A Bit of History
1791
Bartram Published
Although Bartram’s travels in Florida took place in 1774, his book “Travels” about his adventure was not published until 1791. Many readers at the time were skeptical about the accuracy of Bartram's descriptions of what was then an exotic part of the world. Who could believe that alligators could bellow and were so plentiful you could walk across the river on their backs if they were so foolish to do so. Critics were also skeptical of Bartram's sympathetic description of the Seminole Indians, which the prevailing view at the time that the Indians were primitive "savages." In addition to the Travels Bartram wrote other documents concerning his impressions of the southern Indians and the necessity of a humane public policy toward them.
The Great Sink We alighted in a pleasant vista, turning our horses to graze while we amused ourselves with exploring the borders of the Great Sink. In this place a group of rocky hills almost surrounds a large bason, which is the general receptacle of the water, draining from every part of the vast savanna by lateral conduits, winding about, and one after another joining the main creek or general conductor, which at length delivers them into this sink; where they descend by slow degrees, through rocky caverns, into the bowels of the earth, whence they are carried by secret subterraneous channels into other receptacles and basons.
In and about the Great Sink, are to be seen incredible numbers of crocodiles, some of which are of an enormous size, and view the passenger with incredible impudence and avidity; and at this time they are so abundant, that, if permitted by them, I could walk over any part of the bason and the river upon their heads, which slowly float and turn about like knotty chuncks or logs of wood, except when they plunge or shoot forward to beat off their associate.
By this time, the Indian village of Cuscowilla that Bartram had visited had been relocated to a site east of what is now Lake Wauburg and become known as Paynes Town named after the Cowkeeper's eldest surviving son, Payne. King Payne along with some escaped black slaves that had joined him were killed in 1812 by Daniel Newnan, a Colonel in the Georgia militia during the Patriot War. The large lake known in early times as Lake Pithlachocco located just east of what is now Gainesville was later renamed Newnans Lake. Paynes Town was destroyed by Tennessee Volunteers in 1813. Payne’s was succeeded as head chief by his brother Bolek or Bowlegs as the white people called him.