the horses at the door, waiting to carry us on one of these jaunts. I wish you could be of our party; but as that is impossible, I must bid you adieu.

ARTHUR MIDDLETON.

LETTER XVI.

Arthur Middleton to his Brother Edwin.

MY DEAR BROTHER,

Pensacola, West Florida.

་

I CANNOT give you such a clear account of our route through the territories of the Siminole and Muskogee, or Creek Indians, in the southern part of Georgia, as if we had travelled' from one post town to another, along a high road, in a cultivated country. We have passed through all the varieties of soil and surface that you can imagine-hill, dale, plain, and forest. Sometimes we have traversed over extensive savannahs, that' maintain innumerable herds of deer, cattle, and Siminole horses, which are of a small breed, but beautifully proportioned; they enjoy their perfect liberty, and approach to the state of wild horses.. When it is intended to catch one of them, a domestic horse, which is much nimbler, is used to overtake and entangle them. Every year, as they come

of age, a troop of them is sent to Charlestown,: where they are sold to the highest bidder. At other times we have taken our course through an enclosed country, covered with forests of such grandeur, that those who have never seen them can form no idea. Sometimes we have passed the course of rivers, and wandered over swampy meadows. Amongst the natural curiosities are those vast circular sinks, seen in many places in the neighbourhood of St. Juan's river, which are situated generally in the midst of rocks, and formed by an extraordinary eruption from the earth, or probably from some mighty body of water, restrained in its natural course. A person who was present at the formation of one of these receptacles of water, gave me the following account of the phenomenon. A tremendous rushing noise, like a hurricane or thunder-storm, first alarmed him; and looking round, he saw the earth overflowed by torrents, which rushed down a valley near the place. The inundation soon overwhelmed the higher grounds. When he had recovered from his surprise, he took courage to go to the place whence the terrific sound proceeded, when he perceived a prodigious fountain in this spot, rushing upwards, many feet high, and deluging the ground on all sides. It continued to flow in this manner for several days, forming a stream that discharged its waters into a distant lake. It gradually ceased to overflow, and

length confined itself within this bason, which

is fifty yards across, and continues full nearly to the verge, without once since overflowing its banks. The water is clear and well tasted, and crowded with fish, which satisfy the voracious appetite of a large alligator, who reigns lord of the place.

The Siminoles are a division of the Creek nation. They are scattered through an extensive range of country in East and West Florida, which is generally a fertile, well-watered level, being naturally divided into thousands of işlets, knolls, and gentle eminences, by innumerable rivers, lakes, swamps, and ponds, which afford them secure retreats from the sudden attacks of an enemy, and supply them, with fish and wild game in great abundance

Hunting is the principal occupation of the men. With the hides of deer, bears, tigers, and wolves, they purchase clothes and domestic utensils from the traders. Their wants and desires are few, and easily satisfied, as appears from the cheerfulness of their countenances. The happiness that flows from the enjoyment of the natural affections between husband and wife, parent and child, is to be seen in their cabins: nor are they insensible to the pleasures of society, dancing being a favourite amusement, accompanied with a simple sort of music,

On some occasions they love to decorate their persons. A party of young warriors saluted us one day, as we were halting under a little grove of oranges and magnolias. They were all dressed and

painted

painted very smartly, and wore silver chains and ornaments; their crests adorned, after the Siminole mode, with waving plumes of feathers.

After we had taken our departure from Taskawila, we visited the town of Talahasockte, on the banks of St. Juan, which is a remarkably clear stream, said to take its source in a great swamp, one hundred miles north of this town. Here we were entertained at the trading house; and our companions unloaded their pack-horses, and exchanged their goods for deer-skins, furs, dry fish, honey, bees' wax, bears' oil, and some other natural productions.

These Indians have large, handsome canoes, which they form out of the trunks of cypress trees. Some of them conveniently accommodate from twenty to thirty persons. They descend the river. in these canoes, on trading and hunting expeditions on the sea coasts, and sometimes extend their voyage even as far as Cuba. A crew of these adventurers arrived, whilst we were there, loaded with a cargo of coffee, sugar, tobacco, and spirituous liquors, which cause the destruction of many of the Indian tribes; for having once tasted rum, they have no longer the resolution to restrain themselves. A' drinking bout followed the opening of this banefut. treasure; quarrels ensued, and the peaceful scene was changed to drunkenness, brawls, and confusion.. Our friend; the trader, had concluded his bàre gains, and we were glad to withdraw from such a disgusting,

disgusting picture of human nature in a state of debasement.

In our way to the town of Apalachuela, near a creek of excellent water, we found an encampment of Indians. The men were out a hunting. The women, willing to have a peep at strangers, came to the door of their tents, veiled in their mantle; but when we paid our respects to them, showed their faces with great modesty of behaviour.

Apalachuela is esteemed the capital of the Creek confederacy, and sacred to peace, no captives being ever put to death here. When a general peace is proposed, the deputies from the towns that form the union, meet here to deliberate on the accomplishment of the treaty.

The great Coweta town, twelve miles higher up the river, on the contrary, is called the bloody town, because the Micas, chiefs, and warriors assemble there when a general war is proposed; and captives taken in war are put to death at that place.

Three days' journey brought us to Talassee, a town on the Tallaposse river, which is the northeastern branch of the Alabama or Mobile river.. Having passed over a vast extent of level country, varied by savannahs, groves where the squirrel and cameleon sport amongst the trees, lone swamps, and open pine forests, watered by innumerable rivulets and brooks, we altered our course towards the south, and approached the banks of the river, where Indian towns and plantations enlivened our

road.