CHAP. I. Indians, who informed him that the French had dispossessed a party of workmen employed by the Ohio Company to erect a fort 1754. about sixty miles from Venango, near N. N. W.: the rest lies on Lake Erie, where the greater part of their stores are kept, about fifteen miles from the other. From this it is one hundred and twenty miles to the carrying-place, at the falls of Lake Erie, where there is a small fort which they lodge their goods at in bringing them from Montreal, the place from whence all their stores are brought. The next fort lies about twenty miles from this, on Ontario Lake. Between this fort and Montreal there are three others, the first of which is nearly opposite to the English fort Oswego. From the fort on Lake Erie to Montreal is about six hundred miles; which, they say, requires no more (if good weather) than four weeks voyage, if they go in barks or large vessels, so that they may cross the lake: but if they come in canoes, it will require five or six weeks, for they are obliged to keep under the shore. 5th. Rained excessively all day, which prevented our travelling. Captain Joncaire sent for the half king, as he had but just heard that he came with me. He affected to be much concerned that I did not make free to bring them in before. I excused it in the best manner of which I was capable, and told him I did not think their company agreeable, as I had heard him say a good deal in dispraise of Indians in general. But another motive prevented me from bringing them into his company. I knew that he was an interpreter, and a person of very great influence among the Indians, and had lately used all possible means to draw them over to his interest; therefore I was desirous of giving him no opportunity that could be avoided. When they came in there was great pleasure expressed at seeing them. He wondered how they could be so near without coming to visit him; made several trifling presents; and applied liquor so fast, that they were soon rendered incapable of the business they came about, notwithstanding the caution which was given. 6th. The half king came to my tent, quite sober, and insisted very much that I should stay and hear what he had to say to the French. I fain would have prevented him from speaking any thing till he came to the commandant, but could not prevail. He told me, that at this place a council-fire was kindled, where all heir business with these people was to be transacted; and that the management of the Indian affairs was left solely to Monsieur Joncaire. As I was desirous of knowing fort on the south-eastern branch of the Ohio, and were themselves then engaged in completing a fortification at the conflu ence CHAP. I. 1754 knowing the issue of this, I agreed to stay; but sent our horses a little way up French-Creek to raft over and encamp, which I knew would make it near night. About ten o'clock they met in council. The king spoke much the same as he had before done to the general; and offered the French speech-belt which had before been demanded, with the marks of four towns on it, which Monsieur Joncaire refused to receive, but desired him to carry it to the fort to the commander. 7th. Monsieur La Force, commissary of the French stores, and three other soldiers came over to accompany us up. We found it extremely difficult to get the Indians off to-day, as every stratagem had been used to prevent their going up with me. I had last night left John Davidson (the Indian interpreter) whom I brought with me from town, and strictly charged him not to be out of their company, as I could not get them over to my tent; for they had some business with Kustaloga, chiefly to know why he did not deliver up the French belt which he had in keeping. But I was obliged to send Mr. Gist over to-day to fetch them; which he did with great persuasion. At twelve o'clock we set out for the fort, and were prevented from arriving there until the 11th, by excessive rains, snows, and bad travelling through many mires and swamps. Those we were obliged to pass to avoid crossing the creek, which was impossible either by fording or rafting, the water was so high and rapid. We went over much good land since we passed Venango, and through several extensive and very rich meadows, one of which I believe was nearly four miles in length, and considerably wide in some places. 12th. I prepared to wait upon the commander early, and was received and conducted to him by the second officer in command. I acquainted him with my business, and offered my commission and letter; both of which he desired me to keep until the arrival of Monsieur Reparti, captain at the next fort, who was sent for, and expected every hour. This commander is a knight of the military order of St. Lewis, and named Legardeur de St. Pierre. He is an elderly gentleman, and has much the air of a soldier. He was sent over to take the command immediately upon the death of the late general, and arrived here about seven days before me. At CHAP. L ence of the Aleghany and Monongahela rivers; and that a detachment from that place was then on its march towards the 1754 Great At two o'clock the gentleman who was sent for arrived, when I offered the letter, &c. again, which they received, and adjourned into a private apartment for the captain to translate, who understood a little English. After he had done it, the commander desired I would walk in, and bring my interpreter to peruse and correct it; which I did. 13th. The chief officers retired to hold a council of war; which gave me an opportunity of taking the dimensions of the fort, and making what observations I could. It is situated on the south or west fork of French-Creek, near the water, and is almost surrounded by the creek, and a small branch of it which forms a kind of island. Four houses compose the sides; the bastions are made of piles driven into the ground, standing more than twelve feet above it, and sharp at top, with port-holes cut for cannon, and loop-holes for the small arms to fire through. There are eight six-pound pieces mounted in each bastion, and one piece of four pound before the gate. In the bastions are