Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/243

 An Account of the Cheerake Nation. 231

the Englifh fettlements. Some of the natives are grown fond of horned cattle, both in the Cheerake and Mufkohge countries, but moft decline them, becaufe the fields are not regularly fenced. But almoft every one hath horfes, from two to a dozen; which makes a confiderable num ber, through their various nations. The Cheerake had a prodigious number of excellent horfes, at the beginning of their late war with us ; bur pinching hunger forced them to eat the greateft part of them, in the time of that unfortunate event. But as all are now become very active and fociable, they will foon fupply themfelves with plenty of the beft fort, from our fettlements they are fkilful jockies, and nice in their choice.

From the head of the fouthern branch of Savanah-river, it does not ex- ceed half a mile to a head fpring of the Mifiifippi-water, that runs through the middle and upper parts of the Cheerake nation, about a north-weft courfe, and joining other rivers, they empty themfelves into the great MiiTifippi. The above fountain, is called " Herbert's fpring * :" and it was natural for ftrangers to drink thereof, to quench thirft, gratify their cu- riofity, and have it to fay they had drank of the French waters. Some of our people, who went only with the view of flaying a fhort time, but by fome allurement or other, exceeded the time appointed, at their re turn, reported either through merriment or fuperftition, that the fpring had fuch a natural bewitching quality, that whofoever drank of it, could not poflibly quit the nation, during the tedious fpace of feven years. All the de bauchees readily fell in with this fuperftitious notion, as an excufe for their bad method of living, when they had no proper call to Itay in that coun try ; and in procefs of time, it became as received a truth, as any ever believed to have been fpoken by the delphic oracle. One curfed, becaufe its enchantment had marred his good fortune -, another condemned his weaknefs for drinking down witchcraft, againft his own fecret fufpicions ; one fwore he would never tafte again fuch known dangerous poifon, even though he fhould be forced to go down to the Mifiifippi for water, and another comforted himfelf, that fo many years out of the feven, were al ready parted, and wiflied that if ever he tafted it again, though under the greateft necefllty, he might be confined to the ftygian waters. Thofe who had their minds more inlarged, diverted themfelves much at their coft,

Se named from an early commiflioner of Indian affairs.

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