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Early Western Travels
[Vol. i

give information of us to a party; so that we were sure they followed us.

16th and 17th.—We crossed the mountain.

18th.—Came to the Big Island, where having nothing to live on, we were obliged to stay to hunt.

19th.—We met 20 warriors, who were returning from the inhabitants, with five prisoners and one scalp; six of them were Delawares, the rest Mingoes. We sat down all in one ring together. I informed them where I had been, and what was done; they asked me to go back a little, and so I did, and slept all night with them. I informed them of the particulars of the peace proposed; they said, "If they had known so much before, they would not have gone to war. Be strong; if you make a good peace, then we will bring all the prisoners back again." They killed two deer, and gave me one.

20th.—We took leave of each other, and went on our journey, and arrived the 22d at fort Augusta, in the afternoon, very weary and hungry; but greatly rejoiced of our return from this tedious journey.

There is not a prouder, or more high minded people, in themselves, than the Indians. They think themselves the wisest and prudentest men in the world; and that they can over-power both the French and English when they please. The white people are, in their eyes, nothing at all. They say, that through their conjuring craft they can do what they please, and nothing can withstand them. In their way of fighting they have this method, to see that they first shoot the officers and commanders; and then, they say, we shall be sure to have them. They also say, that if their conjurers run through the middle of our people, no bullet can hurt them. They say too, that when they have shot the commanders, the soldiers