a guard-house, chapel, doctor's lodging, and the commander's private store; round which are laid platforms for the cannon and men to stand on. There are several barracks without the fort, for the soldiers' dwelling, covered, some with bark, and some with boards, made chiefly with logs. There are also several other houses, such as stables, smiths' shop, &c. I could get no certain account of the number of men here; but, according to the best judgment I could form, there are a hundred, exclusive of officers, of which there are many. I also gave orders to the people who were with me, to take an exact account of the canoes which were hauled up, to convey their forces down in the spring. This they did, and told fifty of birch bark, and a hundred and seventy of pine, besides many others which were blocked out in readiness for being made. 14th. As the snow increased very fast, and our horses daily became weaker, I sent them off unloaded, under the care of Barnaby Currin, and two others, to make all convenient dispatch to Venango, and there to wait our arrival, if there was a prospect of the river's freezing: if not, then to continue down to Shanapinstown, at the forks of the Ohio, and there to wait until we came to cross the Alcg hany; Great Meadows. Open hostilities had not yet commenced, but the country was considered as invaded; and several circum stances CHAP. I. 1754. hany; intending myself to go down by water, as I had the offer of a canoe or two. As I found many plots concerted to retard the Indians' business, and prevent their returning with me, I endeavoured all that lay in my power to frustrate their schemes, and hurried them on to execute their intended design. They accordingly pressed for admittance this evening; which at length was granted them, privately, to the commander and one or two other officers. The half king told me that he offered the wampum to the commander, who evaded taking it, and made many fair promises of love and friendship; said he wanted to live in peace and trade amicably with them,—as a proof of which, he would send some goods immediately down to the Loggs-Town for them. But I rather think the design of that is, to bring away all our straggling traders they meet with, as I privately understood they intended to carry an officer, &c. with them. And what rather confirms this opinion, I was inquiring of the commander by what authority he had made prisoners of several English subjects. He told me that the country belonged to them; that no Englishman had a right to trade upon those waters; and that he had orders to make every person prisoner who attempted it on the Ohio or the waters of it. gene I inquired of Captain Riparti about the boy that was carried by this place, as it was done while the command devolved on him, between the death of the late ral and the arrival of the present. He acknowledged that a boy had been carried past, and that the Indians had two or three white men's scalps (I was told at Venango eight), but pretended to have forgotten the name of the place where the boy came from, and all the particular facts, though he had questioned him for some hours as they were carrying him past. I likewise inquired what they had done with John Trotter, and James Mac Clochlan, two Pennsylvania traders, whom they had taken, with all their goods. They told me that they had been sent to Canada, but were now returned home. This evening I'received an answer to his honour the Governor's letter, from the commandant. 15th. The commandant ordered a plentiful store of liquor, provisions, &c. to be put on board our canoe, and appeared to be extremely complaisant, though he VOL. II. D was CHAP. I. 1754. stances were related contributing to the opinion that this party was approaching with hostile views. Among others it was stated that was exerting every artifice which he could invent to set our Indians at variance with us, to prevent their going till after our departure: presents, rewards, and every thing which could be suggested by him or his officers. I cannot say that ever in my life I suffered so much anxiety as I did in this affair. I saw that every stratagem which the most fruitful brain could invent was practised to win the half king to their interest; and that leaving him there was giving them the opportunity they aimed at. I went to the half king and pressed him in the strongest terms to go. He told me that the commandant would not discharge him till the morning. I then went to the commandant and desired him to do their business, and complained of ill-treatment; for keeping them, as they were part of my company, was detaining me. This he promised not to do, but to forward my journey as much as he could. He protested he did not keep them, but was ignorant of the cause of their stay; though I soon found it out. He had promised them a present of guns, &c. if they would wait till the morning. As I was very much pressed by the Indians to wait this day for them, I consented, on a promise that nothing should hinder them in the morning. 16th. The French were not slack in their inventions to keep the Indians this day also. But as they were obliged, according to promise, to give the present, they then endeavoured to try the power of liquor, which I doubt not would have prevailed at any other time than this: but I urged and insisted with the king so closely upon his word, that he refrained, and set off with us as he had engaged. We had a tedious and very fatiguing passage down the creek. Several times we had like to have been staved against rocks; and many times were obliged all hands to get out and remain in the water half an hour or more, getting over the shoals. At one place the ice had lodged, and made it impassable by water; we were therefore obliged to carry our canoe across the neck of land, a quarter of a mile We did not reach Venango till the 22d, where we met with our horses. This creek is extremely crooked. I dare say the distance between the Fort and Venango cannot be less than one hundred and thirty miles, to follow the meanders. 23d. When I got things ready to set off, I sent for the half king, to know whe ther |