Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/319

 An Account of the Choktah Nation. 307

diftracted him, drowned himfelf the fecond night after in a broad and {hal low clay hole, contiguous to the dwelling houfe of his uncle, who was the Chikkafah Archimagus.

There was an incident, fomething fimilar, which happened in the year 1736, in Kanootare, the moft northern town of the Cheerake. When all the liquor was expended, the Indians went home, leading with them at my re- queft, thofe who were drunk. One, however, foon came back, and eameftly importuned me for more Nawohti, which fignifies both phyfic and fpirituous liquors. They, as they are now become great liars, fulpect all others of being infected with their own difpofition and principles. The more I ex- cufed myfelf, the more anxious he grew, fo as to become offenfive. I then told him, I had only one quarter of a bottle of ftrong phyfic, which fick people might drink in fmall quantities, for the cure of inward pains : and laying it down before him, I declared I did not on any account choofe to part with it, but as his fpeech of few words, had become very long and troublefome, he might do juft as his heart directed him concerning it. He took it up, laying his heart was very poor for phyfic, but that would cure it, and make it quite ftreight. The bottle contained almolt three gills of ftrong fpirits of turpentine, which in a fhort time, he drank off. Such a quantity of the like phyfic would have demolifhed me, or any white perfon. The Indians in general, are either capable of fuffering exquifite pain longer than we are, or of mewing more conftancy and compofure in their tor ments. The troublefome vifitor foon tumbled down and foamed prodigi- oufly. I then fent for fome of his relations to carry him home. They came I told them he drank greedily, and too much of the phyfic. They faid, it was his ufual cuftom, when the red people bought the Englifh phyfic. They gave him a decoction of proper herbs and roots, the next day fweated him, repeated the former draught, and he foon got well. As thofe tur pentine fpirits did not inebriate him, but only inflamed his inteftines, he well remembered the burning quality of my favourite phyfic, which he had fo indifcreetly drank up, and cautioned the reft from ever teizing me for any phyfic I had concealed, in any fort of bottles, for my own ufe ; other- \ufe they might be fure it would fpoil them, like the eating of fire.

The Choktah are in general more (lender than any other nation of ra vages I have feen. They are raw-boned, and furprifingly active in ball-

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