Listers may find excerpts from this old book interesting. Found it on Heritage Quest. Myrna Madigan Tuscola, IL The James Sprunt Historical Publications PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF The North Carolina Historical Society J. G. de Roulhac Hamilton, Editor Henry McGilbert Wagstaff, Editor VOL. 16 No. 1 CONTENTS: A COLONIAL HISTORY OF ROWAN COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL, PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY, 1917, RALEIGH Edwards & Broughton Printing Company BY: Samuel James Ervin, Jr. CO In part ~~ "The earliest visitor to this territory who recorded anything was John Lawson, the Surveyor-General of the Province of North Carolina. In December, 1700, accompanied by several other Englishmen and Indian guides, he left Charleston for an exploration of the northern province. His tour extended as far west as the section later erected into Rowan County. The land embracing the southern part of the county as it now stands and the counties to the south he described as "Pleasant savanna ground, high and dry, having very few trees upon it, and those standing at a great distance. The land was very good and free from grubs or underwood. A man near Sapona (the Yadkin) may more easily clear ten acres of ground than in some places he can one; there being much loose stone upon the land, lying very convenient for making of dry walls or any other sort of durable fence. The country abounds likewise with curious, bold creeks, navigable for small craft, disgorging themselves into the main rivers that vent themselves into the ocean. These creeks are well stored with sundry sorts of fish and fowl, and are very convenient for the transportation of what commodities this place may produce." Lawson continued his journey a few miles further north, passing through a country which he characterized as "a delicious country; none that I ever saw exceeds it." Fine bladed grass, six feet high, grew along the creeks, and the sepulchres of dead Indians were seen. Lawson found the town of the Sapona Indians located in an open field about a mile square on the fertile and pleasant banks of the Sapona River, as the Yadkin was then called. This town was near Trading Ford, a few miles east of the site of the present city of Salisbury. Trading Ford was so called because it was on the ancient Trading Path which traders from Virginia traveled at an early date in going to the Catawbas and other southern Indians. Lawson was delighted with the scenes around the Yadkin. He says: "This most pleasant river may be something broader than the Thames at Kingston, keeping a continual warbling noise, with its reverberating on the bright marble rocks. . . . One side of the river is hemmed in with mountainy ground, the other side proving as rich a soil as any this western world can afford. A numerous train of swan and other water fowl were on the stream and many small birds sang upon its banks." The travelers were entertained by the old king of the Saponas, who proved very friendly to the white men. Neighboring tribes of Indians were the Toteros, who inhabited the "westward mountains," and the Keyauwees, who dwelt in a village about forty miles west of Trading Ford. These three nations were small, and at that time were planning to combine in order to strengthen themselves and become formidable to their enemies. About ten days before Lawson's arrival among them the Saponas captured five northern Indians. Indians from the north ranged over the country and were a terror to the less warlike tribes of the south. The Saponas were preparing to put the captives to death with cruel torture, but released them upon the request of the Toteros, some of whom, when taken prisoners by the northern Indians a short time before, had been kindly treated and permitted to return to their own people. The old king of the Saponas took much pride in several horses which he owned. Lawson was highly pleased with the country. Every step, he declared, presented some new object to his view. Beavers, swan, geese, and deer were plentiful in the neighborhood of the Yadkin. During the stay of the explorers at Sapona town a party of the Toteros, "tall, likely men," came down from the west "having great plenty of buffaloes, elks, and bears with other sort of deer amongst them." One of the Indian doctors acquainted Lawson with a large quantity of medicines that were produced in those parts. After remaining several days at Sapona Lawson's party made a two days trip to the westward. The country became more mountainous and many streams were crossed. At a distance of some thirty or forty miles west of the Yadkin they reached the town of the Keyauwees, situated five miles northwest of a rocky river called the Heighwaree. Near the town was another stream. The land was "more mountainous, but extremely pleasant and an excellent place for the breeding (of) sheep, goats, and horses or mules," The valleys were very fertile. The village of the Keyauwees was encircled by high mountains, and large cornfields adjoined the cabins of the savages. No grass grew upon the high cliffs and the growth of trees upon them was sparse. The earth in this region was of a reddish color, which Lawson said signfied (sic) the presence of minerals. The Keyauwees received the travelers with hospitality, Lawson lodged at the house of Keyauwees Jack, a Congaree Indian, who had obtained the chieftainship through marriage with the queen, for among the Indians descent was counted on the female side. The Keyauwees were unique in that most of them wore mustaches or whiskers a habit rarely practiced by Indians. Two or three days were spent with the Keyauwees. Most of the members of Lawson's party desired to go straightway to Virginia, but he was determined to continue his course to the coast of North Carolina. He and one companion, therefore, bade farewell to the rest of the group. On the third day's journey, after passing over many waters and through rich lands, they reached the Haw River, whence they made their way to the coast of the province. Lawson did not penetrate the wilderness as far westward as the Catawba nation. Nor did he learn anything of the powerful Cherokees who lived beyond the mountains and who at a future date were to make incursions into the settlements, bringing devastation and destruction with them. The Saponas, Keyauwees, and Toteros combined with several small tribes and removed to Virginia soon after Lawson's departure. After dwelling in Virginia, a few miles north of the Roanoke, for twenty-five years, they returned to Carolina and lived with the Catawbas.