the adventures-第2章

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with　inconceivable　grandeur。　At　a　vast　distance　I　beheld　the

mountains　lift　their　venerable　brows；　and　penetrate　the　clouds。　All

things　were　still。　I　kindled　a　fire　near　a　fountain　of　sweet　water；

and　feasted　on　the　loin　of　a　buck；　which　a　few　hours　before　I　had

killed。　The　sullen　shades　of　night　soon　overspread　the　whole

hemisphere；　and　the　earth　seemed　to　gasp　after　the　hovering

moisture。　My　roving　excursion　this　day　had　fatigued　my　body；　and

diverted　my　imagination。　I　laid　me　down　to　sleep；　and　I　awoke　not

until　the　sun　had　chased　away　the　night。　I　continued　this　tour；　and

in　a　few　days　explored　a　considerable　part　of　the　country；　each　day

equally　pleased　as　the　first。　I　returned　again　to　my　old　camp；

which　was　not　disturbed　in　my　absence。　I　did　not　confine　my　lodging

to　it；　but　often　reposed　in　thick　cane…brakes；　to　avoid　the

savages；　who；　I　believe；　often　visited　my　camp；　but　fortunately　for

me；　in　my　absence。　In　this　situation　I　was　constantly　exposed　to

danger；　and　death。　How　unhappy　such　a　situation　for　a　man　tormented

with　fear；　which　is　vain　if　no　danger　comes；　and　if　it　does；　only

augments　the　pain。　It　was　my　happiness　to　be　destitute　of　this

afflicting　passion；　with　which　I　had　the　greatest　reason　to　be

affected。　The　prowling　wolves　diverted　my　nocturnal　hours　with

perpetual　howlings；　and　the　various　species　of　animals　in　this　vast

forest；　in　the　daytime；　were　continually　in　my　view。

Thus　I　was　surrounded　with　plenty　in　the　midst　of　want。　I　was

happy　in　the　midst　of　dangers　and　inconveniences。　In　such　a

diversity　it　was　impossible　I　should　be　disposed　to　melancholy。　No

populous　city；　with　all　the　varieties　of　commerce　and　stately

structures；　could　afford　so　much　pleasure　to　my　mind；　as　the

beauties　of　nature　I　found　here。



Thus；　through　an　uninterrupted　scene　of　sylvan　pleasures；　I　spent

the　time　until　the　27th　day　of　July　following；　when　my　brother；　to

my　great　felicity；　met　me；　according　to　appointment；　at　our　old

camp。　Shortly　after；　we　left　this　place；　not　thinking　it　safe　to

stay　there　longer；　and　proceeded　to　Cumberland　river；　reconnoitring

that　part　of　the　country　until　March；　1771；　and　giving　names　to　the

different　waters。



Soon　after；　I　returned　home　to　my　family　with　a　determination　to

bring　them　as　soon　as　possible　to　live　in　Kentucke；　which　I

esteemed　a　second　paradise；　at　the　risk　of　my　life　and　fortune。



I　returned　safe　to　my　old　habitation；　and　found　my　family　in

happy　circumstances。　I　sold　my　farm　on　the　Yadkin；　and　what　goods

we　could　not　carry　with　us；　and　on　the　twenty…fifth　day　of

September；　1773；　bade　a　farewel　to　our　friends；　and　proceeded　on

our　journey　to　Kentucke；　in　company　with　five　families　more；　and

forty　men　that　joined　us　in　Powel's　Valley；　which　is　one　hundred

and　fifty　miles　from　the　now　settled　parts　of　Kentucke。　This

promising　beginning　was　soon　overcast　with　a　cloud　of　adversity；

for　upon　the　tenth　day　of　October；　the　rear　of　our　company　was

attacked　by　a　number　of　Indians；　who　killed　six；　and　wounded　one

man。　Of　these　my　eldest　son　was　one　that　fell　in　the　action。　Though

we　defended　ourselves；　and　repulsed　the　enemy；　yet　this　unhappy

affair　scattered　our　cattle；　brought　us　into　extreme　difficulty；

and　so　discouraged　the　whole　company；　that　we　retreated　forty

miles；　to　the　settlement　on　Clench　river。　We　had　passed　over　two

mountains；　viz。　Powel's　and　Walden's；　and　were　approaching

Cumberland　mountain　when　this　adverse　fortune　overtook　us。　These

mountains　are　in　the　wilderness；　as　we　pass　from　the　old

settlements　in　Virginia　to　Kentucke；　are　ranged　in　a　S。　west　and　N。

east　direction；　are　of　a　great　length　and　breadth；　and　not　far

distant　from　each　other。　Over　these；　nature　hath　formed　passes；

that　are　less　difficult　than　might　be　expected　from　a　view　of　such

huge　piles。　The　aspect　of　these　cliffs　is　so　wild　and　horrid；　that

it　is　impossible　to　behold　them　without　terror。　The　spectator　is

