family occupying it, that six or eight miles below, there was a path leading from the river direct to Marietta, which was a nearer and better way than they had been accustomed to travel, by the mouth of that river. When they came to the path which had been recommended, it was late in the afternoon, and the clouds threatened rain; they determined, however, to take it, and proceeded on their journey. As long as daylight lasted they succeeded very well, but night soon came on, and it became so extremely dark that it was almost impossible to keep the path, which was covered with fallen leaves. This induced some of the party to call a halt, and propose to stop and encamp for the night; but the majority determined to proceed, and that one at a time should dismount, and lead the way on foot, relying on the sense of feeling to keep the path. This plan was adopted, and the party went on slowly.

Some time after midnight, Mr. B. was on foot, leading his horse, in front, and feeling for the path, when he stepped down a precipice about three feet; his horse being frightened, suddenly drew back, and prevented him from falling. On regaining his former position, it was ascertained that a little in the rear of that precipice, the path turned to the left at nearly a right angle, and went down a sidelong hill some fifty feet or more, to a creek, which proved to be Wolf creek. On the opposite bank, it was ascertained by the barking of dogs, that there was an inhabited cabin, into which, after many entreaties and multiplied assurances that they were honest, peaceable travelers, they were admitted, and sheltered for the residue of the night. The next morning, a ride of twelve miles took the party to Marietta.

After the close of the Term, Mr. B. with two or three of the party, returned home by the same route. When they arrived at Wolf creek, and he saw, that within three feet of the small precipice, from which he had stepped in the dark, there was another, almost perpendicular, down to the bed of the creek, and saw the tops of the trees immediately below,

into which a step or two more would have carried him, his feelings may be imagined, but cannot be described.

Such excursions were frequent during the first twelve or thirteen years after the settlement of the Territory began; and although they were attended with privation and exposure, and often with great personal danger, yet they were not destitute of interest, or amusement. The exploration of the rich, luxuriant forest and prairie, through which they passed, could not fail to produce the most pleasurable sensations. The opportunity of learning the habits, and mode of living, of the Aborigines, and of studying the peculiarities of their character, was a matter of interest to every traveler; and scarcely a day passed without some occurrence of an amusing or instructive nature.

On one of the journeys of the Court and Bar, to Detroit, they arrived at the Ottawa town, on the Auglaize, about the middle of the day, and accepted an invitation to remain there till the next morning. Blue Jacket, the Shawnee chief, who commanded in the battle of the 20th of August, 1794, resided at that village, but was then absent. The party, however, were received very kindly by the venerable old Delaware chief Bu-kon-ge-he-las, whose name has been given to a fine mill-stream in Logan county. He was one of the chiefs who negotiated the treaty at the mouth of the Big Miami, with General George R. Clark, in 1786, in which his name is written Bo-hon-ghe-lass.

In the course of the afternoon he got up a game of football, for the amusement of his guests, in the true aboriginal style. He selected two young men to get a purse of trinkets made up, to be the reward of the successful party. That matter was soon accomplished, and the whole village, male and female, in their best attire, were on the lawn; which was a beautiful plain of four or five acres, in the center of the village, thickly set in blue grass. At each of the opposite extremes of this lawn, two stakes were set up, about six feet apart.

The men played against the women; and to countervail the superiority of their strength, it was a rule of the game, that they were not to touch the ball with their hands on the penalty of forfeiting the purse; while the females had the privilege of using their hands as well as their feet; they were allowed to pick up the ball and run and throw it as far as their strength and activity would permit. When a squaw succeeded in getting the ball, the men were allowed to seize -whirl her round, and if necessary, throw her on the grass for the purpose of disengaging the ball-taking care not to touch it except with their feet.

The contending parties arranged themselves in the center of the lawn-the men on one side and the women on the other each party facing the goal of their opponents. The side which succeeded in driving the ball through the stakes, at the goal of their adversaries, were proclaimed victors, and received the purse, to be divided among them.

