Page:American Historical Review, Volume 12.djvu/341

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Na7'rative of a Voyage to Mar-yla7id, Tyo^-ijo6 331 and six charges of Powder and shott. [6] I desired it might be wheyed which was done and itt wheyed verry neere 49 Pounds, he told me if I would stay all night wee should have itt for supper. I did and there hapned to come in more company, wee were Mighty merry and never eat Part of any turkie that ever Pleased me Better and in Discourceing over this Turkie there was a Planter there that told me he matt with a gang of Turkies in the Woods about a twelvemonth before and there was one that was so big and fatt that could nott ffly. he shott and Killd a Couple of 'em and the rest all flew away butt them that he killed and that that was so fatt it could nott fly 20 yards together he followed and att last overcame itt and tooke it alive and presented itt to Major Greenbury. he cutt the wings and putt itt in the yard amongst his tame Turkies butt it Droopt and would not Keepe company with the tame Turkeys so afTter keeping itt alone a fortnight they Kild itt and itt wheyed 63 pounds and did beleive itt had waisted itt selfe verry much affter itt was taken. I have seene mighty gangs of these Turkies in the woods as I have bin Rideing and there is varst numbers of 'em kild every yeare. they are exterordinary Victualle butt indeed the hinder Parts are verry Course and so they are of tame Turkies for I think the Leg of a tame Turkie is as Course as a Peice of Neck Beefe tho the Turkie be never so fatt. I have seene some when they have walked above 4 foot and y, high, some times there Eggs have bin found in the woods and brought home and hatcht under other Turkies that have satt att the same time and also brought to perfection butt when they come to grow up would nott keep company with the other tame Turkies butt wander about by themselves nor never be so brisk as the Plantation Turkies are. I heard of a Planter that took Notice of a Gang of Turkies that used to come into his Corne feild every Morning for he had some Corne in a Tobacco house and they used to pick up the Corne that was Scatter'd about the Tobacco house, so he takeing notice of their frequent comeing every morning he resolved to entrap 'em. [7] so one evening goes into his Corne feild and Scatters a little Corne all allong the path way up to the tobacco house and allso into the house and in the Midle of the house leaves a good heap and leaves open the Doore and goes and lyes in the tobacco house him selfe and makes fast a string to the Doore so that he Could pull it two when he pleas'd. in the Morning before sunn Rise he began to heare his wellcom Guests which att last came Running one before the other Picking up the Corne as the[y] found upon the Ground till att last comeing to the Tobacco house Doore they were a little shy att first of entring butt att last the Master of the Gang ventures by little and little tell they came all Inn and gott to the Great heap which was laid on purpose for 'em to feast on without Cerrimony, when on a suddan the Major Domo pulls too the Doore and secures his new Guests. Downe he comes and apeares amongst em. butt they being alltogether straingers to such sort of attendance would fain have made their Exitt butt truly the Landlord AM. HIST. REV., VOL. XII. — 22.