433 
TRAVELS IN 
CHAP. VIII. 
November 27th, 1777, fat off from Mobile, 
in a large boat with the principal trader of the com- 
pany, and at evening arrived at Taenfa, where 
were the pack-horfemen with the merchandize, and 
next morning as fooa as we had our horfes in readi- 
nefs, I took my lad leave of Major Farmer, and left 
Taenfa. Oar caravan confided of between twenty 
and thirty horfes, fixteen of which were loaded, 
two pack-horfemen, and myfelf, under the direction 
of Mr. Tap — y the chief trader. One of our young 
men was a Mudee Creek, his mother being a Chac- 
taw Have, and his father a half breed, betwixt a 
Creek and a white man. I loaded one horfe with 
my effecls, fome prefents to the Indians, to enable 
me to purchafe a frefn horfe, in cafe of necefiity ; 
for my old trufty Have which had ferved me faith- 
fully almod three years, having carried me on his 
back at lead fix thoufand miles, was by this time 
almod worn out, and I expected every hour he would 
give up, efpecialiy after I found the manner of thefe 
traders' travelling. They feldoni decamp until the 
fen is high and hot : each one having a whip 
made of the toughed cow4kin, they dart all at 
Once, the horfes having ranged themfelves in re- 
gular Indian file, the veteran in the van, and the 
younger in the rear ; then the chief drives with 
the crack of his whip, and a whoop or llrriek, 
which rings through the foreds and plains, fpeaks 
in Indian, commanding them to proceed, which 
is repeated by all the company, when we dart 
at once, keeping up a hriik and coridant trot, 
which 
