Bartram’s Travels— An Adventure Diary
1 1 was now afternoon; I approached
a charming vale, amidst sublimely high
forests, awful shades! Darkness gathers
around; far distant thunder rolls over
the trembling hills: the black clouds
with august majesty and power, move
slowly forwards, shading regions of
towering hills, and threatening all the
destruction of a thunder storm: all
around is now still as death; not a
whisper is heard, but a total inactivity
and silence seem to pervade the earth;
the birds afraid to utter a chirrup, in
low tremulous voices take leave of each
other, seeking covert and safety: every
insect is silenced, and nothing heard
but the roaring of the approaching hur¬
ricane. The mighty cloud now expands
its sable wings, extending from North
to South, and is driven irresistibly on
by the tumultuous winds, spreading its
livid wings around the gloomy con-
I lie
МЧ1
of William
Г.ппш
In 1776 lo
»
extern
North Carolina
на»
>r«»d<d in til« notable
"Travels.'* portion* of nhlcli *r «III reprint. In
■hit
1пчЫ1п>гп|.
»e pick np the botanist a* hr
passed from Georgia lo North Carolina, a da) of
storm and braut). Hr camr ila the s alley of the
l-ittle Tennessee. “Iiich the writer -pell* "Tanase."
■ he location I, no» In Macon Count).
cave, armed with terrors of thunder
and fiery shafts of lightning. Now the
lofty forests bend low beneath its fury;
their limbs and wavy boughs are tossed
about and catch hold of each other;
the mountains tremble and seem to
reel about, and the ancient hills to be
shaken to their foundations: the furi¬
ous storm sweeps along, smoaking
through the vale and over the resound¬
ing hills: the face of the earth is ob¬
scured by the deluge descending from
the firmament, and I am deafened by
the din of the thunder. The tempestu¬
ous scene damps my spirits, and my
horse sinks under me at the tremen¬
dous peals, as I hasten on for the plain.
Ihe storm abating, I saw an Indian
hunting cabin on the side of a hill, a
very agreeable prospect, especially in
my present condition; I made up to it
and look quiet possession, there being
no one to dispute it with me except a
few bats and whip-poor-wills, who had
repaired thither for shelter from the
violence of the hurricane.
Having turned out my horse in the
sweet meadows adjoining, and found
some dry wood under shelter of the
old cabin. I struck up a fire, dried my
clothes, and comforted myself with a
frugal repast of biscuit and dried beef,
which was all the food my viaticum
afforded me by this time, excepting a
small piece of cheese which I had fur-
The occomponying mop wos adopted from one
prepored by Hirom C. Wilburn of Woyncsvillc,
»ho traced Williom Bertram's 1776 trip into the
Overbids. Subsequent articles will moke this mop
pertinent, ond interested reoders might preserve
it.
Following ore Mr. Wilburn'* notes:
On the map is indicated 12 points, the moin
ones mentioned by Bortrom.
1. Bcoutiful Estotoe Foils, just inside the
Georgia line.
2. Point neor Orlando where he spent the night
of Moy 21, 1776, in
о
deserted Indian hunt-
ing cobin, beside Little Tennessee River.
3. Where he observed the ruins of the "oncicnt
fomous town of Sticoc," about half mile
south of Otto, N. C.
4. The town of Echoe, mony good houses well
inhabited, spent the night of 22nd Moy, not
for south of this old town.
5. Newcossee, present Franklin
6. Whotogo, where he smoked the long- stemmed
pipe ond chotted with the Prince of Whotogo.
7. Cowce, the then capitol town of the Middle
Settlements. Here he remained till the morn¬
ing of Moy 26th in the interim visited:
8. Locations on top the Cowee rongc, which he
colled the "JORE." Here is where the mony
horses were being postured, ond neor where
he described the ''VALE OF COWEE "
9. Where he met the "Indian fellow armed with
rifle gun "
10. Approximately where he observed white eorth
fkoolin) specimens of which hod been shipped
lo England 10 years previously.
THE STATE. SEPTEMBER 5. 1959
11. Point not for from Beechertown where he met
the Grcot Ato-kul-lo-kuk-lo. After this
meeting he pondered on the sofety of his
venture in the Overhills, ond decided to turn
back at:
12. A point seemingly obout 6 or 7 miles down
the Talulo towards Robbinsville. Here he
spent the night of Moy 27th, ond decided to