16th and 17th-We crossed the mountain and came to the Big Island, where having nothing to live on, we were obliged to stay to hunt.

19th-We met twenty 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 Iminded 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 will all be confused, and will not know what to do. They say of themselves, that every one of them is like a king and captain, and fights for himself. By this way they imagine they can overthrow any body of men, that may come against them. They say, "The English people are fools; they hold their guns half man high, and then let them snap; we take sight and have them at a shot, and so do the French; they do not only shoot with a bullet, but big swan shot." They say, the French load with a bullet and six swan shot. They further say, "We take care to have the first shot at our enemies, and then they are half dead before they begin to fight."

The Indians are a people full of jealousy, and will not easily trust any body; and they are very easily affronted, and brought into jealousy; then afterwards, they will have nothing at all to do with those they suspect; and it is not brought so easy out of their minds; they keep it to their graves, and leave the seed of it in their children and grand children's minds; so, if they can, they will revenge themselves for every imagined injury. They are a very distrustful people. Through their imagination and reason, they think themselves a thousand times stronger than all other people. Fort Du Quesne is said to be undermined. The French have given out, that, if we overpower them, and they should die, we should certainly all die with them. When I came to the fort, the garrison, it was said, consisted of about one thousand four hundred men; and I am told they will now be full three thousand French and Indians. They are almost all Canadians, and will certainly meet the general before he comes to the fort, in an ambush. You may depend upon it, the French will make no open field-battle, as in the old country, but lie in

ambush. The Canadians are all hunters. The Indians have agreed to draw back; but how far we may give credit to their promises, the Lord knows. It is the best way to be on our guard against them, as if they really could, with one thousand, overpower eight thousand.

Thirty-two nights I lay in the woods; the heavens were my covering. The dew came so hard sometimes, that it pinched close to the skin. There was nothing that laid so heavy on my heart, as the man that went along with me. He thwarted me in every thing I said or did; not that he did it against me, but against the country, on whose business I was sent: I was afraid he would overthrow what I went about.When he was with the English he would speak against the French, and when with the French against the English. The Indians observed that he was a false fellow, and desired me, that I would not bring him any more, to transact any business between the English and them; and told me, it was through his means I could not have the liberty to talk with the prisoners.

Praise and glory be to the Lamb, that has been slain, and brought me through the country of dreadful jealousy and mistrust, where the prince of this world has his rule and government over the children of disobedience.

The Lord has preserved me through all the dangers and difficulties, that I have ever been under. He directed me according to his will, by his holy spirit. I had no one to converse with but him. He brought me under a thick, heavy, and dark cloud, into the open air; for which I adore, praise and worship the Lord my God, that I know has grasped me in his hands, and has forgiven me for all sins, and sent and washed my heart with his most precious blood; that I now live not for myself, but for him that made me; and to do his holy will is my pleasure. I own that, in the children of light, there dwells another kind of spirit, than there does in the children of this world; therefore, these two spirits cannot rightly agree in fellowship.

[98]

CHRISTIAN FREDERICK POST.

[No. XI.]

POST'S SECOND JOURNAL, 1758.

THE SECOND JOURNAL OF CHRISTIAN FREDERICK POST, ON A MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR OF PENNSYLVANIA, TO THE INDIANS ON THE OHIO, IN THE LATTER PART OF THE SAME YEAR.

Containing his further negotiation with these people, to accomplish the design of his former journey, and procure a peace with them; in which he met with fresh difficulties and dangers, occasioned by the French influence, &c.

But the Indians, being acquainted with his honest simplicity, and calling to mind their former friendship with the inhabitants of Pennsylvania, so far paid a regard to his sincerity, as to listen to the terms proposed; and in consequence thereof the French were obliged to abandon the whole Ohio country to General Forbes, after destroying with their own hands their strong fort of Duquesne.

October 25th, 1758-Having received the orders of the honorable Governor Denny, I set out from Easton to Bethlehem, and arrived there about three o'clock in the afternoon. I was employed most of the night, in preparing myself with necessaries, &c., for the journey.

26th-Rose early, but my horse being lame, though I travelled all the day, I could not, till after night, reach to an inn, about ten miles from Reading.

27th--I set out early, and about seven o'clock in the morning came to Reading, and there found Captain Bull, Mr. Hays, and the Indians just mounted, and ready to set out on their journey. They were heartily glad to see me. Pisquetomen stretched out his arms, and said, "Now, Brother, I am glad I have got you in my arms, I will not let you go, I will not let you go again from me, you must go with me:" and I likewise said the same to him, and told him, "I will accompany you, if you will go the same way as I must go." And then I called them together, in Mr. Weiser's house, and read a letter to them, which I had received from the Governor, which is as follows, viz: "Te Pisquetoman and Thomas Hickman, to Totiniontonna and Shickalamy, and to Isaac Still.

"Brethren, Mr. Frederick Post is come express from the general, who sends his compliments to you, and desires you would come by the way of his camp, and give him an opportunity of talking with you.

"By this string of wampum I request of you to alter your intended rout by way of Shamokin, and to go to the general, who will give you a kind reception. It is a nigher way, in which you will be better supplied with provisions, and can travel with less fatigue and more safety.

