Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney

was obtained, was of opinion that the event occurred when his mother was a little girl, say about 1795, but it must have been earlier. The locations are all in Swain county, North Carolina. Tikwali'tsi town was on Tuckasegee river, at the present Bryson City, immediately below and adjoining the more important town of Kituhwa. Deep creek enters the Tuckasegee from the north, about a mile above Bryson City. The place where the trail crossed is called Uniga'yata`ti'yi, "Where they made a fish trap," a name which may have suggested the simile used by the story teller. The place where the Cherokee crossed, above Deep creek, is called Uniyâ'hitûñ'yi, "Where they shot it." The cliff over which the prisoners were thrown is called Kala'asûñyi, "Where he fell off," near Cold Spring knob, west of Deep creek. The Cherokee halted for a night at Agitsta`ti'yi, "Where they staid up all night," a few miles beyond, on the western head fork of Deep creek. They passed Kûnstûtsi'yi, "Sassafras place," a gap about the head of Noland creek, near Clingman's dome, and finally gave up the pursuit where the trail crossed into Tennessee, at a gap on the main ridge, just below Clingman's dome, known as Duniya'`tâ`lûñ'yi, "Where there are shelves," so called from an exposure of flat rock on the top of the ridge (see the glossary). Magic arts--It is almost superfluous to state that no Indian war party ever started out without a vast deal of conjuring and "making medicine" to discover the whereabouts and strength of the enemy and to insure victory and safe return to the departing warriors. Wait for death--The Indian usually meets inevitable fate with equanimity, and more than once in our Indian wars an aged warrior or helpless woman, unable to escape, has sat down upon the ground, and, with blanket drawn over the head, calmly awaited the fatal bullet or hatchet stroke.