Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/337

 An Account of the Choktah Nation. 325

ture, and perfuaded G. G n, Efq; (one of the two friends in South- Carolina, who only could influence me againft my own liking) to follow till he overtook me, and urge me to return, and accompany me to his Excellency's houfe. At his earned follicitations, the gentleman complied, came up with me, and prevailed on me to go back according to requeft. I had plenty of courtly excufes for my complaints and grievances, and in the hearing of my friend was earneftly prefied to forget and forgive all that was pad; with folemn promifes of full redrefs, according to his for mer engagement of drawing bills of exchange in my favour, on the go vernment, if South-Carolina had not honour enough to repay me what I had expended in opening a trade with the numerous Chokcah befides gratuities for hardfhips, hazards, &c.

I wifh I could here alfo celebrate his fincerhy and faithfulnefs on this occa- fion As I could not wellfufpect a breach of public faith, after it had been pledged in fo folemn a manner, he had not much difficulty in detaining me on fundry pretexts, till the expected great Choktah crop of deer-fkins and beaver muft have been gathered, before I could pofiibly return to the Chikkafah country, and from thence proceed to rival the Sphynx-com- pany. Under thofe circumftances, I was detained fo late in November, that the fnow fell upon me at Edifto, the firft day, in company with

Captain W d, an old trader of the Okwhufke, who was going to

Savanah. In the feverity of winter, froft, fnow, hail, and heavy rains fucceed each other, in thefe climes, fo that I partly rode, and partly fwam to the Chikkafah country j for not expecting to ftay long below, I took no- leathern canoe. Many of the broad deep creeks, that were almoft dry when I went down, had now far overflowed their banks, ran at a rapid rate, and were unpayable to any but delperate people : when I got within forty miles of the Chikkafah, the rivers and fwamps were dreadful, by rafts of timber driving down the former, and the great fallen trees floating in the latter, for near a mile in length. Being forced to wade deep through cane-fwamps or woody thickets, it proved very troublefome to keep my fire arms dry, on which, as- a fecond means, my life Depended ; for, by the high rewards of the French, Come enemies were always rambling about in fearch of us. On theeaflern fide of one of the rivers, in taking a fweep early in a wet morning, in queft of my horfes, I difcovered fmoke on a fmall piece of rifing ground in a fwamp, pretty near, the edge; I

moved

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