THE DIVIDING LINE. 
85 
cross a run of water, he launches a chip or piece of bark into the water, on 
which he embarks, and, holding up his tail to the wind, sails over very safely. 
If this be 'true, it is probable men learned at first the use of sails from these 
ingenious little animals, as the Hottentots learned the physical use of most of 
their plants from the baboons. 
15th. About three miles from our camp we passed Great creek, and then, 
after traversing very barren grounds for five miles together, we crossed the 
Trading Path, and soon after had the pleasure of reaching the uppermost in- 
habitant. This was a plantation belonging to colonel Mumford, where our 
men almost burst themselves with potatoes and milk. Yet as great a curio- 
sity as a house was to us foresters, still we chose to lie in the tent, as being 
much the cleanlier and sweeter lodging. 
The Trading Path above-mentioned receives its name from being the route 
the traders take with their caravans, when they go to traffic with the Cataw- 
bas and other southern Indians. The Catawbas live about two hundred and 
fifty miles beyond Roanoke river, and yet our traders find their account in 
transporting goods from Virginia to trade with them at their own town. 
The common method of carrying on this Indian commerce is as follows: 
Gentlemen send for goods proper for such a trade from England, and then 
either venture them out at their own risk to the Indian towns, or else credit 
some traders with them of substance and reputation, to be paid in skins at a 
certain price agreed betwixt them. The goods for the Indian trade consist 
chiefly in guns, powder, shot, hatchets, (which the Indians call tomahawks,) 
kettles, red and blue planes, Duffields, Stroud water blankets, and some cutle- 
ry wares, brass rings and other trinkets. These wares are made up into 
packs and carried upon horses, each load being from one hundred and fifty 
to two hundred pounds, with which they are able to travel about twenty 
miles a day, if forage happen to be plentiful. Formerly a hundred horses 
have been employed in one of these Indian caravans, under the conduct of 
fifteen or sixteen persons only, but now the trade is much impaired, inso- 
much that they seldom go with half that number. The course from Roanoke 
to the Catawbas is laid down nearest south-west, and lies through a fine 
country, that is watered by several beautiful rivers. Those of the greatest 
note are, first. Tar river, which is the upper part of Pamptico, Flat river. 
Little river and Eno river, all three branches of Neuse. Between Eno and 
Saxapahaw rivers are the Plaw old fields, which have the reputation of con- 
taining the most fertile high land in this part of the world, lying in a body of 
about fifty thousand acres. This Saxapahaw is the upper part of Cape Fair 
river, the falls of which lie many miles below the Trading Path. Some moun- 
tains overlook this rich spot of land, from whence all the soil washes down 
into the plain, and is the cause of its exceeding fertility. Not far from thence 
the path crosses Aramanchy river, a branch of Saxapahaw, and about forty 
miles beyond that. Deep river, which is the north branch of Peedee. Then 
forty miles beyond that, the path intersects the Yadkin, which is there half a 
mile over, and is supposed to be the south branch of the same Peedee. The 
soil is exceedingly rich on both sides the Yadkin, abounding in rank grass 
and prodigiously large trees; and “for plenty of fish, fowl and venison, is infe- 
rior to no part of the northern continent. There the traders commonly lie 
still for some days, to recruit their horses’ flesh as well as to recover their 
own spirits. Six miles further is Crane creek, so named from its being the 
rendezvous of great armies of cranes, which wage a more cruel war at this 
day, with the frogs and the fish, than they used to do with the pigmies in the 
days of Homer, About three-score miles more bring you to the first town 
of the Catawbas, called Nauvasa, situated on the banks of Santee river. 
Besides this town there are five others belonging to the same nation, lying 
M 