All things being ready, the old chief came on the lawn, and saying something in the Indian language not understood by his guests, threw up the ball between the lines of the combatants and retired; when the contest began. The parties were pretty fairly matched as to numbers, having about a hundred on a side, and for a long time the game appeared to be doubtful. The young squaws were the most active of their party, and most frequently caught the ball; when it was amusing to see the struggle between them and the young men, which generally terminated in the prostration of the squaw upon the grass, before the ball could be forced from her hand.

The contest continued about an hour, with great animation and various prospects of success; but was finally decided in favor of the fair sex, by the herculean strength of a mammoth squaw, who got the ball and held it, in spite of the efforts of the men to shake it from the grasp of her uplifted hand, till she approached the goal, near enough to throw it through the stakes.

When the contending parties had retired from the strife, it was pleasant to see the exultation expressed in the faces of the victors, whose joy was manifestly increased by the circumstance that the victory was won in the presence of white men, whom they supposed to be highly distinguished and honored in their nation; a conclusion very natural for them to draw, as they knew the business on which their guests were journeying to Detroit. The party spent the night very pleasantly in the village, and in the morning resumed their journey.

On their outward trip they took the route by Dayton, Piqua, Loramie's, St. Mary's, and the Ottawa town, on the Auglaize, and from thence down that river, to Defiance; thence to the foot of the Rapids, and thence by River Raisin to Detroit; but on their return from Detroit, they crossed the Maumee river at Roche de Bœuf, by the advice of Black Beard, a personal friend of Judge Symmes, who lived in that neighborhood, and with whom the party breakfasted. As a matter of precaution, they hired his son to accompany them, in the capacity of a guide. He led them through a succession of wet prairies, over some of which it was impossible to ride, and it was with great difficulty they were able to lead, or drive their horses through the deep mud which surrounded them on all sides. After two days and a half of incessant toil and difficulty, they arrived at the same village in which they had been so kindly treated, and so much amused, on their outward trip. To their great mortification and disappointment, they were informed that Blue Jacket had returned from Cincinnati a day or two before, with a large quantity of whiskey, and that his people were in a high frolick. This information was soon confirmed, by the discovery, that the whole village, male and female, were drunk. The party, however, were received with great kindness, but it was in a style they were not disposed to permit.

An old withered looking squaw, very drunk, was ex

tremely officious. Knowing that Mr. St. Clair, one of the party, was the attorney general of the Territory, and son of the Governor, her attentions were principally conferred upon him—she kissed him, and exclaimed "You big manGovernor's son," then turning to the rest of the party, said with marked contempt, "You be milish," and then kissed Mr. St. Clair again. It was certainly one of those rare occasions, on which men of sensibility and delicacy, feel the advantage of being placed at a low grade, on the scale of dignity.

It was manifestly impossible to remain in the village, and the only alternative was to proceed on their journey. It was then late in the afternoon; they were much fatigued, and had a wet swampy path of twelve miles to pass over, to the St. Mary's, through a valley swarming with gnats and mosquitoes. It was a choice of evils; but as there was no room to hesitate, they saddled their horses and started. Night overtook them in the middle of the swamp. There being no moon, and the forest very dense, it was found impossible to keep the path, much less to see and avoid the quagmires on every side. They had no alternative, and were compelled to halt till morning. To lie down was impossible, from the nature of the ground; and to sleep was still more difficult, as they were surrounded with gnats and mosquitoes. After remaining in that uncomfortable condition, five or six hours, expecting every moment their horses to break away, day-light made its appearance for their relief. About sunrise they arrived at the old fort, Adams, at the crossing of the St. Mary's, then occupied by Charles Murray and his squaw, where they got breakfast, and proceeded on their way to Cincinnati.

Journeys of a similar character were of frequent occurrence during the continuance of the Territorial government, and for some years after. But it is not proposed to detain