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"Brainerd, Cherokee Nation, Oct. 27, 1817.

"I left Knoxville on the 15th day of September, having collected in that town, notwithstanding the prejudices of many people, one hundred and sixty dollars, and sold my jewelry for seventy dollars more. I also purchased a new horse, the cost of which was one hundred dollars, and some articles of clothing, suitable for travelling in the wilderness. I passed on through several small places, where but a few years before it was an entire wilderness, and arrived, on the third day, at a place called Washington—a frontier-town, distant eighty miles southwest from Knoxville. Here I remained one day in expectation that Mr. Kingsbury, who was forty-five miles distant, would come and guide me to his place of abode, among the Cherokees. We had agreed upon this by letter. But I was greatly disappointed to find he had not come. On Friday, at 10 o'clock, A. M., I left Washington, and rode ten miles to a place on Tennessee river, called Hiwassee Garrison, formerly a military post, built by the United States. Here I found a man who had business with Mr. Kingsbury, and offered to accompany me. Although it was past one o'clock when we were ready to set out, I resolved to go on, supposing the distance to be not more than thirty miles at the furthest. We knew we should be compelled to ride in the night, but as the moon would shine brightly, we concluded to go on. After a long delay, we got across the river, and entered immediately the Cherokee country. We soon found a new mode of travelling. The road was nothing but a narrow Indian footpath, running through the woods. These paths are numerous, and a stranger is often lost. My companion was as ignorant of the true road as myself. We had not gone more than three miles, before we found we had taken a wrong direction. It led us, however, to an Indian house. But neither of us could explain our situation to

the Indians. I could only say I could only say Chick-a-mau-gah—which was the Indian name of the place where Mr. Kingsbury lives, and by which they understood what we meant. One of them, a very good-looking young man, offered to get on his little horse, or pony as it is called, and conduct us to the right path. He guided us three or four miles, and set us into a very plain road, for which I gave him a little compensation. You would have been extremely delighted with the appearance of this young Indian, and if you had indulged a fear of these poor natives, you could have indulged them no more. Nothing but the most sincere good will and friendship was written in his countenance. As I have said, he was very beautiful. His dress was the hunting shirt, made somewhat like a frock-coat, and extending to the knees. This was girded around him with a belt or sash, in the manner in which sashes are used among us by military officers. His face was painted in two or three places with a red paint. On his head, he wore a turban made with a common handkerchief, but put on in such a manner as to leave the top bare, from which a long braid of hair hung down upon his back. This was the manner in which I was escorted, if I may so say, into the Cherokee nation. rode till half past seven o'clock, and then came to another Indian house, the first human habitation we had seen for ten miles. Here we obtained an Indian for a guide to conduct us to Mr. Kingsbury-understanding that it was but ten miles distant. We set out again at half past eight o'clock. I was extremely hungry, and my horse had had nothing to eat during the day. I could get nothing, however, but an ear of corn, which I divided between myself and my horse, and then set out. But a long course indeed it was. Instead of being ten, it was fifteen miles, and through a gloomy part of the wilderness. We rode over hills and plains covered with woods, crossed

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several large streams of water, all of which we had to ford; sometimes we were in low, marshy ground, where the trees and bushes were so thick as to make it dark as midnight without a moon. Finally, being greatly fatigued, we reached, at five minutes past twelve o'clock, Chickamaugah creek. It was very high, and ran swiftly, and the Indian guide signified to us that it would not do to ford it. Mr. Kingsbury lived about one fourth of a mile on the other side. What could we do? We hallooed as loudly as we could, and called out until our throats were sore, but no one appeared, or answered. They were all buried in sleep. We were preparing to lie out all night, weary, wet with the dew, which falls in much greater abundance here than in New York, and without fire, when our Indian guide offered to go over the creek, if we would let him have one of our horses, calling his own ‘steaky,' that is little, or small. He then waded in till the water came within a foot of the horse's back, and got safely on the other side. Our brethren soon came to our relief, to our unspeakable joy; we crossed in a canoe, and our horses were taken over by one of their men. I cannot tell you the happiness I felt in treading missionary-ground. But we did not get over the creek until half past one o'clock in the morning, one hour and twenty-five minutes after our arrival at the creek. But you may judge of my surprise, when I was told that Mr. Kingsbury had gone to meet me the day before. We had taken different roads, and therefore missed of each other. I did not see him until the next week after my arrival. Thus I reached this long sought place (at half past one o'clock) on Saturday morning, Sept. 20th. At three o'clock I went to rest, and awoke at six the next morning, without feeling any inconvenience.

"Last week, I returned from a council of Indians which met sixty-five miles south of this place. I had a

talk with the Cherokees and also with the Creeks about establishing schools among them, and requested them to let me know sincerely their feelings. The Creeks have not yet given a final answer. The Cherokees consulted together, and ordered one of their chiefs to make a speech on the subject, and proclaim the result to the council, which he did in his own language, and in a very animated manner. His discourse was fifteen minutes long, or more. Mr. Hicks wrote down the heads of it, which are as follows.

"I am now going to address the council of the Cherokee nation, and each representative will inform his town, respectively, the result of our deliberation on the subject of what we have heard from the northern good people, who have sent this man to us ;—of their offer of pity to our people, and that we have taken hold of their offer. We have thought right to accept of their benevolent object, that our children may learn to act well in life, and their minds be enlarged to know the ways of our Creator: For we have been told that by education, we may know that at death, our spirit will return to the Father of it. It will also promote our children's good to labor for their living when they come to years of manhood. I am sensible the hunting life is not to be depended on. father, the president Washington recommended to us to labor, instead of hunting.

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These good people have established one school at Chickamaugah, and sent us teachers to educate our children. Wherefore the council requires all persons to treat them friendly, and not disturb any thing they have. And as there are now warriors to start immediately to visit the president of the United States, the chiefs are also requested to instruct them to ask our new father, the president, for his assistance to instruct our children.' From this speech, judge for yourselves whether the

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harvest among these Indians is not ripe, and the time come when Christians every where should open wide to them the hand of charity. But I must stop. I could 'write a pamphlet without telling you all I have seen which is interesting. From what I have said, you can judge of my employments during the four weeks I have been in this nation. I am glad for your sake that God has detained me to this time in a healthy region, for it has been a sickly season in the vicinity of Natchez. Even in Tennessee, I could feel the sultry weather of August and September. These are the most unhealthy months of the year. I have been sick three days at a time in these months; but my health is as good as ever, since the cold nights have come on. This has been proved lately,

while I was absent at the council. I have mentioned High Tower, sixty-five miles from this place, where I had miserable living, and was obliged to lie out in the woods and on the ground four nights in succession, but never had better health. The journey to that place was tedious and dangerous. I was obliged to swim my horse over a large river, and cross myself with my baggage in a canoe. The High Tower river I forded when the water came up to my saddle-bags. Both rivers are from two hundred to three hundred yards wide, and there is not a bridge any where. The Lord has kindly preserved me thus far, and it would be ungrateful in me not to trust him in time

to come.

"I suppose you wish to know how much I have collected in all for the Indians, since I commenced my tour in Massachusetts in January last. I do not know exactly, but I believe it amounts to four thousand four hundred dollars, or not far from it. While collecting this, I travelled two thousand miles and preached one hundred and fifteen times."

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