32 ^ THE HISTORY OF 



it and fetch him down. It was found all alone, though buffaloes seldom are. 

 They usually range about in herds, like other cattle, and, though they differ 

 something in figure, are certainly of the same species. There are two rea- 

 sons for this opinion : the flesh of both has exactly the same taste, and the 

 mixed breed betwixt both, they say, will generate. All the difference I could 

 perceive between the flesh of buffalo and common beef was, that the flesh of 

 the first was much yellower than that of the other, and the lean something 

 tougher. The men were so delighted with this new diet, that the gridiron 

 and frying-pan had no more rest all night, than a poor husband subject to 

 curtain lectures. Buffaloes may be easily tamed when they are taken young. 

 The best way to catch them is to carry a milch mare into the woods, and 

 when you find a cow and calf, to kill the cow, and then having caught the 

 calf, to suckle it upon the mare. After once or twice sucking her, it will fol- 

 low her home, and become as gentle as another calf If we could get into a 

 breed of them, they might be made very useful, not only for the dairy, by 

 giving an ocean of milk, but also for drawing vast and cumbersome weights 

 by their prodigious strength. These, with the other advantages I mentioned 

 before, would make this sort of cattle more profitable to the owner, than any 

 other we are acquainted with, though they would need a world of provender. 



12th. Before we marched this morning, every man took care to pack up 

 some buffalo steaks in his wallet, besides what he crammed into his belly. 

 When provisions were plenty, we always found it difficult to get out early, 

 being too much embarrassed with a long-winded breakfast. However, by 

 the strength of our beef, we made a shift to walk about twelve miles, cross- 

 ing Blue-wing and Tewaw-homini creeks. And because this last stream re- 

 ceived its appellation from the disaster of a Tuscarora Indian, it will not be 

 straggling much out of the way to say something of that particular nation. 



These Indians were heretofore very numerous and powerful, making, 

 within time of memory, at least a thousand fighting men. Their habitation, 

 before the war with Carolina, was on the north branch of Neuse river, com- 

 monly called Connecta creek, in a pleasant and fruitful country. But now the 

 few that are left of that nation live on the north side of Moratuck, which is all 

 that part of Roanoke below the great falls, towards Albemarle sound. Formerly 

 there were seven towns of these savages, lying not far from each other, but 

 now their number is greatly reduced. The trade they have had the misfor- 

 tune to drive with the English has furnished them constantly with rum, 

 which they have used so immoderately, that, what with the distempers, and 

 what with the quarrels it begat amongst them, it has proved a double de- 

 struction. But the greatest consumption of these savages happened by the 

 war about twenty-five years ago, on account of some injustice the inhabitants 

 of that province had done them about their lands. It was on that provocation 

 they resented their wrongs a little too severely upon Mr. Lawson, who, under 

 colour of being surveyor general, had encroached too much upon their territo- 

 ries, at which they were so enraged, that they waylaid him, and cut his throat 

 from ear to ear, but at the same time released the baron de Graffenried, whom 

 they had seized for company, because it appeared plainly he had done them 

 no wrong. This blow was followed by some other bloody actions on the part 

 of the Indians, wliich brought on the war, wherein many of them were cut 

 off, and many were obliged to flee for refuge to the Senecas, so that now 

 there remain so few, that they are in danger of being quite exterminated by 

 the Catawbas, their mortal enemies. These Indians have a very odd tradition 

 amongst them, that many years ago, their nation was grown so dishonest, 

 that no man could keep any of his goods, or so much as his loving wife to 

 himself That, however, their God, being unwilling to root them out for their 

 crimes, did them the honour to send ^ messenger from heaven to instruct 



