114 
A JOURNEY TO 
another stream, which we called Hatcher’s creek, from two Indian traders of 
that name, who used formerly to carry goods to the Sauro Indians. Near 
the banks of this creek I found a large beech tree, with the following inscrip- 
tion cut upon the bark of it, “ J. H., H. H., B. B., lay here the 24th of May, 1673.” 
It was not difficult to fill up these initials with the following names, Joseph 
Hatcher, Henry Hatcher and Benjamin Bullington, three Indian traders, who 
had lodged near that place sixty years before, in their way to the Sauro town. 
But the strangest part of the story was this, that these letters, cut in the bark, 
should remain perfectly legible so long. Nay, if no accident befalls the tree, 
which appears to be still in a flourishing condition, I doubt not but this piece 
of antiquity may be read many years hence. We may also learn from it, 
that the beech is a very long-lived tree, of which there are many exceedingly 
large in these woods. The major took in a pretty deal of rich low-ground 
into his survey, but unhappily left a greater quantity out, which proves the 
weakness of making entries by guess. We found the Dan fordable here- 
abouts in most places. One of the Indians shot a wild goose, that was very 
lousy, which nevertheless was good meat, and proved those contemptible 
tasters to be no bad tasters. However, for those stomachs that were so un- 
happy as to be squeamish, there was plenty of fat bear, we having killed two 
in this day’s march. 
4th. I caused the men to use double diligence to assist major Mayo in fix- 
ing the bounds of his land, because he had taken a great deal of pains about 
mine. We therefore mounted our horses as soon as we had swallowed our 
breakfast. Till that is duly performed a woodsman makes a conscience of 
exposing himself to any fatigue. We proceeded then in his survey, and 
made an end before night, though most of the company were of opinion 
the land was hardly worth the trouble. It seemed most of it before below 
the character the discoverers had given him of it. We fixed his eastern 
corner on Cocquade creek, and then continued our march, over the hills and 
far away, along the country line two miles farther. Nor had we stopped 
there, unless a likelihood of rain had obliged us to encamp on an eminence 
where we were in no danger of being overflowed. Peter Jones had a smart 
fit of an ague, which shook him severely, though he bore it like a man ; but 
the small major had a small fever, and bore it like a child. He groaned as 
if he fiad been in labour, and thought verily it would be his fate to die like 
a mutinous Israelite in the wilderness, and be buried under a heap of stones. 
The rain was so kind as to give us leisure to secure ourselves against it, 
but came however time enough to interrupt our cookery, so that we supped 
as temperately as so many philosophers, and kept ourselves snug within 
our tents. The worst part of the story was, that the sentinels could hardly 
keep our fires from being extinguished by the heaviness of the shower. 
5th. Our invalids found themselves in travelling condition this morning, 
and began to conceive hopes of returning home and dying in their own beds. 
We pursued our journey through uneven and perplexed woods, and in the 
thickest of them had the fortune to knock down a young buffalo, two 
years old. Providence threw this vast animal in our way very seasonably, 
just as our provisions began to fail us. And it was the more welcome too, 
because it was change of diet, which of all varieties, next to that of bed- 
fellows, is the most agreeable. We had lived upon venison and bear until 
our stomachs loathed them almost as much as the Hebrews of old did their 
quails. Our butchers were so unhandy at their business that we grew very 
lank before we could get our dinner. But when it came, we found it equal 
in goodness to the best beef. They made it the longer because they kept 
sucking the water out of the guts, in imitation of the Catawba Indians, upon 
the belief that it is a great cordial, and will even make them drunk, or at 
