The Heart of the Alleghanies; or, Western North CarolinaZeigler, Wilbur Gleason
History
The Heart of the Alleghanies; or, Western North Carolina
Zeigler, Wilbur Gleason
Allegheny Mountains; North Carolina -- Description and travel
On our way through Quallatown to Soco creek, we passed numerous
wayfarers carrying corn, fruit, baskets, and babies. One woman had a
bushel of corn tied in a sack around her waist, a basket of apples on
her head, and a baby in her arms. A slouchy man was walking at her side
empty-handed and scolding, probably because she was unable to carry him.
Under a peach tree before a cabin stood a witch-like squaw and half a
dozen unattractive children. “Is this the Soco road?” was asked.
“Satula” issued from her grim old mouth, and her finger pointed at the
peaches.
“No, Soco; is this Soco?” nervously urged our companion, pointing up the
stream.
“Uh,” she grunted out, and handed him one peach, from which we inferred
that “soco” means “one.” A white woman in the vicinity confirmed our
guess, and told us that “satula” is equivalent to the phrase “do you
want it?”
Pause, and look at an “Indian maiden” by the road side. We did. Who,
that has read Longfellow, and Cooper, and Irving, could pass without
looking? She certainly could not have been the inspiration of
Longfellow’s Hiawatha. She stands, in my recollection, with fishing rod
in hand--about five feet tall, and 140 pounds in weight. Black, coarse,
knotted hair hangs down her back to the waist. Under her low forehead is
a pair of large, black eyes, which, unfortunately, are devoid of
expression. Her cheek bones are wider than her forehead and almost touch
the level of her eyes. A flat nose, straight mouth, and small ears,
complete the physiognomy which showed no sign of thinking. Her neck is
short and thick, and her shoulders broader than her broad hips. Her
waist is almost manly. A gown of homespun, patched and dirty, half
conceals her knees. With a glance at a large, but clumsy, pair of
ankles, and flat feet, we pass on out of the Indian settlement along the
rapids of Soco. We had not been approached by a beggar, or asked to buy
a penny worth of anything during the whole day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account