Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (20) View all

Beginning of history in the Great Smoky Mountains

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  • banks. There could have been no trail fit for horses* (Over) The Indiana of that age had never seen a hora© or used any animal for riding purposes. Consequently their trails were trimmed out merely to permit passage for men oa foot* In fact, our first white traders among the {adisai in western North Carolina, from 1670 to 1740, had to tranaport ill their goods on the backs of Indian porters, or "burdenera", as they were then called. It was not until 1740, exactly two centuries after De Soto*s march, that the first trading path for horsoiaen, was out by the Cherokees* The crossing ©f that part of the Balsam and Cowee mountains by a cavalcade would have been a heart-breafcing task, if possible at all. Secessarlly It would have bean as slow as ox travel. And yet, as we shall soon see, it -was just at this juncture that the Spaniards were compelled to make the utmost haste. Moreover, it was at this very time that the kidnapped Indian "queen"s having led them into a trap, ran away, leaving the whit© ravt shears to get out of their mess by their own wits, if they could* But there was an alternative route, and I think a more probable one, provided Xuala was located on th© headwaters of the Second Broad River or th© Catawba, which may quite as well have been the case. One of the main arteries of travel for the mountain Cherokees, as far back as w© have any record, was the old Suwali trail, which ran from th© Kituwha country out over the Balsam Mountains, up th© Swanaaaoa River, through Swanaaaoa Gap, and down to the Suwali country, of which Xuala was a focus* Th© nam© Swanaaaoa, by th© way, is imply the whites* pronunciation of Suwall-Hunna, meaning Suwali Trail,
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Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).