114 A JOURNEY TO 



another stream, which we called Hatcher's creek, from two Indian traders of 

 that name, who used formerly to carry goods to the Sanro Indians. Near 

 the banks of this creek I found a large beech tree, with the following inscrip- 

 tion cut upon the bark of it, " J. H., H. H., B. B., lay here the 24th of May, 1673." 

 It was not difficult to fill up these initials with the following names, Joseph 

 Hatcher, Henry Hatcher and Benjamin Bullington, three Indian traders, who 

 had lodged near that place sixty years before, in their way to the Sauro town. 

 But the strangest part of the story was this, that these letters, cut in the bark, 

 should remain perfectly legible so long. Nay, if no accident befalls the tree, 

 which appears to be still in a flourishing condition, I doubt not but this piece 

 of antiquity may be read many years hence. We may also learn from it, 

 that the beech is a very long-lived tree, of which there are many exceedingly 

 large in these woods. The major took in a pretty deal of rich low-ground 

 into his survey, but unhappily left a greater quantity out, which proves the 

 weakness of making entries by guess. We found the Dan fordable here- 

 abouts in most places. One of the Indians shot a wild goose, that was very 

 lousy, which nevertheless was good meat, and proved those contemptible 

 tasters to be no bad tasters. However, for those stomachs that were so un- 

 happy as to be squeamish, there was plenty of fat bear, we having killed two 

 in this day's march. 



4th. I caused the men to use double diligence to assist major Mayo in fix- 

 ing the bounds of his land, because he had taken a great deal of pains about 

 mine. We therefore mounted our horses as soon as we had swallowed our 

 breakfast. Till that is duly performed a woodsman makes a conscience of 

 exposing himself to any fatigue. We proceeded then in his survey, and 

 made an end before night, though most of the company were of opinion 

 the land was hardly worth the trouble. It seemed most of it before below 

 the character the discoverers had given him of it. We fixed his eastern 

 corner on Cocquade creek, and then continued our march, over the hills and 

 far away, along the country line two miles farther. Nor had we stopped 

 there, unless a likelihood of rain had obliged us to encamp on an eminence 

 where we were in no danger of being overflowed. Peter Jones had a smart 

 fit of an ague, which shook him severely, though he bore it like a man ; but 

 the small major had a small fever, and bore it like a child. He groaned as 

 if he had been in labour, and thought verily it would be his fate to die like 

 a mutinous Israelite in the wilderness, and be buried under a heap of stones. 

 The rain was so kind as to give us leisure to secure ourselves against it, 

 but came however time enough to interrupt our cookery, so that we supped 

 as temperately as so many philosophers, and kept ourselves snug within 

 our tents. The worst part of the story was, that the sentinels could hardly 

 keep our fires from being extinguished by the heaviness of the shower. 



5th. Our invalids found themselves in travelling condition this morning, 

 and began to conceive hopes of returning home and dying in their own beds. 

 We pursued our journey through uneven and perplexed woods, and in the 

 thickest of them had the fortune to knock down a young buffalo, two 

 years old. Providence threw this vast animal in our way very seasonably, 

 just as our provisions began to fail us. And it was the more welcome too, 

 because it was change of diet, which of all varieties, next to that of bed- 

 fellows, is the most agreeable. We had lived upon venison and bear until 

 our stomachs loathed them almost as much as the Hebrews of old did their 

 quails. Our butchers were so unhandy at their business that we grew very 

 lank before we could get our dinner. But when it came, we found it equal 

 in goodness to the best beef They made it the longer because they kept 

 sucking the water out of the guts, in imitation of the Catawba Indians, upon 

 the belief that it is a great cordial, and will even make them drunk, or at 



