Having obtained from the people here directions for discovering the little remote island where the traders and their goods were secreted, which was about seven miles higher up, I sat sail again, with a fair wind, and in about one hour and an half arrived at the desired place, having fortunately taken the right channel of the river, amongst a multitude of others, occasioned by a number of low swampy islands. But I should have run by the landing, if the centinels had not by chance seen me drawing near them; and who perceiving that I was a white man, ventured to hail me; upon which I immediately struck sail, and came to. Upon my landing they conducted me to their encampment, forty or fifty yards from the river, in an almost impenetrable thicket. Upon my enquiry, they confirmed the accounts of the amicable treaty at St. Augustine, and in consequence thereof, they had already removed great part of the goods, to the trading-house, which was a few miles higher up, on the Indian shore. They showed me my chest, which had been carefully preserved, and upon inspection I found every thing in good order. Having learned from them, that all the effects would, in a few days time, be removed to the store-house, I bid adieu to them, and in a little time arrived at the trading-house, where I was received with great politeness, and treated, during a residence of several months, with the utmost civility and friendship, by Mr. C. M’Latche, Messrs. Spalding and Kelsall’s agent.
The river almost from Charlotia, and for near twelve miles higher up, is divided into many channels by a great number of islands.
[16] I have made use of the terms alligator and crocodile indiscriminately for this animal, alligator being the country name.
CHAPTER IV.
Having rested myself a few days, and by ranging about the neighbouring plains and groves, surrounding this pleasant place, pretty well recovered my strength and spirits, I began to think of planning my future excursions, at a distance round about this centre. I found, from frequent conferrences with Mr. M’Latche, that I might with safety extend my journeys every way, and with prudence, even into the towns and settlement of the Indians, as they were perfectly reconciled to us, and sincerely wished for the renewal of our trade.
There were three trading-houses to be established this summer, each of which had its supplies from the store on St. Juan, where I now had my residence, and in which the produce or returns were to centre annually, in order to be shipped for Savanna or Sunbury, and from thence to Europe.
One of these trading-houses was to be fixed about sixty miles higher up the river, from this place, by the name of Spalding’s upper store; a second at Alachua, about fifty miles west from the river St. Juan; and a third at Talahasochte, a considerable town of the Siminoles, on the river Little St. Juan, near the bay of Apalachi, about one hundred and twenty miles distance. Each of these places I designed to visit, before the return of the vessel to Frederica in the autumn, that I might avail myself of an opportunity so favourable for transporting my collections so far on their way towards Charleston.
The company for Alachua were to set off in about a month; that to Little St. Juan, in July, which suited me exceedingly well, as I might make my tour to the upper store directly, that part of the country being at this season, enrobed in her richest and gayest apparel.
About the middle of May, every thing being in readiness to proceed up the river, we sat sail. The traders with their goods in a large boat went ahead, and myself in my little vessel followed them; and as their boat was large, and deeply laden, I found that I could easily keep up with them, and if I chose, out-sail them; but I preferred keeping them company, as well for the sake of collecting what I could from conversation, as on account of my safety in crossing the great lake, expecting to return alone, and descend the river at my own leisure.
We had a pleasant day, the wind fair and moderate, and ran by Mount Hope, so named by my father John Bartram, when he ascended this river, about fifteen years ago. It is a very high shelly bluff, upon the little lake. It was at that time a fine Orange grove, but now cleared and converted into a large indigo plantation, the property of an English gentleman, under the care of an agent. In the evening we arrived at Mount Royal, where we came to, and stayed all night: we were treated with great civility, by a gentleman whose name was —— Kean, and had been an Indian trader.