Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/245

 An Account of the Cheerake Nation. 233

and maked a callabafh with the pebble-ftones, over the fick, ufmg a oreat many frantic geftures, by way of incantantion. From the reputed caufe of the difeafe, we jnay rationally conclude their phyfical treat ment of it, to be of a true old Jewifh defcent-, for as the Ifraelites in voked the deity, or afked a blefling on every thing they undertook, fo all the Indian Americans feek for it, according on the remaining faint glimpfc of their tradition.

When they found their theological regimen had not the defired effect, but that the infection gained upon them, they held a fecond confutation, and deemed it the beft method to fweat their patients, and plunge them into the river, which was accordingly done. Their rivers being very cold in fummer, by reafon of the numberlefs fprings, which pour from the hills and mountains and the pores of their bodies being open to receive the cold, it rufhing in through the whole frame, they immediately expired : upon which, all the magi and prophetic tribe broke their old confecrated phyfic* pots, and threw away all the other pretended holy things they had for phyfi cal ufe, imagining they had Joft their divine power by being polluted ; and fhared the common fate of their country. A great many killed themfelves ; for being naturally proud, they are always peeping into their looking glafles, and are never genteelly dreft, according to their mode, without carrying one hung over their moulders : by which means, feeing themfelves disfi gured, without hope of regaining their former beauty, fome fliot them felves, others 'Cut their throats, fome dabbed themfelves with, knives, and others with marp-pointed canes ; many threw themfelves with fuilen mad- nefs into the fire, and there flowly expired, as if they had been utterly divefted of the native power of feeling pain.

I remember, in tymafe, one of their towns, about ten miles above the prefent Fort Prince-George, a great head-warrior, who murdered a white man thirty miles below Cheeowhee, as was proved by the branded deer- ikins he produced afterward when he faw himfelf disfigured by the frnall pox, he chofe to die, that he might end as he imagined his lhame. When his relations knew his defperate defign, they narrowly watched him, and took away every iharp inftrument from him. When he found he was balked of his intention, he fretted and faid the word things their language

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