OF NORTH CAROLINA. 345 



and went down to the cabins where I left the In- 

 dians and went to lie in my canoe, which was con- 

 venient enough to keep me dry. The lightning 

 came so terrible and down in long streams, that I 

 was afraid it would have taken hold of a barrel of 

 powder I had in my vessel, and so blown me up ; 

 but it pleased God that it did me no harm ; yet 

 the violence of the wind had blown all the water 

 away, where I rid at anchor, so that my canoe lay 

 dry, and some Indian women came with torches 

 in their hands to the side of the canoe, and told 

 me an Indian was killed with lightning. The 

 next day, I think, he was buried, and I staid to 

 see the ceremony, and was very tractable to help 

 the Indians to trim their reeds and make the cof- 

 fin, which pleased them very much, because I 

 had a mind to see the interment. Before he was 

 interred, according to their custom, they dealt 

 every one some hot victuals, which he took and 

 did what he would with. Then the doctor began 

 to talk, and told the people what lightning was, 

 and that it killed every thing that dwelt upon the 

 earth ; nay, the very fishes did not escape ; for it 

 often reached the porpoises and other fish, and de- 

 stroyed them ; that everything strove to shun it 

 except the mice, who, he said, were the busiest 

 in eating their corn in the fields when it lightened 

 the most. He added, that no wood or tree could 

 withstand it, except the black gum, and that it would 

 run round that tree a great many times to enter 

 therein, but could not effect it. !Now you must 



