John Lederer

“ Not far distant from hence, as I understood from the Nahyssan Indians, is their Kings Residence, called Pintahæ, upon the same River, and happy in the same advantages both for pleasure and profit: which my curiosity would have led me to see, were I not bound, both by Oath and Commission, to a direct pursuance of my intended purpose of discovering a passage to the further side of the Mountains.
This Nation is governed by an absolute Monarch; the People of a high stature, warlike and rich. ”

“ This creature is something bigger then our English Fox, of a reddish grey colour, and in figure every way agreeing with an ordinary Cat; fierce, ravenous and cunning: for finding the Deer (upon which they delight most to prey) too swift for them, they watch upon branches of trees, and as they walk or feed under, jump down upon them. The Fur of the wilde Cat, though not very fine, is yet esteemed for its vertue in taking away cold Aches and Pains, being worn next to the body: their flesh, though rank as a Dogs, is eaten by the Indians. ”

“ Many other rich Commodities and Minerals there are undoubtedly in these parts, which if possessed by an ingenious and industrious people, would be improved to vast advantages by Trade. But having tied my self up to things onely that I have seen in my Travels, I will deliver no Conjectures. ”

“ When in the remote parts you draw near to an Indian Town, you must by your Scouts inform your self whether they hold any correspondence with the Sasquesahanaughs; for to such you must give notice of your approach by a Gun; which amongst other Indians is to be avoided, because being ignorant of their use, it would affright and dispose them to some treacherous practice against you. ”

“ Here I made a days stay, to inform my self further in these Countries; and understood both from the Usheries, and some Sara-Indians that came to trade with them, that two-days journey and a half from hence to the Southwest, a powerful Nation of Bearded men were seated, which I suppose to be the Spaniards, because the Indians never have any; it being an universal custom amongst them, to prevent [19] their growth, by plucking the young hair out by the roots. Westward lies a Government inhospitable to strangers; and to the North, over the Suala-mountains, lay the Rickohockans. ”

“ This Prince, though his Dominions are large and populous, is in continual fear of the Oustack-Indians seated on the opposite side of the Lake; a people so addicted to Arms, that even their women come into the field, and shoot Arrows over their husbands [18] shoulders, who shield them with Leathern Targets. The men it seems should fight with Silver-Hatchets: for one of the Usheryes told me they were of the same metal with the Pomel of my Sword. They are a cruel generation, and prey upon people, whom they either steal, or force away from the Usheryes in Periago’s, to sacrifice to their Idols. ”

“ In dealing with the Indians, you must be positive and at a word: for if they perswade you to fall any thing in your price, they will spend time in higgling for further abatements, and seldom conclude any Bargain. Sometimes you [27] may with Brandy or Strong liquor dispose them to an humour of giving you ten times the value of your commodity; and at other times they are so hide-bound, that they will not offer half the Market-price, especially if they be aware that you have a designe to circumvent them with drink, or that they think you have a desire to their goods ”

“ Let your other Indians keep on the right and left hand, armed not onely with Guns, but Bills and Hatchets, to build small Arbours or Cottages of boughs and bark of trees, to shelter and defend you from the injuries of the weather. At nights it is necessary to make great Fires round about the place where you take up your lodging, as well to scare Wild-beasts away, as to purifie the air. Neither must you fail to go the Round at the close of the evening: for then, and betimes in the morning, the Indians put all their designes in execution: in the night they never attempt any thing. ”

“ Their Town is built round a field, where in their Sports they exercise with so much labour and violence, and in so great numbers, that I have seen the ground wet with the sweat that dropped from their bodies: their chief Recreation is Slinging of stones. They are of mean stature and courage, covetous and thievish, industrious to earn a peny ”

“ The parts inhabited here are pleasant and fruitful, because cleared of Wood, and laid open to the Sun. The Valleys feed numerous herds of Deer and Elks larger then Oxen: these Valleys they call Savanæ, being Marish grounds at the foot of the Apalatæi, and yearly laid under water in the beginning of Summer by flouds of melted Snow falling down from the Mountains.
The Apalatæan Mountains, called in Indian Pæmotinck, (or the origine of the Indians) are barren Rocks, and [3] therefore deserted by all living creatures but Bears, who cave in the hollow Cliffs. ”

“ These and the Mountain-Indians build not their houses of Bark, but of Watling and Plaister. In Summer, the heat of the weather makes them chuse to lie abroad in the night under thin arbours of wilde Palm. Some houses they have of Reed and Bark; they build them generally round: to each house belongs a little hovel made like an oven, where they lay up their Corn and Mast, and keep it dry. ”

“ The Indians now seated in these parts, are none of those which the English removed from Virginia, but a people driven by an Enemy from the Northwest, and invited to sit down here by an Oracle above four hundred years since, as they pretend: for the ancient inhabitants of Virginia were far more rude and barbarous, feeding onely upon raw flesh and fish, until these taught them to plant Corn, and shewed them the use of it. ”

