On the supposed Welch -Indians. 93 



no inconsiderable powers of mind, and whose curio- 

 sity was by no means confined to his own relatives, 

 the Muscohge, or Creek-Indians, informed me, in 

 the year 1790, that he knew nothing of the existence 

 of any white people, in the tract of country beyond 

 the Missisippi. 



The following is an extract of a letter (dated Down- 

 ing, June 14th, 1792) from my learned and excellent 

 friend, the late Mr. Thomas Pennant, of Wales. 



" My countrymen are wild about the Padoucas, or 

 Welch-Indians, descendants of Madog, now seated 

 about the upper parts of the Missouri. I am rather 

 in disgrace ; not having the warmest hopes of their 

 discovery. Pray, what is your opinion, and that of 

 your philosophers ?" 



In answer to the above, I wrote a letter, of which 

 the following is a part. 



" I have heard a great deal about the Welch-In- 

 dians. I very early imbibed your opinion, as deli- 

 vered in your Arctic Zoology*, and mentioned you, 

 on the subject, in a little workf, which I published 

 in England, at the age of *#■##. I do not know 

 whether you have seen that work. I do not mean to 



* See the Introduction to the work. Pages eclxiii, eclxiv. 



t Observations on Some Parts of Natural History : to which 

 is prefixed, an account of several remarkable vestiges, of an an- 

 cient date, which have been discovered in different parts of North- 

 America. Parti. London: 1787. 



