porter's journal. 



equal to musketr}'. Wherever they strike, they 

 produce effect ; and the numerous scars, broken Hmbs, 

 •ajid fractured skulls of the natives, prove that, notwith- 

 standing their great dexterity in avoiding those missiles, 

 they are used w^ith much effect. It is no uncommon thing 

 to see a warrior bearing about him the wounds of many 

 spears, some of which have transfixed his body ; some 

 bear several wounds occasioned by stones ; and I have 

 seen several with their skulls so indented, as that the 

 whole hand might have been laid in the cavity. Yet 

 the wounds were perfectly healed, and appeared to give 

 no pain. I shall probably have occasion to speak here- 

 after of their art in healing wounds ; but I must now, while 

 xsn the subject of fractured skulls, mention a practice 

 which is pursued by them, and may be common elsewherej 

 although I never heard of it. Whenever the skull is 

 cracked, the bone is laid bare, and the fracture traced to 

 its end, where a small hole is drilled through the skull to 

 prevent the crack from going any farther. This practice 

 is pursued wherever the fracture branches off in rays. If 

 there are any loose pieces of bones, they are carefully 

 laid in their places, the wound is bound up with certain 

 herbs, the virtue of which is known to them, and nature, 

 a temperate mode of living, and a good constitution, do the 

 rest. They have their professed surgeons and physicians 

 among them ^ but they have much more confidence in 

 <our skill than in their own. 



On the 28th of October, Gattanewa, with several of the 

 warriors, came to inform me that the gun was at the foot 

 of the mountain, where 1 had directed it to be carried, and 

 that it would have reached the summit by the time our 

 people could get up there. When 1 viewed the mountains, 

 and imagined the difficulties they would have to surmount, 

 I could scarcely credit the account they gave me ; and yet 

 I could not conceive any motive they could have for decep- 

 tion. I informed them that, on the next morning at day- 

 light, forty men, with their muskets, would be on shore^ 

 and in readiness to march. As 1 supposed it would be 

 impossible for our people to scale the mountains, when in- 

 cumbered with their arms, I desired them to send me forty 

 Indians for the purpose of carrying their muskets, and an 

 equal number to carry provisions as well as ammunition 



