r, up which we travelled 700 Miles, when we came
to a Nation of Indians remarkably White, and whose Hair was of a
reddish Colour, at least, mostly so. They lived on the Banks of
a Small River which is called the River Post. In the Morning of
the Day after our Arrival, the Welsh Man informed me that he was
determined remain with them, giving us a Reason, that he understood
their Language, it being very little different from the Welsh. My
Curiosity was excited very much by this Information, and I went
with my Companion to the Chief Men of the Town, who informed him in
a Language that I had no knowledge of, and which had no affinity
to that of other Indian Tongues that I ever heard, that their Fore
Fathers of this Nation came from a Foreign Country, and landed on
the East Side of the Mississipi, describing particularly the Country
now called Florida, and that on the Spaniards taking possession of
Mexico, they fled to their then Abode. And as a proof of the Truth
of what he advanced, he brought forth Rolls of Parchment, which were
carefully tied up in Otter's Skins, on which were large Characters
written with blue Ink. The Characters I did not understand, and
the Welsh Man being unacquainted with Letters, even, of his own
Language, I was not able to know the meaning of the writing. They
are a bold, hardy, and intrepid people, very Warlike, and the Women
beautiful when compared with other Indians."

Captain Stewart and Mr. Beatty's account are nearly of the same
Date, though related by the Captain in March 1782.

The Riches of the Country I take no Notice of, as they do not concern
my Subject, which is only the Manners, Customs, Traditions, and
Language of the Inhabitants.

The Information given us by the Captain and Mr. Beatty, seems to
confirm, I may almost say, establish, the Truth of Llwyd's and
Powel's History, and of Mr. Jones's Narrative. The latter says
that in the Year 1660, some Indian Tribes spoke Welsh; and his
Testimony appears to me unquestionable because he understood it.
Messrs. Stewart and Beatty say that it was the Language of some
Indian Tribes about the Years 1766 and 1768.

This is said by Mr. Beatty on the Testimony of Four different Persons,
Benjamin Sutton, Levi Hicks, Jack (who was himself a Delaware Indian)
and Joseph the Interpreter, who each of them had lived a long time in
the Country, and were acquainted with the Traditions that prevailed
among the Inhabitants. These Persons declared that t