Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/270

 ^8 An Account of the Mufkohge Nation.

Mobille, eaftward. Okwhufke lies 70 miles from the former, which taking*: a confiderable fouthern fweep, runs a weftern courfe, and joins the aforefaid great ftream, a little below* that deferted garrifon, fines, the year 1764, the Mulkohge have fettled feveral towns, feventy miles eaftward from Okwhufke, on the Chatahooche river, near to the old trading path. This great lympid ftream is 200 yards broad, and lower down* it paifes by the Apalahche,, into Florida; fo that this nation extends 140 miles in breadth from eaft to weft, according to the courfe of the trading path.

Their land is generally hilly, but not mountainous - y, which, allows an army an eafy paflage into their country, to retaliate their infults and cruel ties that period feems to advance apace, for the fine flouriming accounts of thofe who gain by the art, will not always quiet a fuffering people., As the Mufkohge judge only from what they fee around them, they firmly believe they are now more powerful than any nation that might be tempted to invade them. Our pafiive conduct, toward them, caufes them to entertain a. very mean opinion of our. martial abilities : but, .before we tamely allowed them to commit acts of hoftility* at pleafure, (which will foon b.e men tioned) the traders taught them fometimes* by ftrong felt lefibns, to con clude the Englim to be men and warriors. They are certainly the moft powerful. Indian nation we are acquainted with on this continent, and within thirty years paft, they are grown very warlike. Toward the conclufion of their laft war with the Cheerake, they defeated them fo eafily, that in con tempt, they fent feveral of their women and fmall boys againft them, though,, at that time, the Cheerake were the moft numerous. The Choktah, were alfo much inferior to them, in feveral engagements they had with them j though,. perhaps, they are the moft artful ambufcaders, and wolfifh favages, in America. But, having no rivers in their own courir try, very few of them, can fwim, which often proves inconvenient and dan gerous, when they are in purfuit of the enemy, or purfued by them. We ftiould be politically forry for their differences with each other to be rer conciled, as long experience convinces us they cannot live without fhedding human blood fomewhere or other, on account of their jealous and fierce tempers, in refentrneat of, any kind of injury, and the martial preferment each obtains for every fcalp of an enemy. They are fo extremely anxious to be diftinguilhed by high war- titles, that fometimes a fmall party of war riors, on failing of fuccefs in their campaign, have been detected in. mur dering ;

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