lean against any Thing, or be slung over their Neck in Travelling, or hung upon a Bough, as Occasion requires.

This occasions them to be exactly strait; so that it is a Miracle to see a crooked or deformed Indian.

Their Hair is very black, coarse and long; and they are all over daubed frequently with Bear's Oil.

Each Nation has some distinguishing Mark, especially in the Cut or Tie of their Hair, in which they are very whimsical and comical.

They often wear Shells hanging upon their Breasts, with Feathers or a Deer's Tail in their bored Ears or Hair, with a Wolf or Fox-Skin for a Snapsack; with other odd Accoutrements.

In their Opinion, they are finest when dressed most ridiculously or terribly. Thus some have their Skins all over curiously wrought with blewish Lines and Figures, as if done with Gun-Powder and Needles, and all of them delight in being painted; so that when they are very fine, you may see some of them with their Hair cut off on one Side, and a long Lock on the other. The Crown being crested and bedaubed with red Lead and Oil; their Forehead being painted white, and it may be their Nose black, and a Circle of Blue round one Eye, with the Cheek red, and all the other Side of the Face yellow, or in some such fantastical Manner. These Colours they buy of us, being persuaded to despise their own, which are common and finer.

They are treacherous, suspicious and jealous, difficult to be persuaded or imposed upon, and very sharp, hard in Dealing, and ingenious in their Way, and in Things that they naturally know, or have been taught; though at first they are very obstinate, and unwilling to apprehend or learn Novelties, and seem stupid and silly to Strangers.

An Instance of their resolute Stupidity and Obstinacy in receiving a new Custom, I have seen in the prodigious Trouble of bringing them to sell their Skins, and buy Gunpowder by Weight; for they could not apprehend the Power and Justice of the Stilliard; but with the Scales at Length they apprehended it tolerably well; though at first they insisted upon as much Gunpowder as the Skin weighed, which was much more than their Demand in Measure. They have Geographical Notions, as to the Situation of their own Country, and will find the Way to very remote Places in a surprizing Manner; steering by the Course of the Rivers, &c. or by the Trees, whose North Side is easily known by the Moss.

Thus I know, that Wickmannatauchee (a great King among the Southern Indians) whom I saw just before, and since, when he made his Escape from his Enemy Indians at Christanna, where his Queen and abundance of his People were slain, and he ty'd in order to be carried away Prisoner; yet broke loose, and ran directly Home several hundred Miles stark-naked, without Arms or Provision, in the Month of March, when the Trees afforded no Fruit; neither did he go near any other Nation, till he got to his own; therefore I suppose Roots were his Provision, and Water his Liquor, unless by some cunning Method (with which they abound) he caught Fish, Fowl, or Venison; and as for Fire I know they can kindle that by rubbing of certain Sticks together.

They count their Time by Days, or by the Return of the Moon, and Cohonks, a sort of wild Geese. They walk one after another in a Line, are very serious in Debates, speak but one at a Time; and in Negotiations all agree to what either proposes or approves of, and are not easily imposed upon; and when affronted, they highly resent Injuries, and being treacherous are no more to be trusted than tame Lions, who can't wholly lose their savage Hearts.

They have tolerable good Notions of natural Justice, Equity, Honour and Honesty, to the Rules whereof the great Men strictly adhere; but their common People will lye, cheat, and steal.

They seldom commit Violence upon the English, but when provoked, or put on by others.

The French, that are seated upon the River of St. Laurence and the Messisippi, and the Lakes between them in Canada and Lovisiana, which extend behind all the English Plantations along the Heart of North America a vast Way, from the most Northern Parts of the French Settlements, which are contiguous quite to the Gulf of Mexico, are numerous, and through the Policy of their late King intermarry with the Indians; by which means being united with them, they often set them on to destroy the English, which may prove dangerous in Case of a War with France.

But to prevent more Mischiefs of this kind, Providence has secured us from them by a continued Ridge of vast high Hills, called the Apelachian Mountains, running nearly under the Meridian, as being passable but in very few Places; which Mountains through the Care and Conduct of the Honourable Colonel Spotswood are secured for his Majesty, tho' not guarded as yet; which might easily be done to the great Safety and Encouragement of back Settlements in a vast rich Country Westward of the Settlements of Virginia, some hundred of Miles from the Sea quite to the Mountains, which might prove a Terror to the French Indians and Planters, in Case of Inroads and Irruptions, and become a Safeguard to the Trade of those Places.

Governor Spotswood, when he undertook the great Discovery of the Passage over the Mountains, attended with a sufficient Guard and Pioneers and Gentlemen, with a sufficient Stock of Provision, with abundant Fatigue passed these Mountains, and cut his Majesty's Name in a Rock upon the Highest of them, naming it M o u n t G e o r g e; and in Complaisance the Gentlemen from the Governor's Name, called the Mountain next in Height, Mount Alexander.

For this Expedition they were obliged to provide a great Quantity of Horse-Shoes; (Things seldom used in the lower Parts of the Country, where there are few Stones:) Upon which Account the Governor upon their Return presented each of his Companions with a Golden Horse-Shoe, (some of which I have seen studded with valuable Stones resembling the Heads of Nails) with this Inscription on the one Side: Sic juvat transcendere montes: And on the other is written the tramontane Order.

This he instituted to encourage Gentlemen to venture backwards, and make Discoveries and new Settlements; any Gentleman being entitled to wear this Golden Shoe that can prove his having drank His Majesty's Health, upon Mount George.

He built a Fort called Christanna, which tho' not so far back, yet proved of great Service and Use; where at his sole Expence (I think) I have seen Seventy Seven Indian Children at a Time at School, under the careful Management of the worthy Mr. Charles Griffin, who lived there some Years for that Purpose; from whom I have been informed of most of the Indian Customs and Principles, that I here mention, except such as I have seen and known my self.

These Children could all read, say their Catechisms and Prayers tolerably well; but this pious Design being laid aside thro' the Opposition of Trade and Interest, Mr. Griffin was removed to the College to teach the Indians, instructed there by the Benefaction of the Honourable Mr. Boyle.

The Indians so loved and adored him, that I have seen them hug him and lift him up in their Arms, and fain would have chosen him for a King of the Sapony Nation.

The Southern Indians, that came several hundred Miles to meet the Governor, there to treat of War, and Peace, and Trade, though they