Social distancing

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DID YOU KNOW that Jacques Boyd, who sailed into Charles Towne with his brother and other French Protestant refugees on 28 Mar 1696, wrote a letter describing his sea voyage and his trip from Charles Towne up the Ashley River and then to the Edisto River to meet with Governor Joseph Morton to find out where they were to settle. After the meeting, Boy wrote that they “reunited with our Indian city to ask them to lead us to our boat. We saw one of them very far from the others who would not come near us. We found out why. They told us that in going hunting a cat had pissed on him. I have since found out what that means and someone told me that there is in this country a type of little wild cat which finding itself cornered, pisses on the hunters if he can and the stink is so peculiar that it can be smelt almost half a mile in open country. It is so disagreeable that you are not able to stand yourself and it is no longer possible to think of wearing clothing which has one time been stained by it.” Bates & Leland, French Santee 367.