VOl 'lfi5 XI1 ] Wright, Early Records of the Wild Turkey. 209 



the Indians from South to North Carolina" he several times notes 

 the turkey. Near Charlestown, 1 "when we approached nearer the 

 place, we found it to be some Sewee Indians firing the cane swamps 

 which drives out the game, then taking their particular stands, 



kill great quantities of both bear, deer, turkies " Near Santee 



River, " The Indians killed fifteen turkeys, this day, there coming 

 out of the swamp, about sun rising, flocks of these fowl, contain- 

 ing several hundred in a gang, who feed upon the acorns, it being 

 most oak that grow in these woods. Early the next morning .... 

 our guide killed more turkeys. Some of the turkeys which we eat 

 whilst we staied there, I believe weighed no less than forty pounds. 



At night we killed a possum, being cloy'd with turkey " 



Later, "our fat turkeys began to be loathsome to us." "At night 

 we lay by a swift current (Sapona), where we saw plenty of turkeys, 

 but perched upon such lofty oaks that our guns would not kill 

 them, though we shot very often, and our guns were very good. 

 Some of our company shot several times at one turkey before he 

 would fly away, the pieces being loaded with large goose shot." 

 Concerning these oaks he speaks at greater length under his ac- 

 count of the wild pigeons. The note follows : " pigeons come down 

 in quest of a small sort of acorns, which in those parts are plenti- 

 fully found. They are the same we call turkey acorns, because 

 the wild turkies feed very much thereon; and for the same reason 

 those trees that bear them are called turkey oaks." 2 



In "A Letter from South Carolina, etc. Written by a Swiss 

 Gentleman to his Friend at Bern. 2nd edit. London, 1732" we find 

 (p. 13) that "There are tame Fowls of all sorts, and great Variety 



of wild Fowl, as Turkeys, " "An Extract of the Journal of 



Mr. Commissary Von Reck Who conducted the First Transport of 

 Saltzburgers to Georgia: London 1734" says 3 "Night overtaking 

 us, we were obliged to take up our Quarters upon a little Hill, and a 

 Fire with the Indians, who brought us a wild Turkey for our sup- 

 per." About Ebenezer, Savannah River, it holds that 3 "As to 



1 Lawson, John. The History of Carolina, London, 1714. Reprint Raleigh, 

 N. C, 1860, pp. 25, 50, 51, 79, 92, 231-233. 



2 In 1737, John Brickell in his " The Natural History of North Carolina " 



(Dublin, 1737, pp. 181-183) practically repeats the substance of Lawson'a 

 accounts. 



» Force, P. Vol. IV, pp. 12, 13, 36. 



