Newota had always objected to trading with the white merchants, so this was his first visit to Wrightsborough. Before arriving, he and Kindred had discussed what would be a fair but advantageous arrangement and decided that Kindred should speak for him with Bartram. Newota preferred not to bargain, but before the negotiation was completed, Bartram insisted on talking directly to him, to test his ability to speak both in English and in the Creek and Cherokee dialects. For three weeks of his services as interpreter and assistant, Kindred arranged for Newota to receive a generous supply of iron cooking utensils, needles, two knives and some other tools, and a compass. Bartram also offered a small illustrated book, a copy already owned by Kindred, about the plants found in the colonies. Newota could not read it but hoped someday to learn.

Along with the biologist’s group of about twenty men, there were an almost equal number of British surveyors, plus the Creek and Cherokee leaders and their attendants. Without any discussion, it was understood that Emistisiguo would be speaking for the Indians. After extensive discussions, spokesmen for the different factions had decided to proceed northward for about three days to a place known as the Great Salt Lick, a deposit of what appeared to be chalk, that was well known to all the tribesmen. Covering several acres, the place was heavily frequented by all kinds of wild animals, and both the Creeks and Cherokees came there to obtain the white earth, which they believed to have nutritional and medicinal benefits. Bartram wanted to obtain a sample of the material, and the Indians insisted on the place as a known point of departure for the survey.

The British surveyors also decided to establish the Great Salt Lick as a geographical benchmark from which other points on their maps could be determined. Kindred was interested in this process, and a young lieutenant named Craddock seemed eager to show off his knowledge of surveying. He was especially proud of a new sextant, with which accurate angles between heavenly bodies could be determined.

“To determine our latitude, or distance above the equator, we merely have to determine how high the North Star is above the horizon and make a small adjustment,” he explained.

Kindred replied, “I understand this, but how about east and west?”

“You know the sun moves fifteen degrees westward every hour, so what we need is an accurate clock to determine how far we are from Greenwich, England. This is an almost impossible problem for ships at sea, but we can do fairly well on land, where our telescopes can be held without movement.”

He paused, and Kindred nodded.