Page:A Topographical Description of the State of Ohio, Indiana Territory, and Louisiana.djvu/231

 215 and River Oconee, to its confluence with the Oakmulgee, which form the River Altamaha to the old line, and thence along the old line to the River Saint Mary. The United States were, from time to time, to furnish the Creek nation gratuitously with useful domestic animals and implements of husbandry. A subsequent treaty was concluded, at Colerain, in June 1796, confirming the former treaty, providing that the boundary line from the Currahee mountain, should be clearly ascertained and marked, and stipulating to give to the said nation, goods to the value of 6,000 dollars, and to send two black smiths, with strikers and necessary tools, to be employed for the Upper and Lower Creeks.

Considerable improvements have been made by these people in agriculture, but they have been extremely deficient in their implements of husbandry. A very large part of the nation being devoted to hunting in the winter, and to war or idleness in the summer, they cultivate only small tracts of land which are barely sufficient to afford them sustenance. Some, who possess numbers of negroes, have fenced fields; but having no ploughs, they are obliged to break up, and cultivate the ground with hoes. The seed is scattered over the ground promiscuously, and not planted in rows. The articles they cultivate, are tobacco, rice, Indian corn, potatoes, beans, peas, cabbage and melons. Such fruits as peaches, plumbs, grapes, and strawberries, they have in great plenty. They raise great numbers of horses, cattle and hogs, and abound in turkies, ducks and other poultry. They manufacture earthern pots and pans, baskets, horse ropes or halters, smoaked leather, black marble pipes, wooden spoons, and oil from acorns, hickory nuts and chesnuts.

The Creeks are not disposed to have much intercourse with white people, especially foreigners, except with the English. Their prejudice is strong in favour of that nation, and they still believe "the Great King over the water" is able to keep the whole world in subjection. They have a particular fondness for British guns, drums, and other articles manufactured by the English people.