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happy life, every morning about day light and also every evening (doubtless from the phylactery sentences? of the Jews, which they repeat morning & evening) Nutrawi Thomas Smith. While there in the wilderness they were directed to erect a certain building. This had four posts, held together by joists?, & was covered with a cloth made of deers hair & turkey feathers. This was taken down when they travelled & set up when they stopped. The wilderness they had to pass through was very dreadful. At one time they came where there were many very poisonous serpents, and many of the people died of their bite. At another time they came to a place where was no water, they searched in all the low places & dug with their staves? but could find none. At length their leader found a beautiful spring issuing out of a rock. At another time while in that wilderness, some of the people were walking along in single file, and the ground split open under them, so that they fell in & the ground then closed upon them and shut them in. In short the old men said the wilderness was so dreadful they never could have got through if the Lord had not led them. As it was, a great part died before they got to the country which God had given them. The Lord had told them that just before getting to their country they would have a large river to cross. On coming to this river their leader struck the water with a rod, and the water above stood in a heap, while that below ran off, and the people then went over on dry ground. When all were over, the water above flowed down as before. They then settled down, and called the town where they first stopped Tah mi too? (This however is not a Cherokee word & no one knows its meaning). After they settled in that country they had a very great king who was also a preacher & taught the people many things. He was not however equal to one they had before the flood. The old men say that long ago, no one can tell how long, they had a peculiar priest named, Moses, and have had none equal to him since. He told what had been done from the creation, and what was to be hereafter, - directed them how to make their kings and priests, appointed all their feasts & religious ceremonies, & directed how to observe them, and commanded them to obey his instructions forever. (This priest was doubtless the same as their leader through the wilderness, as he seems to have lived at the same period i.e. in the remotest ages of their national existence) While passing through that wilderness God handed down fire from heaven, which they were always to keep burning, & with which were to offer all their