.MTA3NQ.NzI2OTU
Indians, that these people have been styled "Welsh Indians". The great body of the people which are supposed to be Welsh Indians inhabit the country on the upper branches of the Missouri. They are generally called White Indians or Padoucas - Lieutenant Roberts's account of an interview which he had with an Indian Chief is very curious. "In the year 1801" says he "being at Washington in America, I happened to be at a hotel smoking my cigar, according to the custom of the country, and there was a young lad (a native of Wales) a waiter in the house, who displeased me by bringing me a glass of brandy and warm water instead of cold. I said to him jocosely, in Welsh "I'll give thee a good beating" There happened to be at the same time in the room one of the secondary Indian Chiefs, who, on my pronouncing these words, rose up in a great hurry stretching forth his hand at the same time - The chief said that it was likewise his language, and the language of his father and his mother and of his nation. I said to him "So it is the language of my father and mother and of my country" Upon which the Indian began to enquire from whence I came? I replied "From Wales" but he had never heard a word about such a place. I explained that Wales was a principality in a Kingdom called England. He had heard of England and of the English, but never of such a place as Wales. I asked him if there were any traditions among them, from whence their ancestors had come - He said there were and said that they had come from a far distant country
/*reviewed CDM Dec 2018*/