404 MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEE [eth.ann.I'J 



Some of our peopli>, who went only with the A'iew of staying a short 

 time, but by some allurement or other exceeded the time appointed, 

 at their retui'n reported, either through merriment or superstition, 

 that the spring had such a natural bewitching quality that whosoever 

 drank of it could not possibly quit the nation during the tedious space 

 of seven j-ears. All the debauchees readily fell in with this super- 

 stitious notion as an excuse for their bad method of living, when they 

 had no proper call to stay in that country; and in process of time it 

 became as received a truth as any ever believed to have been spoken 

 by the Delphic oracle. One cursed, because its enchantment had 

 marred his good fortune; another condemned his weakness for drink- 

 ing down witchcraft, against his own secret suspicions; one swore he 

 would never taste another such dangerous poison, even though he 

 should be forced to go down to the Missisippi for water; and another 

 comforted himself that so many years out of the seven were already 

 passed, and wished that if ever he tasted it again, though under the 

 greatest necessity, he might be confined to the Stj'gian waters. Those 

 who had their minds more enlarged diverted themselves much at their 

 cost, for it was a noted favorite place, on account of the name it went 

 by; and, being a well situated and good spring, there all travelers com- 

 monly drank a bottle of choice. But now most of the pack-horse men, 

 though the}' be dry, and also matchless sons of Bacchus, on the most 

 pressing invitations to drink there, would swear to forfeit sacred 

 liquor the better part of their lives rather than baselj' renew or con- 

 firm the loss of their liberty, which that execrable fountain occa- 

 sions." — Adair, American Indians, p. 231, 1775. 



122. LOCAL LEGENDS OF NORTH CAROLINA 



Owing chiefly to the fact that the Cherokee still occupy western 

 North Carolina, the existing local legends for that section are more 

 numerous than for all the rest of their ancient territory. For the 

 more important legends see the stories: Agan-unitsi's Search for 

 the Uktena. Atagii'hi, Hemp-carrier, Herbert's Spring, Kiina'sta, The 

 Great Lcecli of Tlanusi'yi, Tlie Great Yellow-jacket, The Nunne'hi, 

 The Raid on Tikwali'tsi, The Removed Townhouses, The Spirit 

 Defenders of Nikwasi', The Uw'tsufi'ta, Tsui kalCi', Tsuwe'nahi, 

 The U'tlun'ta. 



Akwe:Vi'yi: A spot on Tuckasegee river, in Jackson county, between 

 Dick's creek and the upper end of Cowec tunnel. According to tra- 

 dition there was a dangerous water monster in the river there. The 

 meaning of the name is lost. 



Atsi'la-wa'i: "Fire's relative," a peak, sometimes spoken of as 

 Rattlesnake knob, east of Oconaluftee river and about -2 miles north- 

 east of Cherokee or Yellow Hill, in Swain county. So called from 

 a tradition that a l)all()f fire was once seen to flv tiirough the air from 



