82 
THE HISTORY OF 
it and fetch him down. It was found all alone, though buffaloes seldom are. 
They usually range about in herds, like other cattle, and, though they differ 
something in figure, are certainly of the same species. There are two rea- 
sons for this opinion : the flesh of both has exactly the same taste, and the 
mixed breed betwixt both, they say, will generate. All the difference I could 
perceive between the flesh of buffalo and common beef was, that the flesh of 
the first was much yellower than that of the other, and the lean something 
tougher. The men were so delighted with this new diet, that the gridiron 
and frying-pan had no more re^t all night, than a poor husband subject to 
nurtain lectures. Buffaloes may be easily tamed when they are taken young. 
'The best way to catch them is to carry a milch mare into the woods, and 
when you find a cow and calf, to kill the cow, and then having caught the 
■calf, to suckle it upon the mare. After once or twice sucking her, it will fol- 
low her home, and become as gentle as another calf. If we could get into a 
breed of them, they might be made very useful, not only for the dairy, by 
giving an ocean of milk, but also for drawing vast and cumbersome weights 
by their prodigious strength. These, with the other advantages I mentioned 
before, would make this sort of cattle more profitable to the owner, than any 
other we are acquainted with, though they would need a world of provender. 
12th. Before we marched this morning, every man took care to pack up 
some buffalo steaks in his wallet, besides what he crammed into his belly. 
When provisions were plenty, we always found it difficult to get out early, 
being too much embarrassed with a long-winded breakfast. However, by 
the strength of our beef, we made a shift to walk about twelve miles, cross- 
ing Blue-wing and Tewaw-homini creeks. And because this last stream re- 
ceived its appellation from the disaster of a Tuscarora Indian, it will not be 
straggling much out of the way to say something of that particular nation. 
These Indians were heretofore very numerous and powerful, making, 
within time of memory, at least a thousand fighting men. Their habitation, 
before the war with Carolina, was on the north branch of Neuse river, com- 
monly called Connecta creek, in a pleasant and fruitful country. But now the 
few that are left of that nation live on the north side of Moratuck, which is all 
that part of Roanoke below the great falls, towards Albemarle sound. Formerly 
there were seven towns of these savages, lying not far from each other, but 
now their number is greatly reduced. The trade they have had the misfor- 
tune to drive with the English has furnished them constantly with rum, 
which they have used so immoderately, that, what with the distempers, and 
what with the quarrels it begat amongst them, it has proved a double de- 
struction. But the greatest consumption of these savages happened by the 
war about twenty-five years ago, on account of some injustice the inhabitants 
of that province had done them about their lands. It was on that provocation 
they resented their wrongs a little too severely upon Mr. Lawson, who, under 
colour of being surveyor general, had encroached too much upon their territo- 
ries, at which they were so enraged, that they waylaid him, and cut his throat 
from ear to ear, but at the same time released the baron de Graffenried, whom 
they had seized for company, because it appeared plainly he had done them 
no wrong. This blow was followed by some other bloody actions on the part 
of the Indians, which brought on the war, wherein many of them were cut 
off, and many were obliged to flee for refuge to the Senecas, so that now 
there remain so few, that they are in danger of being quite exterminated by 
the Catawbas, their mortal enemies. These Indians have a very odd tradition 
amongst them, that many years ago, their nation was grown so dishonest, 
that no man could keep any of his goods, or so much as his loving wife to 
himself. That, however, their God, being unwilling to root them out for their 
crimes, did them the honour to send a messenger from heaven to instruct 
