about six thousand exclusive of the Seminoles, who are considered of little account in war. From their roving manner of living it is impossible to ascertain the number of Creek Indians with much precision. They probably may have about 26,000 souls.

The land which thay claim as their country is a common stock; and any individual may remove from one part of it to another, and occupy vacant ground where he can find it. They have considered their boundary northward, to be some where about the forty-second degree of north latitude (as it has been found by surveyers), extending westward to the Tombigby river, and eastward to the atlantic ocean; but they have ceded parts of this tract on the sea coast, long ago, by different treaties to the State of Georgia. Their country is hilly, but not mountainous; the soil fertile; abounding with creeks, from whence they are probably called the Creek Indians. They have been very desirous to agree with the United States on a permanent boundary line, over which the southern States should not trespass. In August 1790, the United States concluded a treaty with the Kings, chiefs and warriors, of the Creek nation, at New-York. By this treaty the boundary line was to begin where the old line strikes the River Savannah; thence up the river to a place called Keowee, where a northeast line to be drawn from the top of the Occunna mountain shall intersect; thence along the said line in a southwest direction, to Tugelo river; thence to the top of the Currahee mountain; thence to the head or source of the main south branch of the Oconee river, called the Appalachee; thence down the said branch