Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-05-08
Letter from Beaufort.

FRIEND GooDRCH - Sp knowing that
you and some Of your readers 10 be deeply in
terested, and delight in the researches OF the
misty labyrinths of natural science, | take the
liberty of tbruStng upon your attention few
of the results of my explorations in the wild
and unsettled regions oftratordom. | do not
profess to have the descriptive powers of a
Livingstone or RGssel as | have never had
the experience of the former, and am not nat
uray endowed with the extraordinary powers
of observation professed by the latter who
can take ia at one full sweep the whole Of
Bull Run battle field although fifteen or
twenty miles distant. But | can tell what
see and occasionally fill up the words with
what | have heard will try to eulighten
you a little in regard TO the manners and Gus
toms of the inhabitants of this country.
According to all written and printed ac-
counts of South Carolina, the inhabitants were
/ formerly divided into casteS, similar to the
/ Hindoos. The first, or higher caste we're com
posed of andhodeTS, who possessed large
! tracts of land called plantations. These land
/ holders are described as a naughty, oye7bear
ing race, possessed with lofty ideas of their
own powers and bravery. They were in the
daily habit of mblbing large quantities OF
/ beverage called, for short, old rye whiskey,
which was formerly supposed to be extracted
from grain called rye, but is now known to
be a cOncOctIOn of strychnine and other pow
ertul poisonous substances. | cannot inform
you whether this beverage was common in this
country, or was imported from other climes -
| am confident / have at some time seen the
article, aud if uy memory is not too treacher
| Gus, | have seen those who have tasted it at
| least | an Of the opinion that it can be obtain
cd at the various hostteries, drug and variety
stores in Pennsylvania and if you have never
drank any OF i, five cents will buy you a sufi
cient quantity to test its qualities. While uh
der the influence OF this beverage these land
holders, who style themselves chtUqir9 become
very UaiOrouS, and would frequently ,after the
manner of the American abOrigneS) laud
themselves TO the skies-boast of their deeds
Of vaior if they s'Ould ever get into the field
and after cuTSng everybody that did not be-
long to their caSte-would frequently rush out
aud braVely beat oae of the lower class (called
slaves in u most scientific and chivalrouS mau
ner. Their religion was a mixture of Chris
tianity and idolatry. They worshiped several
GodS, The principal being o both visible aud
! tangible object, called cotton, which they
/ placed at the head of their deities, and chris
tened "hc kiag" Among the Invisible ob-
jectS of worship, two received the greatest
share of their homage. They were styled re-
/ speCtively. StcteS Rights" and =" PeruLjar IN
( SijtHfI0nS," but as there are several of their
devotees in Bradford county, | will not try to
/ give any account of them. That they had some
/ faint or ob5truse ideas of future state of cX-
isteuce, and perhaps some knowledge OF the
true religion, is evident from the fact that they
would very frequently call on God to ID
! the d--nd abolilioniSts, and very often ours
ed aud swore equal to any of the inhabitants
of any Christian country. 1t is unfortunate
/ that they all removed from this locality short
ly before orr exploring expedition landed, as
should have liked to procured few specimens
for exhibition at the North
The present inhabitants are, as far as have
seen, industrious, hospitabe, and very relig-
ious. They have always been the only i'm
proyers of tue land, and real citizens of the
country, and were by all odds the most honor.
able aud respectable members Of society. The
! extreme heat OF the summer 10 this country
has had the effect of coloriDg their complex
| ious TO almost every shade OF black and brown.
| Some are of yellow hue, something Ike
| pampkin and mix, while some are OF beauti-
tuI ebony. Some scientific meu connected with
the party, express the opinion that the gov
ernmental plan OF sending young unemployed
men to take charge of the plantations aud to
! educate aud instruct theinhabitants will have
the effect Of changing their color and under
! their care the iuture progeny will grow up
whittier than the present generation.
/ have been in several houses deserted by
the retreating chVary, and have iu some cases
found books left by them. AS a specimen of
the literature cultivated by them, send you
! titles Of some OF those that bore the marks of
most frequent use, viz: Jack, the Giant
Killer" Dick Turpin," " Beautiful Cigar
Girl >" Paul, the Prodigate -" Mysteries and
Miseries of New York" Guliver's Travels, f"
ana kindred works are the most frequent-
| They had some idea of business and the neces
! sity Of knowing how their expenditures kept
! pace with their income, as their account books
show. | was to-day looking over one of their
day books, and the following household expend-
itures was recorded on one page
May 4th...................Bo Bought gallons brandy.
9Th. th.....................Bo Bought 50 pounds -four.
9 9Th. h...............B Bought oottles wine.
| IuJn. Bought Z hOgs.
Z" 10th. Bought ten gallons brandy.
The rum, brandy wine and other liquids being
far ahead of The solids.
You have probably read in the bible an ac.
count of certain serpenls that appeared in vast
quantities and bit large numbers of the people.
| think there is little doubt about the locality
Of that catastrophe; it was probably here +;
suakes of every size and description abound in
vast quantities, rattlesnakes, black snakes,
mocasiDs, racers, hoop snakes, adders vipers,
and the like are to be found everywhere, and
to make the matter worse, not stone can be
found to kill them with. Ifyou chance TO meet
snake in the road, and he chooses to dispute
] yonr naSSage Won have no chance left hnt TO