NooNEY] STORY-TELLERS 237 



buried like a true Cherokee on the slope of a forest-chid iiiouiitaiii. 

 Peace to his ashes and sorrow for his going, for with him perished half 

 the tradition of a people. 



Next in order eomes the name of Itagu'niihi, better known as .John 

 Ax, born about 1800 and now consequently just touching the century 

 mark, being th(> oldest man of the band. He has a distinct recollec- 

 tion of the Creek war, at which time he was about twelve years of age, 

 and was already married and a father when the lands east of Nantahala 

 were sold by the treaty of 1S19. Although not a professional priest 

 or doctor, he was recognized, before age had dulled his faculties, as 

 an authority upon all relating to tribal custom, and was an expert in 

 the making of rattles, wands, and other ceremonial parajihernalia. Of 

 a poetic and imaginative temperament, he cared most for the wonder 

 stories, of the giant Tsulkalu', of the great Uktena or of the invisible 

 spirit people. l)ut he had also a keen appreciation of the humorous 

 animal stories. He speaks no English, and with his erect spare tigure 

 and piercing eye is a tine specimen of the old-time Indian. Notwith- 

 standing his great age he walked without other assistance than his 

 stick to the last ball game, where he watched ever)- run with the closest 

 interest, and would have attended the dance the night before but for 

 the interposition of friends. 



Suyeta, "The Chosen One," who preaches regularly as a Baptist 

 minister to an Indian congregation, does not deal much with the Indian 

 supernatural, perhaps through deference to his clerical obligations, 

 but has a good memory and liking for rabbit stories and others of the 

 same class. He served in the Confederate army during the war as 

 fourth sergeant in Companj' A, of the Sixty-ninth North Carolina, 

 and is now a well-preserved man of about sixty-two. He speaks no 

 English, but by an ingenious .system of his own has learned to use a 

 concordance for verifying references in his Cherokee bible. He is 

 also a first-class carpenter and ma.son. 



Another principal informant was Ta'gwadihi', "Catawba-kilhM," of 

 Cheowa, who died a few years ago, aged about seventy. He was a 

 doctor and made no claim to special knowledge of myths or ceremonials, 

 but was able to furnish .several valuable stories, Ijesides confirmatory 

 evidence for a large number obtained from othei- .sourct^s. 



Besides these may be named, among the East Cherokee, the late 

 Chief N. J. Smith; Sala'li, mentioned elsewhere, who died about 18!>5; 

 Tse.sa'ni or Jes.san, who. also .served in the war; Ayii'sta, one of the 

 principal conservatives among the women; and James and David 

 Blythe, j'ounger men of mixed blood, with an English education, but 

 inheritors of a large share of Indian lore from their father, who was 

 a I'ecognized leader of ceremony. 



Among infoi'mants in the western Cherokee Nation the i)rincipal was 

 James D. Watford, kiu)wn to the Indians as TsuskwilmuTnawa'ta, 



