346 The Natural History 



tliat they liave wet their Spunh, or Touch-wood, which is a 

 sort of soft Corkey substance, generally of a Cinamon colour, 

 and grows in the Concave or hollow part of an Oah, Hickory, 

 and several other sorts of Wood, which they dig out with an 

 Ax as they have occasion. It is in great plenty in Carolina, 

 and is always kept by the Europeans and Indians instead of 

 Touch-wood and Tender, both which it exceeds. 



It is very surprizing to find so many different Langaiages 

 amongst them as there are, there being few ISTations that un- 

 derstand each other. But I believe the principal reason of 

 this great difference and confusion of Langaiages as are to be 

 met with amongst them, is owing to these People seldom or 

 never conversing with any Nation but their own. And I 

 have often observed several of the Indians with whom I have 

 been acquainted and freely conversed with at Bath and Eden- 

 town, that when I chanc'd to meet them in the Woods, they 

 wou'd not speak one Word of English (which they could do 

 tolerably well) but would either answer me in their oa^ti 

 Language or by signs; the reason whereof I coud never un- 

 derstand, though I made all the strict enquiry I could. 

 These differences in their Languages cause Jealousies and 

 fears amongst them, which often occasion Wars, wherein 

 they destroy each other ; otherwise the Christians had not in 

 all probability settled themselves so easily as they have done, 

 had these tribes of Savages united themselves into one Peo- 

 ple, or general interest, or were they so but every hundred 

 ^liles together. In short, they are a strange sort of People 

 under their present Circumstances, and have such odd and 

 uncouth ways in their management and course of living, that 

 it seems a miracle to us how they bring about their designs 

 as they do, when their ways are commonly quite contrary to 

 ours. I am perswaded that were it not for tho continual 



Wars 



