Chapter X

Proceeds for Charleston—calls at a gentleman’s plantation—Adoe—Tannier—wild pigeons—Aster fruticosus—leaves Charleston, proceeds on his return home to Pennsylvania—crosses Cooper river, nine miles above the city—Long Bay—reefs of rocks—meets a gang of Negroes—passes the boundary-house—large savanna—Dionæa muscipula—old towns—Brunswick—the Clarendon or Cape Fear river—North West—Livingston’s creek—Wackamaw lake—Carver’s creek—Ashwood—various vegetable productions—cultivated vegetables—describes the face of the country on the banks of the North West and adjacent lands—strata of the earth or soil—rocks—petrifactions—ancient submarine productions &c.—leaves Ashwood, continues up the river—vast trunks of trees with their roots, stumps of limbs, with the bark on, turned into very hard stone—Rock-Fish creek—Cross Creeks—the rise, progress and present state of Cambelton—curious species of scandent Fern—Deep River—crosses Haw River—Meherren river in Virginia—Cucurbita lagenaria—curious species of Prinos—Alexandria—Georgetown—sudden fall of snow—extreme cold—crosses the river Susquehanna upon the ice—river Schuylkill—arrives at his father’s house, within three miles of Philadelphia.

PART IV.

CHAPTER I.

Persons, character, and qualifications of the Aborigines—most perfect human figure—Muscogulge women—women of the Cherokees—arrogance of the Muscogulges, yet magnanimous and merciful to a vanquished enemy.

CHAPTER II.

Government and civil society—constitution simply natural—the mico or king presides in the senate—elective—yet mysterious—the next man in dignity and power is the great war chief—entirely independent of the mico—his voice in council of the greatest weight concerning military affairs—the high priest a person of consequence, and maintains great influence in their constitution and councils of state—these Indians not idolaters—they adore the Great Spirit, the giver and taker away of the breath of life, with the most profound homage and purity—anecdote.

CHAPTER III.

Dress, feasts and divertisements—youth of both sexes are fond of decorations with respect to dress—their ears lacerated—diadem plumes, &c.—painting their skin—dress of the females different from that of the men—great horned owlskin stuffed and borne about by the priests—insignia of wisdom and divination—fond of music, dancing and routs—different classes of songs—variety of steps in their dances—sensible and powerful effects—ball play—festival of the Busk.

CHAPTER IV.

Concerning property, agriculture, arts and manufactures—private property—produce of their agricultural labours—common plantation—king’s crib—public treasury—women the most ingenious and vigilant in mechanic arts and manufactures.

CHAPTER V.

Marriages and funeral rites—polygamy—take wives whilst they are yet young children—adultery—Muscogulges bury their dead in a sitting posture—strange customs of the Chactaws relative to duties to the deceased—bone-house—dirges—feast to the dead—methods which the nurses pursue to flatten the infant’s skull and retain its form.

CHAPTER VI.

Language and monuments—Muscogulge language spoken throughout the confederacy—agreeable to the ear—Cherokee language loud—pyramidal artificial hills or mounts, terraces, obelisks—high ways and artificial lakes—chunk yards—slave posts.

INDEX

List of Illustrations

A Map of the Coast of East Florida Annona Pygmea Annona Grandiflora Ixia Cœlestina Great Soft-shelled Tortoise Head of the Great Softshelled Tortoise Hydrangea Quercifolia Andromeda Pulverulenta