Thomas was obliged to accept a
lot of second-hand law books in lieu of other payment. How well he
made use of them is evident from his subsequent service in the state
senate and in other official capacities. *
Soon after entering upon his duties he attracted the notice of Yon-
aguska. or Drowning-bear (Ya'na-giin'ski, "Bear-drowning-him"), the
acknowledged chief of all the, Cherokee then living on the waters of
Tin kasegee and Oconaluftee — the old Kituhwa country. On learning
that the boy had neither father nor brother, the old chief formally
adopted him as his son. and as such he was thenceforth recognized in
the tribe under the name of Wil-Usdi', or "Little Will." he being of
small stature even in mature age. From his Indian friends, particu-
larly a boy of the same age who was his companionin' the -tore, he
learned the language as well as a white man has ever learned it. so that
in his dec lining years it dwelt in memory more strongly than his
mother tongue. After the invention of the Cherokee alphabet, he
learned also to read and write the language,,
In L819 the lands on Tuckasegee and its branches were sold by the
BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY NINETEENTH ANNUAL REPORT PL. IX
COL. W. H. THOMAS WIL-USDI'i
Ft photogra 1 1858 kindly loaned by Capt. James \v. Terrell)
WILLIAM II. THOMAS L61
Indian-, and Thomas's mother soon after removed from Waj nes^ ille to
a farm which she purchased on the west bank of Oconaluf tee, opposite
the month of Soco, where her son went to live with her, having now
--ft up in business lor himself at Qualla. Ybnaguska and