Wesley Corpus

24. The Choctaws only have some appearance of an entire nation, possessing a large extent of land, eight or nine hundred miles west ot Savannah, and many well inhabited towns. They are said to have six thousand fighting men, united under one head. At present they are in league with the French, who have sent some priests among them ; by whom (if one may credit the Choctaw traders) ten or twelve have been baptized. ; ‘ 25. Next to these, to the northeast, are the Chicasaws. Their country 50 _ REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. [Dec. W727. is flat, full of meadows, springs, and rivers. In their fields, though six or seven hundred miles from the sea, are found sea shells in great numbers. ‘They have about nine huadred fighting men, ten towns, and one meeko, at least, in every one. They are eminently gluttons, eating, drinking, and smoking all day, and almost all night. They are extremely indolent and lazy, except in war; then they are the most indefatigable, and the most valiant of all the Indians: but they are equally cruel with the rest, torturing and burning all their prisoners, whether Indian or European. 26. East of them, in the latitude of 35° and 36°, about three or four hundred miles from Savannah, lie the Cherokees. Their country is very mountainous, fruitful, and pleasant. They have fifty-two towns, and above three thousand fighting men. In each town are three or more headmen, who keep up a sort of shadow of government, having power to set the rest to work, and to punish such as will not join in the common labour. They are civil to strangers, and will do any thing for them, for pay; being always willing, for a small piece of money, to carry a message for fifty or sixty miles, and, if required, a heavy burden too: but they are equally cruel to prisoners with the Chicasaws, though not equally valiant. They are seldom intemperate in drinking, but when they can be so on free cost. Otherwise love of drink yields to covetousness : a vice scarcely to be found in any Indian but a Cherokee.