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INDIAN REMEDIES.

201

able to judge of the sincerity with which these mourners enacted their business, and to satisfy himself whether they were in earnest or in jest, Mr Flint sat down close by them, so that he could look under their blanket, and he saw the tears actually streaming down their cheeks in good earnest. When the mourning was over, they arose, assumed their usual countenances, and went about their ordinary business.

It appears to be the habit with them, to perform all their manifestations of joy, grief, or religion, at once, at a stated time.

Gambling is one of the few excitements capable to arouse them. It is a passion for which they have been known to sacrifice everything.

The Indians are acquainted with a great number of simples proper for healing wounds and removing disease; but the most valuable of their remedies is one which they undoubtedly possess for the cure of a bite of the rattlesnake and copperhead. I should hardly have given credit to this, had I not been assured that there was no doubt of the fact, by one of the most eminent physicians in New York.

There is a degree of repulsion between the AngloAmericans and the Indians which prevents their intermixing. The French, on the contrary, settle among them, learn their language, and intermarry; and it is a singular fact, that the Indian countenance, hair, and manners, descend much farther in these intermixtures, and are much slower to be amalgamated with those of the whites than those of the

negro.

CHAPTER VII.

Leave the Creek Territory—Mrs Lucas' Hotel-Capital DinnerMontgomery-Circuit Court. Want of Accommodation Major Johnson-Untimely Visit of Tomie Collins-Board and Lodging— Journey from Montgomery to Mobile-Captain Wade in the Stage -Dangerous Passage of the River-Waggon-load of Whisky— Prairie Land-Flowers, Plants, and Shrubs-Islands of Wooded Land in the Prairies-Want of Roads in the Prairies-Mrs Bonum's Breakfast-Manners of the Hotel-keepers and Drivers in this Country-Treatment of an Old Woman by the Indians-Colonel Wood's Hotel-His Killing the Deer-Origin of Colonel Wood's Military Title-Lynch's Law-Fine Trees and Shrubs in the Southern Country-Oak, Tulip-tree, Magnolia, Dog-wood, Red-bud, Catalpa-The Wild Turkey-Want of Singing Birds-Major Taylor's HotelThunder Storm-Price's Hotel-Mrs Price from Isle of SkyeTheir Opinion of Captain Hall's Travels-Thinness of the Population-Piney and Oakey-Cocker's Hotel-Longmyer's HotelElisha Lolly, a Driver-His Oaths-Splendid Evergreens-Butterflies Mrs Longmyer's Skill in Medicine-Duncan Macmillan's Hotel, Argyleshire Man-He and his Wife speak Gaelic-His Farm -Manners of the Family-Family Worship-Breakfast at Mr Peebles' Hotel-Conduct of the Driver-Mrs Mills-No ardent Spirits in any of the Hotels here-Indian Gamekeeper-Stage-house building for Mrs Mills-Pork, the general Food at this Season— Customs to wash in the open space in the Houses-Judge Burns' House at Blakeley-Driver to Mobile-His Salary Steam-boat from Blakeley to Mobile, and from Mobile to New Orleans-Mobile unhealthy-Details of the Steam-boat from Mobile to New Or

leans-Claret in general use— -Pascagola-Pelican Bird-Sheepshead Fish-Canal for Six Miles to New Orleans.

March 1830.

A FEW miles after leaving the Indian territory, we stopped at the hotel of Mrs Lucas to dine. She has been a good-looking woman, but now is fatter at her age, (only thirty-five) than any woman I ever saw. She is married now for the second time, her first husband having been killed in a conflict with the Indians. She takes the entire management of her house, and, from what I saw and heard, manages it admirably. At dinner, she sat at the head of the table, her husband sitting at one side; and the dinner, consisting of chickenpie, ham, vegetables, pudding, and pie, was so neatly put upon the table, and so well cooked,-and the dessert, consisting of dried fruits, preserved strawberries and plumbs, was so excellent of all its kinds, and withal the guests seemed to be made so welcome to every thing that was best, that Mrs Lucas was, in our eyes, almost as meritorious a person as the old lady at the Bridge Inn, at Ferrybridge in Yorkshire, whose good cheer no Scotsman, travelling between London and Edinburgh, ever omitted, if it was in his power to enjoy. The preserved plum was in as great perfection here as at Ferrybridge. There was wine on the table, as well as brandy and water; and plenty of time was allowed us to partake of our repast. The whole charge was only three-quarters of a dollar for each person. This certainly was as comfortable a meal as we found anywhere in travelling in the United States.

We

ing the Indians with most astonishment and admiration, is the invisible, but universal, energy of operation, and influence of an inexplicable law, which has a more certain and controlling power than all the municipal and written laws of the whites united."

Mr Flint once witnessed a spectacle which the Indians are shy of exhibiting to strangers not only among the whites, but even among their own race. This was a set mourning for a deceased relative. Mr Flint was accidentally walking near the place with part of his family. Their attention was arrested by a group of nine persons, male and female. Only four men enacted the mourners, who were in a peculiar posture, and uttered a monotonous and most melancholy lament, in a kind of tone not unlike the howling of a dog. They walked up to the mourning; but it went on as if the parties were unobservant of their presence. Four large men sat opposite, and with their heads so inclined to each other as almost to touch. A blanket was thrown over their heads; each held a corner of it in his hand. In this position, one that appeared to lead in the business would begin the dolorous note, which the rest immediately followed in a prolonged and dismal strain, for more than half a minute,—it then sunk away. It was followed by a few convulsive sobs, only giving way to the same dismal howl again. This was said to be a common ceremony in like cases, and it was a preconcerted duty which they met at this time and place to discharge. The performance lasted something more than an hour. The squaw, and sisters of the person deceased, were walking about with unconcern. To be