'74 THK HIbTOUY OK 



man to take care of her cub, which she feared mij^^lit now fall into a second 

 distress. 



5th. We judged the waters were assuaged this morning to make the river 

 fordable. Therefore about ten we tried the experiment, and every body got 

 over safe, except one man, whose horse slipped from a rock as he forded over, 

 and threw him into the river. But being able to swim, he was not carried 

 down the stream very far before he recovered the north shore. At the dis- 

 tance of about six miles we passed Cascade creek, and three miles farther we 

 came upon the banks of the Dan, which we crossed with much difficulty, by 

 reason the water was risen much higher than when we forded it before. 

 Here the same unlucky person happened to be ducked a second tim.e, and 

 was a second time saved by swimming. My own horse too plunged in such 

 a manner that his head was more than once under water, but with much 

 ado recovered his feet, though he made so low an obeisance, that the water 

 ran fairly over my saddle. 



We continued our march as far as Lowland creek, where we took up our 

 lodging, for the benefit of the canes and winter grass that grew upon the rich 

 grounds thereabouts. On our way thither we had the misfortune to drop 

 another horse, though he carried nothing the whole day but his saddle. We 

 showed the same favour to most of our horses, for fear, if we did not do it, 

 we should in a little time be turned into beasts of burthen ourselves. Custom 

 had now made travelling on foot so familiar, that we were able to walk ten 

 miles with pleasure. This we could do in our boots, notwithstanding our 

 way lay over rough w-oods and uneven grounds. Our learning to walk in 

 heavy boots was the same advantage to us that learning to dance high 

 dances in wooden shoes is to the French, it made us most exceedingly nimble 

 without them. The Indians, who have no way of travelling but on the hoof, 

 make nothing of going twenty-five miles a day, and carrying their little ne- 

 cessaries at their backs, and sometimes a stout pack of skins into the bargain. 

 And very often they laugh at the English, who cannot stir to a next neigh- 

 bour without a borse, and say that two legs are too much for such lazy 

 people, who cannot visit their next neighbour without six. For their parts, 

 they were utter strangers to all our beasts of burthen or carriage, before the 

 slothful Europeans came amongst them. They had on no part of the 

 American continent, or in any of the islands, either horses or asses, camels, 

 dromedaries or elephants, to ease the legs of the original inhabitants, oV to 

 lighten their labour. Indeed, in South America, and particularly in Chili, they 

 have a useful animal called " paco." This creature resembles a sheep pretty 

 much ; only in the length of the neck, and figure of the head, it is more like a 

 camel. It is very near as high as the ass, and the Indians there make use 

 of it for carrying moderate burthens. The fleece that grows upon it is very 

 valuable for the fineness, length and glossiness of the wool. It has one re- 

 markable singularity, that the hoofs of its fore-feet have three clefts, and those 

 behind no more than one. The flesh of this animal is something drier than 

 our mutton, but altogether as well tasted. When it is angry, it has no way 

 of resenting its wrongs, but by spitting in the face of those that provoke it : 

 and if the spawl happen to light on the bare skin of any person, it first creates 

 an itching, and afterwards a scab, if no remedy be applied. The way to 

 manage these pacos, and make them tractable, is, to bore a hole in their ears, 

 through which they put a rope, and then guide them just as they please. 

 In Chili, they wear a beautiful kind of stuff, with thread made of this crea- 

 ture's wool, which has a gloss superior to any camlet, and is sold very dear 

 in that country. 



6th. The difficulty of finding the horses among the tall canes made it late 

 before we decamped. We traversed very hilly grounds, but to make amends 



