lawson's history 45 



Within lialf a mile of the house we passed over 

 a prodigious wide and deep swamp, being forced 

 to strip stark naked, and much a do to save our- 

 selves from drowning in this fatigue. We with 

 much a do got through, going that day about five 

 miles farther, and came to three more Indian cab- 

 ins, called in the Indian tongue, Hickerau, by the 

 English traders, the black hou^e, being pleasantly 

 seated on a high bank, by a branch of Santee riv- 

 er. One of our company that had traded amongst 

 these Indians told us that one of the cabins was 

 his father-in-law's ; he called him so by reason the 

 old man had given him a young Indian girl, that 

 was his daughter, to lie with him, make bread, 

 and to be necessary in what she was capable to as- 

 sist him in, during his abode amongst them. 



When we came thither first there was no body 

 at home, so the son made bold to search his fa- 

 ther's granary for corn and other provisions. He 

 brought us some Indian maiz and peas, which are 

 of reddish color, and eat well, yet color the liquor 

 they are boiled in as if it were a lixivium of red 

 tarter. After we had been about an hour in the 

 house where was millions of fleas, the indian cab- 

 ins being often fuller of such vermin, than any 

 dog kennel, the old man came in to us, and 

 scem3d very glad to see his son-in-law. 



This Indian is a great conjuror, as appears by 

 the sequel. The Seretoe or Santee Indians were 

 gone to war against the Hooks and Backbooks 

 nations, living near the mouth of Winyan river- 



