444 
travels in 
fields, clofe to the river bank* oppofite the town 
of Savannuca. Late in the evening a young white 
man, in great hafte and feeming confufion, joined 
our camp, who immediately related, that being on 
his journey from Penfacola, it happened that the 
very night after we had palled the company of 
emigrants, he met them and joined their camp in 
the evening; when, juft at dark, the Chactaws 
furrounded them, plundered their camp, and car- 
ried all the people off captive, except himfelf, he 
having the good fortune to efcape with his horfe» 
though clofely purfued. 
Next morning very early, though very cold and 
the furface of the earth as hoary as if covered with 
a fall of mow, the trader {landing on the oppofite 
ftore entirely naked, except a breech-cleut, and 
encircled by a company of red men in the like 
habit, hailed us, and prefently, with canoes, 
brought us all over with the merchandize, and con- 
ducted us fafe to the town of Mucclafle, a mile or 
two diftant. 
The next day was a day of reft and audience : 
the following was devoted to feafting, and the 
evening concluded in celebrating the nuptials of 
the young Muftee with a Creek girl of Muc- 
clafie, daughter of the chief and lifter to our 
trader's wife. The trader's houfe and ftores 
formed a complete fquare, after the mode of the 
habitations of the Mufcogulges, that is, four 
oblong buildings of equal dimenfions, two op- 
pofite to each other, encompalTmg an area of 
about a quarter of an acre ; on one fide of this a 
fence enclofed a yard of near an acre of ground, 
at one of the farther corners of which a booth or 
pavilion was formed of green boughs, having 
two Laurel trees planted in front (Magnolia 
grandi- 
