He Shew'd Her All The Treasure
He Was Possess'd Of, As Beads, Red Cadis, &C. Which She Lik'd Very Well,
And permitted him to put them into his Pocket again, endearing him
with all the Charms, which one of a
Better Education than Dame Nature
had bestow'd upon her, could have made use of, to render her Consort
a surer Captive. After they had us'd this Sort of Courtship a small time,
the Match was confirm'd by both Parties, with the Approbation
of as many Indian Women, as came to the House, to celebrate
our Winchester-Wedding. Every one of the Bride-Maids were as great Whores,
as Mrs. Bride, tho' not quite so handsome. Our happy Couple
went to Bed together before us all, and with as little Blushing,
as if they had been Man and Wife for 7 Years. The rest of the Company
being weary with travelling, had more Mind to take their Rest,
than add more Weddings to that hopeful one already consummated;
so that tho' the other Virgins offer'd their Service to us,
we gave them their Answer, and went to sleep. About an Hour before day,
I awak'd, and saw somebody walking up and down the Room
in a seemingly deep Melancholy. I call'd out to know who it was,
and it prov'd to be Mr. Bridegroom, who in less than 12 Hours, was Batchelor,
Husband, and Widdower, his dear Spouse having pick'd his Pocket of the Beads,
Cadis, and what else should have gratified the Indians
for the Victuals we receiv'd of them. However that did not serve her turn,
but she had also got his Shooes away, which he had made the Night before,
of a drest Buck-Skin. Thus dearly did our Spark already repent
his new Bargain, walking bare-foot, in his Penitentials,
like some poor Pilgrim to Loretto.
After the Indians had laugh'd their Sides sore at the Figure
Mr. Bridegroom made, with much ado, we muster'd up another Pair of Shooes,
or Moggisons, and set forward on our intended Voyage,
the Company (all the way) lifting up their Prayers for the new married Couple,
whose Wedding had made away with that, which should have purchas'd our Food.
{Wednesday.}
Relying wholly on Providence, we march'd on, now and then paying our Respects
to the new-married Man. The Land held rich and good;
in many Places there were great Quantities of Marble.
The Water was still of a wheyish Colour. About 10 of the Clock,
we waded thro' a River, (about the Bigness of Derwent, in Yorkshire)
which I take to be one of the Branches of Winjaw River.
We saw several Flocks of Pigeons, Field-Fares, and Thrushes,
much like those of Europe. The Indians of these Parts
use Sweating very much. If any Pain seize their Limbs, or Body,
immediately they take Reeds, or small Wands, and bend them Umbrella-Fashion,
covering them with Skins and Matchcoats: They have a large Fire not far off,
wherein they heat Stones, or (where they are wanting) Bark,
putting it into this Stove, which casts an extraordinary Heat:
There is a Pot of Water in the Bagnio, in which is put a Bunch of an Herb,
bearing a Silver Tassel, not much unlike the Aurea Virga.
With this Vegetable they rub the Head, Temples, and other Parts,
which is reckon'd a Preserver of the Sight and Strengthener of the Brain.
We went, this day, about 12 Miles, one of our Company being
lame of his Knee. We pass'd over an exceeding rich Tract of Land,
affording Plenty of great free Stones, and marble Rocks,
and abounding in many pleasant and delightsome Rivulets.
At Noon, we stay'd and refresh'd ourselves at a Cabin,
where we met with one of their War-Captains, a Man of great Esteem among them.
At his Departure from the Cabin, the Man of the House
scratch'd this War-Captain on the Shoulder, which is look'd upon
as a very great Compliment among them. The Captain went two or three Miles
on our way, with us, to direct us in our Path. One of our Company
gave him a Belt, which he took very kindly, bidding us call at his House,
(which was in our Road) and stay till the lame Traveller was well,
and speaking to the Indian, to order his Servant to make us welcome.
Thus we parted, he being on his Journey to the Congerees,
and Savannas, a famous, warlike, friendly Nation of Indians,
living to the South-End of Ashly River. He had a Man-Slave with him,
who was loaded with European Goods, his Wife and Daughter being in Company.
He told us, at his Departure, that James had sent Knots
to all the Indians thereabouts, for every Town to send in 10 Skins,
meaning Captain Moor, then Governour of South-Carolina.
The Towns being very thick hereabouts, at Night we took up our Quarters
at one of the chief Mens Houses, which was one of the Theaters
I spoke of before. There ran, hard-by this Town, a pleasant River,
not very large, but, as the Indians told us, well stor'd with Fish.
We being now among the powerful Nation of Esaws, our Landlord entertain'd us
very courteously, shewing us, that Night, a pair of Leather-Gloves,
which he had made; and comparing them with ours, they prov'd to be
very ingeniously done, considering it was the first Tryal.
{Thursday.}
In the Morning, he desired to see the lame Man's affected Part,
to the end he might do something, which (he believ'd) would give him Ease.
After he had viewed it accordingly, he pull'd out an Instrument,
somewhat like a Comb, which was made of a split Reed,
with 15 Teeth of Rattle-Snakes set at much the same distance,
as in a large Horn-Comb: With these he scratch'd the place
where the Lameness chiefly lay, till the Blood came, bathing it,
both before and after Incision, with warm Water, spurted out of his Mouth.
This done, he ran into his Plantation, and got some Sassafras Root,
(which grows here in great plenty) dry'd it in the Embers,
scrap'd off the outward Rind, and having beat it betwixt two Stones,
apply'd it to the Part afflicted, binding it up well.
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