them what they wanted. They gave no answer, but continued beating and trying to get the door open. Judge then the condition I must be in, knowing the merciless disposition of the savages, should I fall into their hands! To escape which dreadful misfortune, having my gun loaded in my hand, I threatened them with death if they did not desist. But how vain and fruitless are the efforts of one man against the united force of so many !-and of such blood-thirsty monsters as I had here to deal with. One of them that could speak a little English, threatened me in return, that if I did not come out, they would burn me alive in the house; telling me further, what I unhappily per. ceived, that they were no friends to the English, but if I would come out and surrender myself prisoner, they would not kill me. My terror and distraction at hearing this is not to be expressed in words, nor easily imagined by any person unless in the same condition. Distracted as I was in such deplorable circumstances, I chose to rely on the uncertainty of their promises, rather than meet with certain death by rejecting them, and accordingly went out of the house with my gun in my hand, not knowing what I did, or that I had it. Immediately on my approach, they rushed on me like so many tigers, and instantly disarmed me. Having me thus in their power, the merciless villains bound me to a tree near the door: they then went into the house, and plundered and destroyed everything there was in it, carrying off what moveables they could; the rest, together with the house, which they set on fire, was consumed before my eyes!

"The savages, not satisfied with this, set fire to my barn, stable, and out-houses, wherein were about two hundred bushels of wheat, six cows, four horses, and five sheep, which underwent the same fate, being all en

tirely consumed to ashes. During the conflagration, to describe the thoughts, the fears, and misery that I felt, is utterly impossible, as it is even now to mention what I feel at the recollection of the horrid circumstance.

66 Having thus finished the execrable business about which they came, one of the monsters approached me with a tomahawk in his hand, threatening me with the worst of deaths if I would not willingly go with them, and be contented with their way of living. This I seemingly agreed to, promising to do everything for them that lay in my power; trusting to Providence for the time when I might be delivered out of their hands. Upon this they untied me, and gave me a great load to carry, under which I travelled all that night with them, full of the most terrible apprehensions, and oppressed with the greatest anxiety of mind, lest my unhappy wife should likewise have fallen a victim to these cruel monsters! At daybreak, my infernal masters ordered me to lay down my load, when tying my hands again round a tree with a small cord, they forced the blood out at my fingers' ends. They then kindled a fire near the tree whereto I was bound, which filled me with the most dreadful agonies, concluding I was going to be made a sacrifice to their barbarity.

"The fire being made, they for some time danced round me after their manner, with various odd motions and antic gestures, whooping, hollowing, and crying in a frightful manner, as is their custom. Having satisfied themselves in this sort of their mirth, they proceeded in a more tragical manner-taking the burning sticks, flaming with fire at the ends, holding them to my face, head, hands, and feet, with monstrous pleasure and satisfaction, and at the same time threatened to burn me entirely if I made the least noise, or cried out. At length, they sat down round the fire, and

roasted the meat of which they had robbed my dwelling. When they had prepared it, and satisfied their voracious appetites, they offered some to me: though it may easily be imagined I had but little appetite to eat after the tortures and miseries I had undergone, yet I was forced to seem pleased with what they offered me, lest by refusing it they should be inclined to resume their hellish practices.

"When the sun was set, they put out the fire, and covered the ashes with leaves, according to their custom, that the white people might not discover any traces or signs of them.

Proceeding from thence along by the Susquehanna for the space of six miles, loaded as I was before, we arrived at a spot near the Apalatin Mountains or Blue Hills, where they hid their plunder under logs of wood. From thence did these monsters proceed to a neighbouring house, occupied by one Jacob Snider and his family, consisting of his wife, five children, and a young man his servant. They soon got admittance into the unfortunate man's house, where they immediately, without the least remorse, scalped both parents and children, plundered the house of everything that was moveable, and set fire to the same, where the poor creatures met their final doom amidst the flames.

"Thinking the young man belonging to this unfortunate family might be of use to them in carrying part of their plunder, they spared his life, and loaded him and myself with what they had here got, and again marched to the Blue Hills, where they secreted their booty as before. My fellow-sufferer could not long bear the cruel treatment which we were both obliged to suffer, and complaining bitterly to me of his being unable to proceed further, I endeavoured to console

him as much as lay in my power, as well as to encourage him to bear up under his afflictions, and wait with patience till we should be delivered out of their hands; but all in vain; he still continued his moans and tears, which one of the savages perceiving as we travelled along, instantly came up to us, and with his tomahawk gave him a blow on the head, which felled the unhappy youth to the ground, when they immediately scalped and left him.

66

When provisions became scarce they made their way towards the Susquehanna, where, still to add to the barbarities they had committed, passing near another house, inhabited by an old man, whose name was John Adams, with his wife and four small children, and meeting with no resistance, they immediately scalped the unfortunate mother and her children before the unhappy old man's eyes; when they proceeded in their hellish purpose of burning and destroying the house, barn, corn, hay, cattle, and everything the miserable man, a few hours before, was master of. Having saved what they thought proper from the flames, they gave the old man, feeble, weak, and in the miserable condition to which they had reduced him, as well as myself, burdens to carry; and loading themselves likewise with bread and meat, pursued their journey towards the Great Swamp, where being arrived, they lay for eight or nine days, sometimes diverting themselves in exercising the most barbarous cruelties on their unhappy victim, the old man. One night after he had been thus tormented, whilst he and I were sitting together, condoling each other, twenty-five other Indians arrived, bringing with them twenty scalps and three prisoners, who had unfortunately fallen into their hands in Cannocojigge, a small town near the river Susque

hanna, chiefly inhabited by the Irish. These prisoners gave us some shocking accounts of the murders and devastations committed in their parts. This party, who now joined us, had it not, I found, in their power to commence their wickedness so soon as those who had visited my habitation, the first of their tragedies taking place on the 25th of October, 1754, when John Lewis, his wife, and three small children, fell sacrifices to their cruelty, and were miserably scalped and murdered; the house, barn, &c., consumed and destroyed. On the 28th, Jacob Miller, with his wife, and six of his family, together with everything on his plantation, experienced the same fate. The 30th, the house, mill, barn, twenty head of cattle, two teams of horses, and everything belonging to George Folke, met with similar treatment; himself, wife, and all his miserable family, consisting of nine persons, being inhumanly scalped, then cut to pieces and given to the swine.

"I shall give another instance of the frightful barbarities they related of these savages, and proceed to their own tragical fate. One of the substantial traders belonging to the province, having business that called him some miles up the country, fell into the hands of the demons, who not only scalped him, but immediately roasted him before he was dead, when they ate his whole body, and made what they called an Indian pudding of his head!

"The three persons that were brought with these additional forces constantly repining at their hard fate, and almost dead with the cruel treatment they had experienced, contrived at last to make their escape; but, being far from their own settlements, and not knowing the country, were soon after met by some others of the tribes, and brought back. The

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