Welsh Journals

(" Next Monday is to be held a fierce debate concerning the Madogion' — Dafydd Ddu [i.e., David Samwell], Gwilym Owain i.e., William Owen[-Pughe], and others to maintain that the legend is fact, Sion Ceiriog [i.e., John Edwards], on the authority of Dr. Robertson, Lord Littleton, and others, and Ned Môn' [i.e., Edward Jones], to prove the contrary ") There had been an earlier debate in March, for on the 23rd of that month David Samwell wrote the following letter, preserved in British Museum Additional MS. 14957:1 Gentlemen, Not having an opportunity of coming to the Society to-night I thought it would be agreeable to the members to be informed that Gwilym Owain and myself had an audience of General Bowles this morning and that his information places the existence of a race of Welsh Indians beyond all manner of doubt however extraordinary it may appear in the History of our Country, I am now clearly convinced of its being a fact. Genl. Bowles describes them as very numerous and the most warlike nation on the American Continent. They are situated on the river Missouri exactly as they are laid down in the best Maps under the name of Padougas, by which it is clear that they have preserved the name of Madog to this day. He supposes that they landed about the mouth of the river Mississippi. He says they have books among them tho' they can't read them. A Welshman not long ago passed through the middle of their country who had escaped from the Mines of Mexico whom he thinks is the only white man who has been among them for a great length of time. They keep unmixed in general, are different in complexion from the Aboriginal Inhabitants and many of them have Red Hair. He has not been in the country himself, but has been on the borders. His people the Creeks know them very well, it will not be a difficult matter for anyone to get into their country. I am, Gentlemen, Yr. very hble. David Samwell' William Davies Leathart cannot allow the controversy to pass without the following mention in his Origin and Progress of the Gwyneddigion Society (London, 1831): The discussion produced by the subject was too great a temptation for Dr. Samwell to pass unnoticed he produced a squib, called the Padouca Hunt', which was pub- lished in some of the magazines of the day, and was pronounced a very decent performance. Being in English, it was long the sport of both friends and members of the Society, for in it none were spared, and the speeches on both sides of the question were duly reported, with no small admixture of ridicule and point'. 'The Padouca Hunt' was printed in 1799, shortly after Samwell's death, in The Commercial and Agricultural Magazine. (London, Printed and published by Vaughan Griffiths, Paternoster Row), Vol. I. The references by Samwell in his text and footnotes to his visits to Otaheite, i.e. Tahiti, in 1777, and to Kamchatka in 1779 will be clear There is a facsimile in N.L.W. MS. 12864. 2 It was issued in facsimile in the Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmro- dorion as one of the illustrations to the present Editor's account of David Samwell.