Travels Through North America 



the French, under a pretence that they had pilfered some 

 of his poultry. He had received and entertained them as 

 friends; and when they took leave of him to return to their 

 own country, he placed a party in ambush, murdered 

 several of the poor unsuspecting Cherokees, and then en- 

 deavoured to defraud government, by claiming the pre- 

 mium assigned for the scalps of hostile Indians. A few of 

 those who escaped the massacre arrived at the Cherokee 

 town with the news of this horrid transaction, just at the 

 moment when the embassy was upon the point of conclud- 

 ing a very advantageous treaty: a violent ferment imme- 

 diately took place, and the Cherokees, in the utmost rage, 

 assembled from every quarter, to take instant revenge by 

 putting all the embassadors to death. 



Attakulla Kulla, or the Little Carpenter, a steady friend 

 of the English, hastened to the ambassadors, apprised them 

 of their danger, and recommended to them to conceal or bar- 

 ricade themselves as well as they could, and not to appear 

 abroad on any account. He then assembled his nation, 

 over whom he possessed great influence, in the council- 

 room; inveighed bitterly against the treachery of the Eng- 

 lish; advised an immediate war to revenge the injury; and 

 never to lay down the hatchet, till they had obtained full 

 compensation and atonement for the blood of their country- 

 men. "Let us not, however," said he, "violate our faith, 

 "or the laws of hospitality, by imbruing our hands in the 

 "blood of those who are now in our power; they came to 

 "us in the confidence of friendship, with belts of wampum 

 "to cement a perpetual alliance with us. Let us carry 

 "them back to their own settlements; conduct them safely 

 "within their confines; and then take up the hatchet, and 



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