"EASTON, October 23d, 1758.

"WILLIAM DENNY.

To which I added, "Brethren, I take you by this string, by the hand, and lift you from this place, and lead you along to the general."

After which they consulted among themselves, and soon resolved to go with me. We shook hands with each other, and Mr. Hays immediately set out with them. After which, having with some difficulty procured a fresh horse, in the king's service, I set off about noon with Captain Bull and when we came to Conrad Weiser's plantation,* we found Pisquetomen lying on the ground very drunk, which obliged us to stay there all night: the other Indians were gone eight miles farther on their journey.

28th--We rose early, and I spoke to Pisquetomen a great deal. He was very sick, and could hardly stir. When we overtook the rest, we found them in the same condition, and they seemed discouraged from going the way to the general, and wanted to go through the woods. I told them, I was sorry to see them wavering, and reminded them, that when I went to their towns, I was not sent to the French, but when your old men insisted on my going to them, I followed their advice, and went. And as the general is, in the king's name, over the provinces, in matters of war and peace, the Indians at Allegheny, want to know, whether all the English governments will join in the peace with them. The way to obtain full satisfaction is to go to him, and there you will receive another great belt to carry home, which I desire you seriously to take into consideration. They then resolved to go to Harris' ferry, and consider about it as they went. We arrived there late in the night.

29th-In the morning, the two Cayugas being most desirous of going through the woods, the others continued irresolute; upon which I told them, "I wish you would go with courage, and with hearty resolution," and repeated what I had said to them yesterday, and reminded them, as they were messengers, they should consider what would be the best for their whole nation; "consult among yourselves, and let me know your true mind and determination ;" and I informed them, I could not go with them, unless they would go to the general, as I had messages to deliver him. After which, having consulted together, Pisquetomen came and gave me his hand, and said, "Brother, here is my hand, we have all joined to go with you, and we put ourselves under your protection to bring us safe through, and to secure us from all danger." We came that night to Carlisle and found a small house without the fort, for the Indians to be by themselves, and hired a woman to dress their victuals, which pleased them well.

30th-Setting out early, we came to Shippensburg, and were lodged in the fort, where the Indians had a house to themselves.

31st-Set out early. In our passing by Chambers Fort, some of the Irish people, knowing some of the Indians, in a rash manner exclaimed against them, and we had some difficulty to get them off clear. At fort Loudon we met about sixteen of the Cherokees, who came in a friendly manner to our Indians, inquiring for BILL SOCKUM, and shewed the pipe they had received from the Shawanese, and gave it, according to their

*Near Womelsdorf, 14 miles west from Reading, Pa.—1. D. R.

custom, to smoke out of, and said, they hoped they were friends of the English. They knew me. Pisquetomen begged me to give him some wampum, that he might speak to them. I gave him 400 white wam.pum, and he then said to them: "We formerly had friendship one with another; we are only messengers, and cannot say much, but by these strings we let you know we are friends, and we are about settling a peace with the English, and wish to be at peace also with you, and all other Indians." And informed them further, they came from a treaty, which was held at Easton, between the Eight United Nations, and their confederates, and the English, in which peace was established; and shewed them the two messengers from the Five Nations, who were going with them, to make it known to all the Indians to the westward. Then the Cherokees answered and said: "they should be glad to know how far the friendship was to reach; they, for themselves, wished it might reach from the sun-rise to the sun-set; for, as they were in friendship with the English, they would be at peace with all their friends, and at war with their enemies."

Nov. 1st-We reached fort Littleton, in company with the Cherokees, and were lodged in the fort; they, and our Indians, in distinct places; and they entertained each other with stories of their warlike ad

ventures.

2d-Pisquetomen said to me, "you have led us this way, through the fire; if any mischief should befal us, we shall lay it entirely to you; for we think it was your doing, to bring us this way; you should have told us at Easton, if it was necessary we should go to the general.”

I told him, "that I had informed the great men at Easton, that I then thought it would be best not to let them go from thence, till they had seen the general's letter; and assured them, that it was agreeable to the general's pleasure."

3d-Pisquetomen began to argue with captain Bull and Mr. Hays, upon the same subject, as they did with me, when I went to them with my first message; which was, "that they should tell them, whether the general would claim the land as his own, when he should drive the French away! or, whether the English thought to settle the country? We are always jealous the English will take the land from us. Look, brother, what makes you come with such a large body of men, and make such large roads into our country; we could drive away the French ourselves, without your coming into our country."

Then I desired captain Bull and Mr. Hays to be careful how they argued with the Indians; and be sure to say nothing, that might affront them; for it may prove to our disadvantage, when we come amongst them. This day we came to Raystown, and with much difficulty, got a place to lodge the Indians by themselves, to their satisfaction.

4th-We intended to set out, but our Indians told us, the Cherokees had desired them to stay that day, as they intended to hold a council; and they desired us to read over to them the governor's message, which we accordingly did. Pisquetomen, finding Jenny Frazer there, who had been their prisoner, and escaped, spoke to her a little rashly. Our Indians, waiting all the day, and the Cherokees not sending to them, were displeased.