State

By M. S. POWELL YAUPON The Indians’ Cure-All Few North Carolina products have had such up - and - down peaks and low points of use as yaupon. Tobacco, potatoes, corn, and other items of American produce have been in almost constant demand since they were in¬ troduced to the white man by the In¬ dian. The native's yaupon, however, has had a varied history among Ameri¬ cans, while it very quickly fell into disfavor with Europeans after being much in demand before 1700. There arc two varieties of yaupon which grow along a narrow strip of coastal land from Virginia to Florida: Ilex canine and Ilex vomitoria. It is a shrub of the holly family which may grow as high as twelve feet, but it is generally much smaller. Yaupon makes up much of the tangled growth just behind the sand dunes. The small, shiny leaves are similar to those of the boxwood, and when in fruit its clus¬ ters of red berries make it popular for decoration, especially at the Christ¬ mas season. Lawson's Report French explorers in the South were describing yaupon and writing home about it as early as 1564. About twenty-five years later Thomas Hariot was telling Englishmen about it from his experiences at Roanoke Island. For fairly full details, however, we must rely on John Lawson’s reports pub¬ lished in 1709. "This Yaupon, call’d by the South-Carolina Indians, Cas- sena,'' he wrote, "is a Bush, that grows chiefly on the Sand-Banks and Islands, bordering on the Sea of Carolina; on this Coast it is plentifully found, and in no other Place that 1 know of." Care¬ ful observer that he wms. Lawson dis¬ tinguished between the two species and commented on the difference in their height. "The Plant is the Indian Tea. THE STATE. June 9. 1962 us’d and approv’d by all the Savages on the Coast of Carolina, and from them sent to the Westward Indians, and sold at a considerable Price. All which they cure after the same way. as they do for themselves; which is thus: They take this Plant (not only the Leaves, but the smaller Twigs along with them) and bruise it in a Mortar, till it becomes blackish, the Leaf being wholly defaced: Then they take it out, put it into one of their earthen Pots which is over the Fire, till it smoaks; stirring it all the time, till it is cur’d. Others take it, after it is bruis’d, and put it into a Bowl, to which they put live Coals, and cover them with Yaupon. till they have done smoaking, often turning them over. Reproduce! by pcimmion of ihe Huntincton I, bury. S»n Mjnno, Cjlifoinu Tillcpogc of John Pcochcy'i little book dolling the virtue! of youpon in curing imollpoi. SOME OBSERVATIONS Midc upon the HERB Caffiny ; Imported from CAROLINA: SHEWING Its Admirable Virtues in Curing the SMALL POX. Wrirten by j Phyiitun in the Countrey to Efqt Ъф at LmJm. LONDON, Printed in the Year 1695, Mork Cotciby't drawing of youpon ihowmg leave! ond berriei The inofce ho! no connection wilh the plont. Cotciby »0! on economical ortiit who com¬ bined two or more !ub|Cd! in one picture when¬ ever he could. After all, they spread it upon their Mats, and dry it in the Sun to keep for Use." Trade Item Yaupon was surely one of the most important items of commerce among the Indian tribes. Coastal Indians took supplies of it to the mountain Indians in exchange for deer skins and other necessities. The Cherokccs apparently used their heads to save their ".skins." for William Bartram in Western North Carolina in 1775 "observed a little grove of the Casino yapon, which was the only place I had seen it grow in the Cherokee country, the Indians call it the beloved tree, and are very care¬ ful to keep them pruned and culti¬ vated." Yaupon may have been more widely transplanted than is generally realized. Banram found it growing near present-day Council in Bladen County, and he reported that he also found it growing near abandoned In¬ dian settlements in the interior of Georgia and Alabama. Today it thrives in the University arboretum in Chapel Hill. lie Had a Dream The Indians told Lawson a tradi¬ tional story which explained their first introduction to yaupon. "The Savages ( Continual on [Hive 56 )