• OF NOHTJI CAROLINA. 333 



natives in America, that were possessed with any 

 manner of writing, or learning thronghout all the 

 discoveries of the new world. They will draw 

 maps very exactly of all the rivers, towns, moun- 

 tains and roads, or what you shall enquire of them, 

 which you may draw by their directions, and come 

 to a small matter of latitude, reckoned by their 

 day's journeys. These maps they will draw in the 

 ashes of the fire, and sometimes upon a mat or 

 piece of bark. I have put a pen and ink into a 

 savage's hand, and he has drawn me the rivers, 

 bays, and other parts of a country, which after- 

 wards I have found to agree with a great deal of 

 nicety. But you must be very much in their fa- 

 vor, otherwise tliey will never make these discov- 

 eries to you, especially if it be in their own quar- 

 ters. And as for mines of silver and other metals, 

 we are satisfied we have enough, and those very 

 rich, in Carolina and its adjacent parts. Some of 

 which the Indians are acquainted withal, although 

 no enquirers thereafter, but what came and were 

 discovered by chance ; yet they say it is this 

 metal that the English covet, as they do their peak 

 and ronoak, and that we have gained ground of 

 them wherever we have come. 'Now, say they, if 

 we should discover these minerals to the English, 

 they would settle at or near these mountains, and 

 bereave us of the Ijcst hunting quarters we have, 

 as they have already done Avherever they have in- 

 habited ; so by that means we shall be driven to 

 some unknown country, to live, hunt, and get our 



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