180G.] 



Suppofed Wilch Indians. 



nil 



For the Monthly Magazine. 



by the Indians. The Indian art of war 

 prefents nothing of the kind. The proba- 



strrpOSED WELCH INDIANS z«/^f WES- biliiy too is, ihst the perfons who con. 



TERN PARTS o/ NORTH- AME RICA.* ftruifed them were, at that time, acquaint- 



NO circumitance relating to thehiftory ed with tlie u(e of iron : the fituaiion of 



of the Weftern Ccuntry probably thefe fortifications, which are unifoimly 



has excited, at d fterent times, more ge- in the mod fertile land of the country, 



neral attention and anxious curiofity, than indicates that thofe who made them were 



the opinion, that a nation of white men, an agricultural people j and the remark- 



ipeaking the Welch language, refide hiE;h able care and (kill with which they were 



up on the MilTouri. Bv iome the idea'is executed, affords traits of the genius of a 



treated as nothing but the fuggeition of people who relied moie on their military 



bold impoftuie and ealy credulity ; whilft flcili than on their numbers. The growth 



others regard it as a fad fully authenti- of the trees upon them is very compatible 



cated by Indian teftiraony, and the report with the idea that it is not more than 



of various travellers woithy cf credit. three hundred years ago that they were 



The faa is accounted for, they fay, by ahardoned. 



recurring to a paiTage in the hiftorv of Thefe hints howtver are thrown out ra- 



Great Britain, which relates, that fevenl ther to excite ii qui.y, than by w.y of ad- 



ytais before the difcovery of Ameiica by vancing any decided opinion on the fub- 



Chrilfopher Columbus, a certain Welch j:^- Having never met with any of (he 



prince embaiked from his native country perfons «ho had feen thele white Ameri- 



with a large party of emigrants ; that cans, nor even received theit tsllimony 



after fome time a vefTel or two came back >iear the lource, I have always enteitained 



with the account that they had difcoveicd a confiderable doubts about the faft. Laft 



country far 10 the wellward, and that they evening, however, Mr. John Chllds, cf 



let fail again with a frtdi reinforcement, Jellamine county, a gentleman with whom 



and never returned again any more. I have been long acquainted, and who is 



The ccuntry which thele adventurers well known to be a man of veracity, com- 



difcovered, it has been fuppofed, was the niunicated a rela'i.n to me, which at all 



con inent of North-America 5 and it has events appears 10 merit ferious attention, 



b en coi jcftuied that they la-ded on the After he had related it in converi'atjon, 



c( ntinuv, (om. wheie in the Gulf of Mex- I rtquerted him to repeat it, and com.mli- 



ico; and from thenc- proceeded northward, ted it to wiiting. It has certainly fome 



till they got out nf the reach of the hoftile internal marks of authenticity. The 



natives, and feated themfelves in the upper country which is d.fcribcd was altogether 



country of Miffniri. unknown in Virginia when the relation 



Many accounts accordingly have been was givf.n, and probably very little knowa 



publiflicd, within the laft tliirty years, of 

 perfons who, either by accident, or the 

 ardour of curiolity, have made themfelvts 

 acquainted with a n:^tion ot men on the 



to the Shawnccs Indians ; yet the account 

 of it agrees very remarkably with later, 

 dif.:overies. On the other hand, (he (to'ry 

 of the large animal, thougii by no means 



MilT.uri, poflcfiing the comilexion of incredible, has iomctliiiig of the air of 



Europeans, and the language of Welch- fable j and it docb not Catislaaerily ap- 



nien. pear how (he long peiiod which the party 



Could the faa be wtll-eftablifhed, it were abfent was ipentj the Indian* 



would afford peihaps the moft fatisfaaory are, however, fo much accuftomed to loi- 



iokuion of'the diffictjliy occaficned by a ter away their ti:!U, that many weeks, 



view of the various ancient fortitications and. even months, may probably have been 



with which the Ohio country abounds, cf fpent in indolent repofe. 



any that has ever been offered. Tho-OB Without detaining you any more with 



fortifications were evidently never made preliminary rtmaiks, I will proceed 10 the 



narration, as I receiveJ it from Mr, 

 Childs. 



• This article is extrafted entire from a Maurice Griffith, a native of Wale», 



new Medical and Phyfical JournjI which was ^,^;^|, country h.- left when he was about 



by a party of Shawnies Indians, about 

 forty years ago, near Vodc" Fort, on the 

 head of Roanoke river in Virginia, and 

 carried to the Shawmes nation. Having 

 (laid there about tw« years and a half, h« 



found 



of tlie pri-lcnt year. Mr. Toulmin's Letter 

 had aWo btsn handed to u« by h\:. father, Dr. 

 Toulnnip, 0.*' Birmingham, for feparatc pub- 

 lication]! but we have thought it better to 

 prefrni oijr readers at the fjme time with the 

 Acply of the American Edilur. 



