Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/293

 An Account of the Mufkohge Nation. 281

curity, by a clofe friendly union with each other, that all the efforts of the wife and honeft Georgia patriot, Governor Ellis, in concert with the Indian trading merchants, to diflblve it in the year 1760, proved abortive with the wary and jealous Mufkohge, while we were at war with the Chee- rake and many of the out-fettlers of Georgia and South Carolina were plundered and murdered by them, without fparing women or children -, many inftances of which we were too often well acquainted with on the fpot. The Cheerake, however, flood in fuch great awe of about fixty Chikkafah warriors, that except once when they were repulfed by a treble inferior number, they durft not attempt any fort of attack on Georgia bar riers, during the whole continuance of the war. The wifdom of the ru ling members of that weak colony directed them, in their dangerous circum- ftances, to chufe the leaftof two evils, to humour, and bear with thofe mif- chievous Mufkohge, rather than involve themfelves in a complicated war with thofe two confederated nations -, which muft have ruined Georgia, in the weak condition it then was. And, notwithftanding they have confiderably increafed fince, both in wealth and number of inhabitants, it is probable, the colony is now lefs capable of bearing with any fort of firmnefs, a fudden mock from thefe favages, than they were at that time. For, though the people were then fewer in numbers, yet their fettlements were more compact. By this means, they could eafily join in focial defence, on any alarm : and, as the circumftances of moft of them did not tempt them to enervating luxury, fo the needful exercifes they daily purfued, enabled them to make a diverfion of ranging the woods, when occafion required. Plan tations are now fettled, often at a great diftance from each other, even to the outmoft boundaries of the colony, where commonly the beft gunfmen refide, but who probably would be cut off by furprize, at the firft onfet : and, lower down, their difperfed fettlements are often feparated, either by difficult or unpafTable morafles, flow running black waters, or broken falt-water founds -, which of courfe would be a great impediment to the people fupporting each other : fo that each plantation is expofed to a feparate afTault, by a fuperior body of thofe cunning favages, who attack, and fly away like a fudden thunder guft. We have no fure way to fight them, but in carrying the war into the bowels of their own country, by a fuperior body of the provincial troops, mixed with regulars ; and as we can expec"l no mercy in cafe of a defeat, we mould not defpife their power, but prepare ourfelves for a fure conqueft.

Oo ACCOUNT

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