Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/378

 2 66 An Account of the Chikkafah Nation.

ience. Such a material undertaking, as the colonizing of fo important a barrier, deferves public encouragement to put it in a fair way of doing we-11', and the continuance of a fupply, and protection through its infant ftate, to fecure it from any artful attempts the Spaniards and their French fubjects might plot to difturb its tranquility, and thereby check its growth.

There might be introduced even among the Indian nations I have de- fcribed, a fpirit of induftry, in cultivating fuch productions as would agree with their land and climates ; efpecially, if the fuper-intendency of our In dian affairs, weftward, was conferred on the fenfible, public-fpirited, and judicious Mr. George Galphin, merchant, or Lachlan M'Gilwray, Efq; of equal merit. Every Indian trader knows from long experience, that both thefe gentlemen have a greater influence over the dangerous Mufkohge, than any others befides. And the fecurity of Georgia requires one or other of them fpeedily to fuperintend our Indian affairs. It was, chiefly, the fkilful management of thefe worthy patriots, which prevented the Mufkohge from joining theCheerake, according to treaty, againft us in the years 1760 and 1761, to their great expence and hazard of life, as they allowed thofe favages to eat, drink; and deep at Silver-Bluff, below New Windfor gar- rifon, and at Augufta fifteen miles apart, and about 150 miles from Savanah. I write from my own knowledge, for I was then on the fpot, with a captain's commiflion from South Carolina. A Mufkohge war againft us, could cafily be prevented by either of thofe gentlemen, if chofen, and the de- ftructive plan of general licences was repealed. It is to be hoped, that they who are inverted with the power, will retract their former error, and have the pleafure of knowing the good effect it would produce, by giving an opportunity of civilizing and reforming the favages ; which can never be effected by the former ufual means. Admit into Indian countries, a fufEcient number of difcreet orderly traders. This needful regulation will likewife benefit trade, which is almoft ruined ; and our valuable weak frontier colo nies would thereby increafe in numbers, proportionable to their fecurity.

Formerly, each trader had a licence for two towns, or villages ; but ac cording to the prefent unwife plan, two, and even three Arab-like pedlars fculk about in one of thofe villages. Several of them alfo frequently emigrate into the woods with fpirituous liquors, and cheating trifles, 5 after

�� �