{Thursday.}
The Next Day We Travell'd On Our Way, And About Noon Came Up
With A Settlement Of Santee Indians,
There being Plantations
lying scattering here and there, for a great many Miles.
They came out to meet us, being
Acquainted with one of our Company,
and made us very welcome with fat barbacu'd Venison,
which the Woman of the Cabin took and tore in Pieces with her Teeth,
so put it into a Mortar, beating it to Rags, afterwards stews it with Water,
and other Ingredients, which makes a very savoury Dish.
At these Cabins came to visit us the King of the Santee Nation.
He brought with him their chief Doctor or Physician, who was warmly and neatly
clad with a Match-Coat, made of Turkies Feathers, which makes a pretty Shew,
seeming as if it was a Garment of the deepest silk Shag.
This Doctor had the Misfortune to lose his Nose by the Pox,
which Disease the Indians often get by the English Traders
that use amongst them; not but the Natives of America have for many Ages
(by their own Confession) been afflicted with a Distemper
much like the Lues Venerea, which hath all the Symptoms of the Pox,
being different in this only; for I never could learn,
that this Country-Distemper, or Yawes, is begun or continu'd
with a Gonorrhoea; yet is attended with nocturnal Pains in the Limbs,
and commonly makes such a Progress, as to vent Part of the Matter by Botches,
and several Ulcers in the Body, and other Parts; oftentimes Death ensuing.
I have known mercurial Unguents and Remedies work a Cure,
following the same Methods as in the Pox; several white People,
but chiefly the Criolo's, losing their Palates and Noses
by this devouring Vulture.
It is epidemical, visiting these Parts of America, which is often occasion'd
thro' the immoderate drinking of Rum, by those that commonly drink Water
at other Times, cold Nights Lodging, and bad open Houses, and more chiefly
by often wetting the Feet, and eating such Quantities of Pork as they do,
which is a gross Food, and a great Propagator of such Juices
as it often meets withal in human Bodies, once tainted with this Malady;
which may differently (in some Respects) act its Tragedy;
the Change being occasion'd by the Difference of Climates and Bodies,
as in Europe. We being well enough assur'd that the Pox had its first Rise
(known to us) in this new World, it being caught of the Indian Women,
by the Spanish Soldiers that follow'd Columbus in one of his Expeditions
to America; who after their Arrival in Old Spain, were hasten'd
to the Relief of Naples, at that Time besieg'd by the French.
Provisions growing scarce, the useless People were turn'd out of the City,
to lessen the Mouths; amongst these, the Curtesans were one Part,
who had frequently embrac'd the Spaniards, being well fraught with Riches
by their new Discovery. The Leager Ladies had no sooner lost
their Spanish Dons, but found themselves as well entertain'd
by the French, whose Camp they traded in, giving the Mounsieurs
as large a Share of the pocky Spoils within their own Lines,
as the Spaniards had, who took the Pains to bring it in their Breeches
as far as from America; the large Supplies of Swines Flesh,
which that Army was chiefly victuall'd withal, made it rage.
The Siege was rais'd; the French and Spaniards retreating to Flanders,
which was a Parrade of all Nations; by which Means, this filthy Distemper
crowded it self into most Nations of the known World.
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