TRAVELS IN 
than he, andferved and waited upon him with figns 
of the moft abject fear. The manners and cuftoms 
of the Alachuas, and mod of the lower Creeks or 
Shninoles, appear evidently tinctured with Spanifh 
civilization. Their religious and civil ufages mani- 
fest a predilection for the Spanifh cuftoms. There 
are feveral Chriftians among them, many of whom 
wear little filver crucifixes, affixed to a wampum 
collar round their necks, or fufpended by a fmall 
chain upon their breaft. Thefe are faid to be bap- 
tized ; and notwithstanding moft of them fpeak and 
underftand Spanifh, yet they have been the moft 
bitter and formidable Indian enemies the Spaniards 
ever had. The ilaves, both male and female, are 
permitted to marry amongft them : their children 
are free and considered in every refpect equal to 
themfelves ; but the parents continue in a ft ate of 
ilavery as long as they live. 
In obferving thefe Haves, we behold at once, in 
their countenance and manners, the ftriking contraft 
betwixt a ftate of freedom and Ilavery. They are 
the tameft, the moft abject creatures that we can 
poflibly imagine : mild, peaceable, and tractable, 
they feem to have no will or power to act but as di- 
rected by their mafters ; whilft the free Indians, On 
the contrary, are bold, active, and clamorous. They 
differ as widely from each other as the bull from the 
ox. 
The repaft is now brought in, confifting of veni- 
fon, ftewed with bear's oil, frefh corn cakes, milk, 
andhomony; and our drink, honey and water, very 
cool and agreeable. After partaldng of this ban- 
quet, we took leave and departed for the great fa- 
vanna. 
We ' 
