if the slayer escaped, his crime was not visited on his relations; but here among the Choctaws, I am told, the nearest relation must expiate the offence; but that if an Indian kills another by accident or design, he is scarcely ever known to leave the body till he is found, lest his friend should suffer. We left the Indians about eleven o'clock, much gratified by the opportunity we had had of witnessing their festivities, and staid all night at Wilson's, 18 miles distant. The following morning we set off, as usual, about four o'clock, and breakfasted at the house of an Irishman, who left Waterford 30 years since, to carry on the fur trade, buying the furs from the Indians, and selling them at Mobile and Pensacola. The embargo interrupted his trade, and he is settled here with his Indian wife. We here left the Kentucky Trace, with the intention of visiting the Missionary Settlement among the Choctaws, at Elliot, about sixty miles distant from our road. Our course was through the woods, along a blazed path, about a foot broad; and, as it was necessary to procure a guide, our host rode with us till he had engaged an Indian, who, for a dollar, attended us 25 miles on his little horse. Here I saw the only instance of tattooing, which fell under my observation among the Indians; the mother of our guide having her breast completely chequered, in a regular pattern, with blue lines very close. At night, we reached the cabin of a half-breed, who took us in. We found him setting a trap for a wolf, which had attempted a few hours before, to carry off a pig in sight of the family. He very hospitably killed a cow for our supper, part of which was on the table, in the shape of beef-steaks, within two hours. after it was shot, a common mode of killing cattle in this country. I was amused by his method of summoning his herd from the neighbouring woods. This he effected by means of a whip, with a stock of two or three feet in length, and a lash, so very long, that after repeated trials, neither my servant nor I could manage it. Swinging it round his head, at first slowly, but with accelerated velocity, till the lash had acquired a momentum, which sustained it in a horizontal position, he cracked it suddenly with such dexterity, that I mistook it for the explosion of a gun at the cabin door, and ran out. I could scarcely believe them, when they explained to me the cause of the noise, until a herdsman repeated the experiment. In about half an hour we saw the cattle coming slowly out of the surrounding forest. In the course of the evening, one of the missionary brethren arrived from Elliot, for some cattle which were ranging in the woods; and on learning our intention, he promised us a hearty welcome at the establishment. The following day, we set off early, our friends having procured an Indian to take us the first twelve miles: he could not speak English; but, having received his quarter of a dollar, and parted from us at the appointed place, he returned to draw our track in the sand, pointing out all the forks and little crosspaths, and again left us. After proceeding about a mile, where we were a little embarrassed, we were surprised to find him again at our side, making motions to direct our route. Again we shook hands and parted, but being again puzzled by a diverging path, half a mile distant, we looked round almost instinctively, and saw the faithful fellow still watching our steps: he then came up and set us right; made signs that our road now lay in the direction of the sun; and finally disappeared, leaving us much affected by his disinterested solicitude. About three o'clock, we arrived at Elliot, and met with a most kind reception; but this for another letter. Q Letter XHI. Missionary Settlement of Elliot, on the Yaloo Busha, State of Mississippi, 20th May, 1820. was too long to allow of My letter to me to give any account of this interesting Settlement. We had a delightful ride along our Indian path, through a forest of fine oaks; which, within ten or twelve miles of Yaloo Busha, was occasionally interspersed with small natural prairies, and assumed the appearance an English park. I felt as if I were approaching consecrated ground; and the confidence which I had in the kindness of those on whom I was going to intrude myself, (Christian kindness is not capricious,) relieved me from any awkwardness about my reception. If I had felt any, it would soon have been dismissed by the simple hospitality of the Missionaries. Soon after my arrival, we proceeded to the school, just as a half-breed, who has taken great interest in it, was preparing to give the children 66 "a talk," previous to returning home, 60 miles distant. He is a very influential chief, and a man of comprehensive views: he first translated into Choctaw, a letter to the children, from some benevolent friends in the north, who had sent it with a present of a box of clothes, and then gave them a long address in Choctaw. When he took leave, he shook hands with mesaid he was glad to hear that the white people in England were interested in the welfare of their red brethren; that the Choctaws were sensible of their want of instruction, and that their teachers were pleased to say that they were not incapable of it; that they were grateful for what had been done; and were aware that it was their duty to co-operate, to the utmost of their ability, with those who were exerting themselves on their behalf. As soon as school was over, the boys repaired to their agricultural labours; their instructor working with them, and communicating information in the most affectionate manner: the girls proceeded to their sewing and domestic employments, under the Missionary sisters. They were afterwards at liberty, till the supperbell rang; when we all sat down together to bread and milk, and various preparations of Indian corn; the Missionaries presiding at the different tables, and confining themselves, as is their custom, except in case of sickness, to |