These Indians are so indiscreetly fond of their children, that they will not chastise them for any mischief or insolence. A little Boy had shot an Arrow thorow my body, had I not reconciled him to me with gifts: and all this anger was, because I spurred my horse out of another Arrows way which he directed at him. This caused fetch a mutiny amongst the Youth of the Town, that the Seniors taking my horse and self into protection, had much ado (and that by intreaties and prayers, not commands) to appease them.
From Sara I kept a South-Southwest course until the five and twentieth of June, and then I reached Wisacky. This three-days march was more troublesome to me then all my travels besides: for the direct way which I took from Sara to Wisacky is over a continued Marish over-grown with Reeds, from whose roots sprung knotty stumps as hard and sharp as Flint. I was forc’d to lead my horse most part of the way, and wonder that he was not either plunged in the Bogs, or lamed by those rugged knots.
This Nation is subject to a neighbour-King residing upon the bank of a great Lake called Ushery, invironed of all sides with Mountains, and Wisacky Marish; and therefore I will detain the Reader no longer with the discourse of them, because I comprehend them in that of Ushery.
The six and, twentieth of June, having crossed a fresh River which runs into the Lake of Ushery, I came to the Town, which was more populous then any I had seen before in my March. The King dwells some three miles from it, and therefore I had no opportunity of seeing him the two nights which I stayed there. 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 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. The Ushery-women delight much in feather-ornaments, of which they have great variety; but Peacocks in most esteem, because rare in those parts. They are reasonably handsome, and have more of civility in their carriage then I observed in the other Nations with whom I conversed; which is the reason that the men are more effeminate and lazie.
These miserable wretches are strangely infatuated with illusions of the devil: it caused no small horrour in me, to see one of them wrythe his neck all on one side, foam at the mouth, stand bare-foot upon burning coals for near an hour, and then recovering his senses, leap out of the fire without hurt, or signe of any. This I was an eye-witness of.
The water of Ushery-lake seemed to my taste a little brackish; which I rather impute to some Mineral-waters which flow into it, then to any saltness it can take from the Sea, which we may reasonably suppose is a great way from it. Many pleasant Rivulets fall into it, and it is stored with great plenty of excellent fish. I judged it to be about ten leagues broad: for were not the other shore very high, it could not be discerned from Ushery. How far this Lake tends Westerly, or where it ends, I could neither learn or guess.
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 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. I thought it not safe to venture my self amongst the Spaniards, lest taking me for a Spy, they would either make me away, or condemn me to a perpetual Slavery in their Mines. Therefore not thinking fit to proceed further, the eight and twentieth of June I faced about, and looked homewards.
To avoid Wisacky-Marish, I shaped my course Northeast; and after three days travel over hilly ways, where I met with no path or road, I fell into a barren Sandy desert, where I suffered miserably for want of water; the heat of the Summer having drunk all the Springs dry, and left no signe of any, but the Gravelly chanels in which they run: so that if now and then I had not found a standing Pool, which provident Nature set round with shady Oaks, to defend it from the ardour of the Sun, my Indian companion, horse and self had certainly perished with thirst. In this distress we travelled till the twelfth of July, and then found the head of a River, which afterwards proved Eruco; in which we received not onely the comfort of a necessary and seasonable refreshment, but likewise the hopes of coming into a Country again where we might finde Game for food at least, if not discover some new Nation or People. Nor did our hopes fail us: for after we had crossed the River twice, we were led by it upon the fourteenth of July to the Town of Katearas, a place of great Indian Trade and Commerce, and chief Seat of the haughty Emperour of the Toskiroro’s, called Kaskusara, vulgarly Kaskous. His grim Majestie, upon my first appearance, demanded my Gun and Shot; which I willingly parted with, to ransom my self out of his clutches: for he was the most proud imperious Barbarian that I met with in all my Marches. The people here at this time seemed prepared for some extraordinary 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. But I durst not stay to inform my self further in it, being jealous of some sudden mischief towards me from Kaskous, his nature being bloudy, and provoked upon any slight occasion.
Therefore leaving Katearas, I travelled through the Woods until the sixteenth, upon which I came to Kawitziokan, an Indian town upon a branch of Rorenoke-river, which here I passed over, continuing my journey to Menchœrinck; and on the seventeenth departing from thence, I lay all night in the Woods, and the next morning betimes going by Natoway, I reached that evening Apamatuck in Virginia, where I was not a little overjoyed to see Christian faces again.