1 5 8 The Dijlrejfes and Adventures 

 great Droves of wild Cattle, which the 

 diansj who inhabit hereabout, kill only for 

 their Hides and Tallow, leaving the Car- 

 caffes on the Ground, which are loon de- 

 voured by a Sort of Carrion- Crows, as big 

 as our Geefe. There is a Law here, which 

 makes it Death, for any Indian, or other 

 Perfon, to deftroy one of thefe Crows ; for 

 which no Reafon can be given, unlefs they 

 are reckoned a Means of keeping off pefti- 

 lential Diftempers, by devouring up the Car- 

 caffes, which otherwife might lie, and putri- 

 fy, and fo infect the Air. 



As we went on, we gatherM a Fruit 

 fomething like a Plumb, but very yellow, 

 which grew on Stalks about two Foot high. 

 Having obferved the wild Hogs to be very 

 fond of this Fruit, we made no Scruple to 

 eat freely of it, and found it to have a 

 pleafant lufcious Tafte ; but fuch was the 

 Effeft it had on us, that our Mouths and 

 Throats were thereby fo fwelled and in- 

 flamed, that we could neither eat nor drink 

 for two Days after. At Sun-fet we met with 

 fome Indians y who were killing Cattle, of 

 whom we might have had .Beef enough, 



could 



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