“ The right Elk, though very common in New Scotland, Canada, and those Northern parts, is never seen on this side of the Continent: for that which the Virginians call Elk’s, does not at all differ from the Red Deer of Europe, but in his dimensions, which are far greater: but yet the Elk in bigness does as far exceed them: their heads, or horns, are not very different; but the neck of the Elk is so short, that it hardly separates the head from the shoulders ”

“ Town, I travelled till the nineteenth of June; and then after a two days troublesome Journey thorow Thickets and Marish grounds, I arrived at Watary above fourty miles distant, and bearing West-Southwest to Shakor. This Nation differs in Government from all the other Indians of these parts: for they are Slaves, rather then Subjects to their King. ”

“ You will not meet with many hinderances on horseback in your passage to the Mountains, but where your course is interrupted by branches of the great Rivers, which in many places are not Fordable; and therefore if you be unprovided of means or strength to make a Bridge by felling trees across, you may be forced to go a great way about: in this respect company is necessary, but in others so inconvenient, that I would not advise above half a dozen, or ten at the most, to travel together ”

“ If you barely designe a Home-trade with neighbour-Indians, for skins of Deer, Beaver, Otter, Wild-Cat, Fox, Racoon, &c. your best Truck is a sort of course Trading Cloth, of which a yard and a half makes a Matchcoat or Mantle fit for their wear ”

“ From hence, by the Indians instructions, I directed my course to Akenatzy, an Island bearing South & by West, and about fifty miles distant, upon a branch of the same River, from Sapon. The Countrey here, though high, is level, and for the most part a rich soyl, as I judged by the growth of the Trees; yet where it is inhabited by Indians, it lies open in spacious Plains, and is blessed with a very healthful Air, as appears by the age and vigour of the people ”

“ Every Nation gives his particular Ensigne or Arms: The Sasquesahanaugh a Tarapine, or small Tortoise; the Akenatzy’s a Serpent; the Nahyssanes three Arrows, &c. In this they likewise agree with the Mexican Indians. ”

“ In these Mountains we wandred from the Twenty fifth of May till the Third of June, finding very little sustenance for Man or Horse; for these places are destitute both of Grain and Herbage.
The third of June we came to the South-branch of James-River, which Major Harris observing to run Northward, vainly imagined to be an Arm of the Lake of Canada; and was so transported with this Fancy, that he would have raised a Pillar to the Discovery, if the fear of the Mahock Indian, and want of food, had permitted him to stay. Here I moved to cross the River and march on ”

“ To the remoter Indians you must carry other kinde of Truck, as small Looking-glasses, Pictures, Beads and Bracelets of glass, Knives, Sizars, and all manner of gaudy toys and knacks for children, which are light and portable. ”

“ The next day falling into Marish grounds between Pemæoncock and the head of the River Matapeneugh, the heaviness of the way obliged me to cross Pemæoncock, where its North [7] and South-branch (called Ackmick) joyn in one. In the Peninsula made by these two branches, a great Indian King called Tottopottoma was heretofore slain in Battel, fighting for the Christians against the Mahocks and Nahyssans, from whence it retains his name to this day. Travelling thorow the Woods, a Doe seized by a wild Cat crossed our way ”

“ These Thickets harbour all sorts of beasts of prey, as Wolves, Panthers, Leopards, Lions, &c. (which are neither so large nor so fierce as those of Asia and Africa) and small Vermine, as wilde Cats, Foxes, Racoons. These parts were formerly possessed by the Tacci, aliàs Dogi; but they are extinct; and the Indians now seated here, are distinguished into the several Nations of Mahoe, Nuntaneuck, aliàs Nuntaly, Nabyssan, Sapon, Managog, Mangoack, Akenatzy, and Monakin, &c. One Language is common to them all, though they differ in Dialects. ”

“ Solemnity: for the men and the women of better sort had decked themselves very fine with pieces of bright Copper in their hair and ears, and about their arms and neck, which upon Festival occasions they use as an extraordinary bravery: by which it should seem this Country is not without rich Mines of Copper. ”

“ Therefore no industry was wanting to prepare Men with a prejudice against him, and this their malice improved to such a general Animosity, that he was not safe in Virginia from the outrage of the People, drawn into a perswasion, that the Publick Levy of that year, went all to the expence of his Vagaries. ”

“ To the Northeast the Mountains rise higher; and at Sara they sink so low, that they are easily passed over: but here (as was said before) they change their course and name, running due West, and being called Sualy: now the Sualian Mountains rise higher and higher Westward.
Of the Manners and Customs of the Indians inhabiting the Western parts of Carolina and Virginia. ”

“ They hold all things, except their Wives, in common; and their custome in eating is, that every man in his turn feasts all the rest; and he that makes the entertainment, is seated betwixt the two Kings ”