Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/371

 An Account of the Chikkafah Nation. 359

Enemies to the public good, may enter caveats againft our fettling where the navigation is precarious; and the extraordinary kindnefs of the late miniftry to the French and Spaniards prevented our having an exclusive navigation on the Mifiifippi. Abervillc might (till become a valuable mart to us; and from New Orleans it is only three miles to Saint John's Creek, where people pafs through the lake of Saint Louis, and embark for Mobille and Perrfacola. The Spaniards have wifely taken the advantage of our mifconducl:, by fortifying Lotii^ fiana, and employing the French to conciliate the affections of the fa- vages ; while our legiflators, fermented with the corrupt lees of falfe power, are driving to whip us with fcorpions. As all the Florida In* dians are grown jealous of us, fince we fettled E. and W. Florida, and are unacquainted with the great power of the Spaniards in South America^ and have the French to polifh their rough Indian politics, Louifiana is likely to prove more beneficial to them, than it did to the French. They are fortifying their Mifiifippi fetdements like a New Flanders, and their French artifts, on account of our minifterial lethargy, will have a good op- 1 portunity, if an European war mould commence, to continue our valuable weftern barriers as wild and wafte, as the French left them. The warlike Chikkafah proved fo formidable to them, that^ except a fmall fettlement above New Orleans, which was covered by- the Choktah bounds^ they did not attempt to make any other on theeaftern fide of the Mifiifippi, below the Illinois; though it contains fuch a vaft traft of fine land, as would be fufficient for four colonies of two hundred and fifty miles fquare. Had they been able by their united efforts, to have deftroyed the Chik kafah, they would not have been idle; for, in that cafe, the Choktah' would have been fo'on fwallOwed up, by the afiiftance of their other allies, as they never fupplied them with arms and ammunition,- except thofe wha went to war againft the Chikkafah.

From North-Carolina to the Mifllfippi, the land near the fea, is, in- ge neral, low and fandy ; and it is very much fo in the two colonies of Flo rida, to a confiderable extent from the lea-more, when -the lands appear' fertile, level, and diverfified with hills. Trees indicate the goodnefs' or* badnds of land. Pine-trees grow on fandy, barren ground, which prcn du.ces long coarfe grafs ; .the adjacent low lands abound with. canes, .reeds,.

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