Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (Vol 1 1904).djvu/233

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1758]
Post's Journals
227

made a draught, and shewed me how they were surrounded with war. Then I told them, if they would be quiet, and keep at a distance, they need not fear. Then they went away, very much ashamed, one after another. I told my men, that we must make haste and go; accordingly we set off, in the afternoon, from Kushkushkee, and came ten miles.

9th.—We took a little foot-path hardly to be seen. We left it, and went through thick bushes, till we came to a mire, which we did not see, till we were in it; and Tom Hickman fell in, and almost broke his leg. We had hard work before we could get the horse out again. The Lord helped me, that I got safe from my horse. I and Pisquetumen had enough to do to come through. We passed many such places: it rained all day; and we got a double portion of it, because we received all that hung on the bushes. We were as wet as if we were swimming all the day; and at night we laid ourselves down in a swampy place to sleep, where we had nothing but the heavens for our covering.

10th.—We had but little to live on. Tom Hickman shot a deer on the road. Every thing here, upon the Ohio, is extremely dear, much more so than in Pennsylvania: I gave for one dish of corn four hundred and sixty wampum. They told me that the Governor of fort Duquesne kept a store of his own, and that all the Indians must come and buy the goods of him; and when they come and buy, he tells them, if they will go to war, they shall have as much goods as they please. Before I set off, I heard further, that a French captain who goes to all the Indian towns[1] came to Sacunck, and said, "Children,
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  1. He was sent to collect the Indians together, to attack General Forbes's army, once more, on their march.—[C. T.?]