110 HISTORY OF himself, his companions, and the inhabitants of the whole Schoharie Valley, where the savages had determined to act over again the sad tragedies which had engraven desolation in characters of blood upon the beautiful, but unprotected valleys of Wyoming and Cherry, a couple of years before — were helieved. The rest of the prisoners were now let out of the pen, when Brant addressed them in English, telling them that the desti- nation of the expedition had been to lay waste Schoharie, and that his men were so highly irritated at its failure, that it had been with difficulty that he had saved them from being scalped : that if they would accompany him to Niagara, as prisoners of war, he would deliver them up to the English ; but if any of them failed by the way, they must not expect to live, as their scalps were as good to him as their bodies.* The line of march was now taken up. The prisoners were compelled to carry the plunder in packs, upon their backs. About ten or twelve miles from the settlement at Harpersfield, on the Dela- ware river, was a grist-mill, owned by one Calder,")" at which place the Indians made a halt, to obtain some refreshments.
- It was an act of the English government, allowing the same stipu-
lated sum for scalps as for prisoners, which we see acted as a direct inducement to the Indians to murder and scalp their victims, thereby being more certain of the bounty ; as prisoners, during the long journey to Niagara, had frequent opportunities of escape, which more than one party had improved. There is something so odious and disgusting in this act of parliament, that it is hard to reconcile it with their well known pretensions to an enlightened government. f The date of the erection of this mill I have been unable to learn ; but it is certain that it was standing in 1780. Some with whom I have conversed give the owner's name as Rose ; but Stephen Halt, Esq., of Stamford, whose father was an old settler, and who has taken pains to investigate the matter, gave me his name as Calder. This mill is said to have stood on lands owned by John B. Thomas, near Bloom- ville.