apt　to　imagine　that　nature　had　formerly　suffered　some　violent

convulsion；　and　that　these　are　the　dismembered　remains　of　the

dreadful　shock；　the　ruins；　not　of　Persepolis　or　Palmyra；　but　of　the

world！



I　remained　with　my　family　on　Clench　until　the　sixth　of　June；

1774；　when　I　and　one　Michael　Stoner　were　solicited　by　Governor

Dunmore；　of　Virginia；　to　go　to　the　Falls　of　the　Ohio；　to　conduct

into　the　settlement　a　number　of　surveyors　that　had　been　sent

thither　by　him　some　months　before；　this　country　having　about　this

time　drawn　the　attention　of　many　adventurers。　We　immediately

complied　with　the　Governor's　request；　and　conducted　in　the

surveyors；　compleating　a　tour　of　eight　hundred　miles；　through　many

difficulties；　in　sixty…two　days。



Soon　after　I　returned　home；　I　was　ordered　to　take　the　command　of

three　garrisons　during　the　campaign；　which　Governor　Dunmore　carried

on　against　the　Shawanese　Indians：　After　the　conclusion　of　which；

the　Militia　was　discharged　from　each　garrrison；　and　I　being

relieved　from　my　post；　was　solicited　by　a　number　of　North…Carolina

gentlemen；　that　were　about　purchasing　the　lands　lying　on　the　S。

side　of　Kentucke　River；　from　the　Cherokee　Indians；　to　attend　their

treaty　at　Wataga；　in　March；　1775；　to　negotiate　with　them；　and；

mention　the　boundaries　of　the　purchase。　This　I　accepted；　and　at　the

request　of　the　same　gentlemen；　undertook　to　mark　out　a　road　in　the

best　passage　from　the　settlement　through　the　wilderness　to

Kentucke；　with　such　assistance　as　I　thought　necessary　to　employ　for

such　an　important　undertaking。



I　soon　began　this　work；　having　collected　a　number　of　enterprising

men；　well　armed。　We　proceeded　with　all　possible　expedition　until　we

came　within　fifteen　miles　of　where　Boonsborough　now　stands；　and

where　we　were　fired　upon　by　a　party　of　Indians　that　killed　two；　and

wounded　two　of　our　number；　yet；　although　surprised　and　taken　at　a

disadvantage；　we　stood　our　ground。　This　was　on　the　twentieth　of

March；　1775。　Three　days　after；　we　were　fired　upon　again；　and　had　two

men　killed；　and　three　wounded。　Afterwards　we　proceeded　on　to

Kentucke　river　without　opposition；　and　on　the　first　day　of　April

began　to　erect　the　fort　of　Boonsborough　at　a　salt　lick；　about　sixty

yards　from　the　river；　on　the　S。　side。



On　the　fourth　day；　the　Indians　killed　one　of　our　men。We　were

busily　employed　in　building　this　fort；　until　the　fourteenth　day　of

June　following；　without　any　farther　opposition　from　the　Indians；

and　having　finished　the　works；　I　returned　to　my　family；　on　Clench。



In　a　short　time；　I　proceeded　to　remove　my　family　from　Clench　to

this　garrison；　where　we　arrived　safe　without　any　other　difficulties

than　such　as　are　common　to　this　passage；　my　wife　and　daughter　being

the　first　white　women　that　ever　stood　on　the　banks　of　Kentucke

river。



On　the　twenty…fourth　day　of　December　following　we　had　one　man

killed；　and　one　wounded；　by　the　Indians；　who　seemed　determined　to

persecute　us　for　erecting　this　fortification。



On　the　fourteenth　day　of　July；　1776；　two　of　Col。　Calaway's

daughters；　and　one　of　mine；　were　taken　prisoners　near　the　fort。　I

immediately　pursued　the　Indians；　with　only　eight　men；　and　on　the

sixteenth　overtook　them；　killed　two　of　the　party；　and　recovered　the

girls。　The　same　day　on　which　this　attempt　was　made；　the　Indians

divided　themselves　into　different　parties；　and　attacked　several

forts；　which　were　shortly　before　this　time　erected；　doing　a　great

deal　of　mischief。　This　was　extremely　distressing　to　the　new

settlers。　The　innocent　husbandman　was　shot　down；　while　busy

cultivating　the　soil　for　his　family's　supply。　Most　of　the　cattle

around　the　stations　were　destroyed。　They　continued　their

hostilities　in　this　manner　until　the　fifteenth　of　April；　1777；　when

they　attacked　Boonsborough　with　a　party　of　above　one　hundred　in

number；　killed　one　man；　and　wounded　fourTheir　loss　in　this　attack

was　not　certainly　known　to　us。



On　the　fourth　day　of　July　following；　a　party　of　about　two　hundred

Indians　attacked　Boonsborou