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PART fcription of their state and manners, for the betI. ter explaining of those actions in which they were concerned; efpecially, as this may be depended 1740. upon to be, the most natural and perfect account of these nations, than has hitherto been delivered into the hands of the public. In this province there are three confiderable nations, the one called the Cherokees, inhabiting amongst the mountains from whence the river Savanna defcends; these are not the most warlike, nor of the larger ftature, but are more accustomed to labour and live upon corn, than to procure their fuftenance by hunting; they have about 5,000 warriors or hunters; for the Indian nations are divided into two kinds of men; those who they call warriors or hunters, are like the antient gentlemen in Europe, whofe fingle profeffion was arms and chace. The next nation is the Chickafaws, a warlike and bold people, large of ftature, patient of fatigues, and of generous and noble fentiments; who have difputed the Miffifippi river with the French, and after many bloody engagements, ftill keep poffeffion of the banks of that river, and hinder the free communication of the French in Canada with thofe of the Louifiana. The third nation are the Indians called Creeks by the English, because their country lies chiefly amongst rivers, which the American English call creeks; the real name of these is Ufchefees; their language is the foftest and most copious of all the Indians, and looked upon to be the radical language; for they can make themselves understood by almost all the other Indians of the continent: they are divided into three people, upper, lower, and middle Creeks, the two former governed by their refpective chiefs, whom they honour with a royal denomination, who are, nevertheless, in the most

material

material part of their government,

fubordi- CHAP.

nate to the chief of the latter, who bears an V. imperial title their country lies between the Spanish Florida and the Cherokee mountains, 1740. and from the Atlantic ocean to the gulph of Mexico: they are a tall, well-limbed people, very brave in war, and are, as it were, the partans of that part of the world; being as much refpected in the fouth, as the five nations or Iroquois are in the north part of America. The Indians look upon the end of life to be, living happily; for this purpose their whole cuftoms are calculated to prevent avarice, which they fay imbitters life, and nothing is a feverer reflection among them, than to fay, that a man loves his own: to prevent the rife and propagation of fuch a vice, they, upon the death of any Indian, burn all that belongs to the deceased, that there may be no temptation for the parent to hoard up a fuperfluity of arms, and domeftic conveniencies, their chief treasures, for his children: they ftrengthen this cuftom by a fuperftition, that it is agreeable to the fouls of the deceafed to burn all they leave, and that afflictions follow them who use any of their goods: they cultivate no more land than is neceffary for their plentiful subsistance, and hofpitality to ftrangers; they ufe neither horfes nor plows in agriculture, but, inftead of plowing or digging, hoe their fields by common labour. The reft of the year they spend in hunting; and when they are injured by any other nation, as fuppofing one of their own nation to be killed, they fend to demand fatisfaction; but if this is refufed, they make reprizals upon the first they can take of the nation that committed the injury and thus their wars begin; which are very frequent, and carried on with great rage, VOL. I there

N

PART there not being any people in the world braver, I. or more dextrous in the ufe of their arms, and

manner of fight amongst woods and mountains, 1740. none more patient of labour, nor fwifter of foot.

THESE people were, with difficulty, gained by General Oglethorpe to affift in the war against the Spaniards, and it was fo much the harder to accomplish, because the Creeks had frequent intercourfe and friendship with them; but the general fending them the marks of the blood fhed by the Spaniards, and acquainting them that they had killed fome of his men on the land which the Creeks had by treaty conceeded to the English, they looked upon themselves as injured in their right of hospitality, and fent to demand justice from the governor of Auguftine, who ill treated their meffengers, and they then engaged in the war for the English.

WHEN the war broke out, there was in Georgia and Carolina but one regiment of regular troops, confifting of 600 men, commanded by General Oglethorpe; and the country to be then defended was of above 400 miles extent, upon the fea coaft. In Carolina there was a militia of about 3,000 men, and the armed people of Georgia were about 1,500; but there being above 40,000 negroe flaves in Carolina, it was looked upon that it would be a hard task to contain fuch a number of negroes within their duty, in cafe of an invafion from the Spaniards. Therefore General Oglethorpe thought that the most prudent. way of defending fuch a vaft extent of country, was by attacking the Spaniards; and the majori ty of the affembly of Carolina, and the greatest and most prudent part of the people were of the fame opinion: for if that fall body of troops, were to be difperfed to defend all parts of the

country,

V.

country, they would have been but a handful, CHAP. eafily fubdued in each place; and the flaves of Carolina would have revolted if favoured by an invading enemy: but if they acted offenfively, 1740. the flaves would not be able, nor think of stirring, when they faw their mafters have power to invade their enemies; the Indians would join them, and the Spaniards be prevented from attacking, by being forced to defend.

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GENERAL OGLETHORPE, in January, acquainted the affembly, that if they could, by March following, join the regiments upon the river St Mathea, or St John's, with 600 white men, a troop of horse, a troop of rangers, and 600 negroes for pioneers, with a proper train of artillery and neceffaries, as they had promifed to do, there might be a probability of taking Auguftine, at least a certainty of hindering the Spaniards from undertaking any thing against Carolina; provided the men of war would block up the port of Auguftine from receiving fuccours by fea.

THERE ftill fubfifts amongst the Spaniards in America, a ftrong party for the house of Auftria; fome of thefe were men of quality of Mexico, and at this time officers in Auguftine, fent thither because they were in difgrace; a command at that distance being, among them, in the nature of a banifhment. General Oglethorpe had frequent intercourfe with fome of thefe principal officers, and had influenced them entirely to his intereft; and at this time received intelligence, by fome confiderable people in the garrifon of Auguftine, of the ftate and condition. of the town, which was then in want of provisions, and their half gallies were gone to Cuba

PART to fetch men and provifions, fo that the river of St Auguftine was undefended.

I.

WHEN General Oglethorpe imparted this ma1740. terial intelligence to the affembly of Carolina, they voted to fupport him with a fum of money equal to what was wanted; but delayed fo long that the general was obliged to go up himfelf to Charles-Town, and haften them in their refolutions.

CAPT. WARREN, fince defervedly promoted to a fuperior rank in the British navy, with feveral other commanders of the men of war on the northern ftation, came alfo into the port of Charles-Town, to confult meafures for the expedition; but the affembly, through their indolence and inactivity, delayed them fo long, that the month of March was already paft, before they had concluded any thing; and by the time they had paffed their act, and before they would let Capt. Warren and General Oglethorpe fet out, the man of war, who had been pofted there till Capt. Warren's return, left the ftation off the bar of Auguftine, and the half gallies got into the harbour, with fuccours of provifions and men from the Havanna ; which was certainly the chief thing that contributed to the prefervation of the place. Capt. Warren, not knowing of the arrival of the gallies, went and lay off the port of Auguftine, in order to prevent their coming in; but in the dark of a calm night, fix half gallies came out from Augustine, and attacked him, to his great furprize; notwithftanding the great fuperiority they had, by the weight of their cannon, which carried double the shot his guns did, the number of their men, and the advantage a calm gives to rowing vef

fels,

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