North -Carolina Chronicle ; or, FayetkvilleCazittel
7, of' Vol. II. J
MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1790.
Total No 59..
HISTQRT.
CAllVER's TRAVELS.
(Continued.)
ON the fefenth . f December, I arri
ved (as I laid befwie) at the uimoi
ex. out of my travels towards the well ;
where I met with a larg: party of the
NAUoweffic Indians, among whom I re
filled fevn months. Thefe conilitured a
part of the eiht bands of the Naudow
elUes of the Plains ; and are termed the
Wuwpeentowahs,the Tintons, the Afrah
conuus, the Mawhaws, and the Sch.iins.
The other three bands, vhofe nam:s ave
the Schianefe, the Chonfufceton,- and
ih- Waddapav.jciiin, .'well higher up, to
the well of the river St. Pierre, on plains
that, according to their account, are un
bounded ; and probably terminate on the"
c.. .ill of the Pacific ocean. The Nau
doYreflie nation, when united, cc nfilts of
more than two thcuiand warriors The
Affinipoils, who revolted from them, a
mount to about three hundred ; and lea
gued with the Killiftinoes, live in a con
tinual Hate of enmity with the other ele
ven bands.
A I proceeded up the river St Pierre,
and had nearly reached the place where
thefe people were encamped, I obferved
tvd or three canoes coming down the
dream ; bus no fooner had. the Indians
that were on board them discovered us,
than they rowed towards the land, and
leaping aihore with, precipitation, left
thtir canoes to float as the current drove
them. In a few minutes I perceived
foir.c others ; who, as foon as they came
in r.ght, followed, wuh e.mal fpeed, the
example of thtir countrymen.
I now thought it neceifary to proceed
tl i h raution ; and therefore kept cn the
(id ; of the river oppoGte to that on which
the Indians landed. However, I ftill
continued my coiirlc, fa:scd that the
p;pt of peace which was fx? J at the head
"'" my canc, and the F.r.ljin co.or.rs
tha: were ilying .at :hc Hern, wo fd piove
i;v lv-cuii:y. After rowing about half a
mile farther, in turning a poin, I difec-v.-jd
a great, number cr tenls, a d ixorc
thin a thoufand Indian, at a, little dif-
tance from the ihote. Being now near
ly oppofite to thtm,- Iordere my men to
puii uiie&ly over, as I was willing to
convince the Indians by fuch a ltep, that
I placed iome confidence in them.
As loon as I had reached the land,
two of the chiefs pi cfented their hands to
ne, and led meamidft the aftonilhed
rv.ul iuide, v. ho hadjraoft of them never
feen a white man before, to a tent. Into
this vc entered, and according to the cuf
tom that untveifally prevails amoag eve
ry Indian nation, began tofpoke the pipe -
of peace. We had mat fat long before
the crowd became ft great both around,
and upon the tent, hxt we were in dan
ger of-being crmhed by its fall. Ortthis
we returaedto the jpiain, where having
gratified the curiofir of the common
people, their wonder Abated, and ever af
ter they treated mej with great refpe&.
From the chiefs 1 met -with the mofV
friendly and hcfpitable reception ; which
induced me, as the jfeafon was fo far ad
vanced, to take up rny refidence among !
them during the winter. To render my
ftay as comfortablejas pofliWle, I firft en
deavoured to learn.iheir language. This
I foon did fo as to make myfelf perfectly
intelligible, having before acquired fome
flight knowledge of jthe language of thofe
Indians who live on the back f the Set
tlements ; and in confequenee met with
every accommodation theirmanner of liv
ing would afrbrd. Nor did I want for
fuch amufements as; tended to make fo
long a period pafs jchearfully away. I
frequently hunted jwith them; and at
other times beheld with pleafure their re
creations and pafthnes, whioh I lhall de
fcribe hereafter. j
Sometimes I fat with the chiefs, and"
whilft we fmoaked the friendly pipe, en
tertained them, in return for the accounts
they gave me of their wars and excurfi
ons, wi:h a narrative of my own adven
tures, and a defcription of all the battles
fought between the EnglHa and French
iu America, in many of which I had a
p-rfonal (hare. They always paid great
attention to my detkils,and afked many
pertinent qucftions relative to the Euro
pean methods or making war.
I hcld rhefe conveifations wi(h them i
m
from them
fcir.e informalion rtlativc to the chief
poi-nt I had conilantly in view, that o
gaining a knowledge of the fituatipa and
produce, both of their own. country, and
thole that lay to trje weftward of them.
Nor was I difappited in my defigns ;
For-1 procued from them much ufeful in
telligence They jlikewife drew for ine
plans of all thecottntrie with which they
were acquinted ; but as. I entertained no
great opinion-of their geographical know
ledge, I placed net much dependence n
them, and think it r.nneceflay fo give
them to the public. They draw with a
piece of burnt coal, taken from the hearth
upon tl e infide bark of rhe birch tree ;
which is as fmaoth at paper, and anfwers
tlie fame purpofes, notwirhftanding it is
of a yellow cart. Their ketches are
made in a rude manner, but they f em to
give as juiianideabf a country, although
the plan is not fo esacl:, as more experi
enced draughtfmen coultl do; ;
1 lett tne naonations 01 tneic noi plia
ble Indians ike latt er end of April 1767 ;
but did not part from them for fcveral
deys, as I was acccippanied on my jour-
fhundrea 01 tsem, a
rnany chiefs,, to the
! St. Pierre. At this
annually go to the
great cave, before mentioned, to hold a
grand conncil with all the other bades j
wherein they Settle! their sperarions for
the enfuiag year. At thk fame time
they carry with thm theireai for in
terwent, bound tip in buffaloes (kir.s.
Befides thofe that accompanied me others
were gone before, and the reft were to
follow. j
Never did I: travel with fo happy and
chearful a company. But their mirth
met with a fudden and temporary aMay.
from a violent ftorm that overtook us one
day on cur paffage, WeJiad juft landed
and were preparing to fet up our tents
fr the night, when a heavy cloud overl
fpread the heavens and the mofl dread;
ful. thunder, lightning, ad rain iiTued
from it, that ever I Jbeneld.
The Indians were greatly terrified,
and ran to uch (belter as tkey could finn
for only a few tents were as yet eretf ed.
Appreherfive of the danger thar might
cn.r.e from flanding near any thing w' ich
conM ferre for a tonduftpr, asth- cloud
appeared to contain fuch an uncemmon
ney by near three
mong whom were
mouth of the riirer
feafon, thefe baAds