OF NORTH CAROLINA. 355 



call them, which, I suppose, were ship surgeons. 

 In the beginning of this distemper, the patient 

 was very well to pass, and was possessed of sever- 

 al slaves, which the doctors purged all away, and 

 the poor man was so far from mending that he 

 grew worse and worse every day. But it happen- 

 ed that one day as his wife and he were commise- 

 rating his miserable condition, and that he could 

 not expect to recover, but looked for death very 

 speedily, and condoling the misery he should leave 

 his wife and family in, since all his negroes were 

 gone. At that time, I say, it happened that an 

 Indian was in the same room, who had frequented 

 the house for many years, and so was become as 

 one of the family, and would sometimes be at this 

 planter's house and at other times amongst the In- 

 dians. 



This savage, hearing what they talked of, and 

 having a great love for the sick man, made this 

 reply to what he had heard : Brother, you have 

 been a long time sick, and I know you have giv- 

 en away your slaves to your English doctors. 

 "Wliat made you do so, and now become poor ? 

 They do not know how to cure you ; for it is an 

 Indian distemper, which your people know not 

 the nature of. If it had been an English disease, 

 probably they counld have cured you ; and had 

 you come to me at first I would have cured you 

 for a small matter, without taking away your ser- 

 vants that made corn for you and your family to 

 eat ; and yet, if you will give me a blanket to keep 



