Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/235

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ACCOUNT

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��KATAHBA NATION, &c.

��I BEG IN with the KATAHBA, becaufe their country is the mod conti guous to Charles-Town in South-Carolina. It is placed in our mo dern maps, in 34 degrees north latitude, but proper care hath not yet been taken to afcertain the limits and fite of any of the Indian nations. It is bounded on the north and north-eaft, by North-Carolina on the eaft and fouth, by South-Carolina and about weft-fouth-weft by the Cheerake nation. Their chief fettlement is at the diftance of one hundred and forty- five miles from the Cheerake, as near as I can compute it by frequent jour- nies, and about 200 miles diftant from Charles-Town.

Their foil is extremely good j the climate open and healthy ; the water very clear, and well-tailed. The chief part of the Katahba country, I ob- ferved during my refidence with them, was fettled clofe on the eaft fide of a broad purling river, that heads in the great blue ridge of mountains, and empties itfelf into Santee-river, at Amelia townihip, then running eaft- ward of Charles-town, difgorges itfelf into the Atlantic. The land would produce any fort of Indian provifions, but, by the continual pafiing and re- pafling of the Englim, between the northern and fouthern colonies, the Ka tahba live perhaps the meaneft of any Indians belonging to the Britifli Ame rican empire. They are alfo fo corrupted by an immoderate ufe of our fpiritu- ous liquors, and of courfe, indolent, that they fcarcely plant any thing fit for the fupport of human life. South-Carolina has fupplied their wants, either 3 through

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