Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/290

 An Account of the Mufkohge Nation.

found I had eluded their bloody intention. After a long converfation to gether, I advifed them to go home through the woods, to prevent a larger body of the lurking enemy from fpoiling them, and their beloved country, by the lofs of fo many old beloved men, and noted warriors. I faid this, to roufe them againft the Cheerake -, well knowing that one pack of wolves, was the beft watch againft another of the fame kind. They thanked me for the friendly notice I gave them, and the care I mewed for their fafety, and engaged me to call the next day at a hunting camp, where was a war- leader, the fon of the dog-king of the Huphale-Town, with a confiderable number of their people, and defire them to remove with all fpeed to their camp, at the place they then fixed on. We fmoked tobacco, and parted well pleafed. According to promife, I went the next day to the camp, and delivered their meflage, which was readily complied with. The Shawano whom I had eluded, after rambling about, and by viewing the fmoke of fires from the tops of high hills and trees, and carefully liftening to the report of guns, fell in v/ith two Chikkafah hunters, who were adopted relations of the Mufkohge, and killed, and fcalped them, and then ran off to the northern towns of the Cheerake. This was the true and fole caufe of the laft war between the Mufkohge and Cheerake : and the fol lowing account of the caufe of thofe nations entering into amity with each other, will, on the ftricteft enquiry, be found as true. The caufe and direful effects are ftill feelingly known to great numbers of the fuffering inhabitants, which I infert by way of caution to ftates-men hereafter.

As the Indians have no public faith to fecure the lives of friendly mefiengers in war-time, their wars are perpetuated from one generation to another, unlefs they are ended by the mediation of fome neutral party. A very polifhed courtier prefided in South Carolina, who was faid to have caft a very earneft eye on the fuppofed profits of the Cheerake trade, which were much lefiened by the Mufkohge war; and, in or der to eftablilh it at its former value, fo as to be worth fome hazard, he exerted himfelf to reconcile the Mufkohge and Cheerake. If he fucceeded, he was fure to be fomething in pocket, and could report at home, the pro found peace he had effected between thofe nations by his unwearied endea vours. He accordingly applied to fome of the moft intelligent and lead ing traders among thofe warring favages, and attempted to perfuade them

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