No.^°??^" ^^^' THE WAHNENAUHI MANUSCRIPT — KILPATRICK 201 



One instance only of Billy failing the confidence reposed in him is 

 known. 



Mr. Lowrey had a large piece of ground cleared, broken up and 

 planted with watermelons, [^^] he had it fenced with picketts, a strong 

 gate made, fastened with a lock with two keys, one of which he gave 

 to Billy, reserving the other himseK. 



When the melons began to ripen, one morning, Mr. Lowrey went in 

 to get a melon that he had selected the evening before; to his great 

 surprise it was gone, however he said nothing about it: but when the 

 same thing happened again, and yet another time he decided that it 

 was time for him to investigate. Accordingly, when evening came, he 

 concealed himself just outside the gate and waited. 



Pretty soon Billy came to the gate and opening it walked in, carefully 

 closing and locking it. he soon came out with a large melon under 

 his arm. 



His master, leaving his place of concealment, met him, saying, 

 "Ah! Billy, I find it no harm watch honest man!" To cover his 

 confusion, Billy handed the melon to his master trying to pretend 

 that he had gathered it for him: it was haughtily refused, with the 

 words, ''no, I got key, I able get my own melon." nothing more was 

 said of the affair, and no more melons mysteriously disapp eared. [^^] 



Mr. and Mrs. Lov/rey were the parents of sLx children, three sons 

 and three daughters, ["] all of whom grew up, and worthily filled 

 respectable places in the Nation, Mr. Lowrey was very anxious that 

 their children should be educated in the English Language, for this 

 purpose a white man was employed to teach them. 



That the children might make more rapid progTess, the teacher 

 was required to live with the family while teaching, a small cabin 

 was builded in a pleasant locality near the dwelling house, and fitted 

 up for a school house. Mr. Lowrey paid the teacher a hberal salary, 

 expecting in return the best work. He invited some of his neighbors 

 to send their children to his school, which privilege they gladly 

 accepted. After trying three or four men, at different times, and not 

 being pleased with their manner of educating, he gave up this plan, 

 and sent the older children to a distinguished school near Nashville, 

 Tenn.n 



About the year 1803, Mr. and Mrs. Gambold, Moravian Mission- 

 aries, came to the Cherokees, who received them joyfully. 



"> Even among themselves the Cherokees' predilection for watermelons is proverbial. 



6» This vignette is one of the few authentic glimpses available to us of the relationship of the Cherokee 

 planter class to its slaves. 



«' Starr (1921, p. 367) states that there were seven children: James, Susan, George, Lydla, Eachel, John, 

 and Anderson Pierce. It would appear that John never married; perhaps he died In childhood. 



" We cannot Identify this school. 



