Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 8).djvu/70

 Carolina; and his motive for thus exiling himself and family to this part of the country was not my business to inquire; I have only to say, that they look suspicious. With this family I remained two days, and no brother, who had been long absent, could have been treated with more kindness and affection.

I gave him a narrative of my life, which he and the family listened to with great attention; he also narrated his great adventures in hunting.

The principal food which this cabin afforded, was dried venison and bread; the venison, for want of salt to preserve it, is cut in slices, dried and smoked, which makes what they call jerk.

I now felt myself able to travel, and concluded to proceed on. He furnished me with as much of this meat as I could carry, and after ascertaining that it was twenty-*five miles to the next house, I took an affectionate farewell of this friendly man and family, and with my renewed strength, and supply of provisions, hastily travelled on until about twelve o'clock, hardly remembering I was weak; but becoming somewhat faint for want of food, I sat down, took some refreshment, and then travelled on again, till I arrived at an Indian village, where I found two squaws, all the rest having left; for what purpose I know not; probably for a frolic. I here obtained a pint of sour milk, which proved an excellent {39} cordial to me at this time. I inquired for a place of entertainment, and found, by their holding up four fingers, that it was four miles. This I quickly travelled, and found a neat Indian hut, where I found the privilege of staying by myself, without interruption from the family, who resided in an adjoining one. Salt provision and bread was what I now wanted, but neither of them could be procured; if I except some corn pounded up, mixed with water, and baked on a stone