engaged in the defence of their property, they might not be able to come and assist me. The rest of the savages, leaving their horses at the border of a neighbouring wood, surrounded the paling of my house, and filled the court-yard with a shower of arrows. The soldiers, awakened at last by the screams of the women, who were flying to the palisado, instead of instantly discharging the cannon, and all the muskets at hand, upon the assailants, stupidly wasted time in collecting their luggage, and after they had deposited this trash in a place of safety, the captain comes, with a snail's pace, to awaken me, and, after much circumlocution, announces that we are surrounded by enemies, with just as much composure as if he had only been wishing me good day. When the captain perceived that I had armed myself and left the apartment, he fired his musket, but hit no one; for where he stood he could neither see the enemy, nor be seen by them. Spying the smoking musket directed towards the moon, which appeared right above my house, "What injury have you received from the moon, good man," said I, "that you are firing at _her_?" He, however, not a little elated at his musket's having made so unusually loud and ready a report, said pompously to one of his companions, "Come, brother, do you discharge your musket also:" but this soldier, a remarkable tall lean man, betook himself to a corner of the house, shaking in every limb, like a person in a fit of the ague. I cannot pretend to deny that I was not alarmed myself at the arrival of the enemy, which was rather sudden than unforeseen; but the very magnitude of the danger inspired me with a degree of courage, which, at this day, I cannot regard without astonishment. As in desperate diseases, violent medicines are sometimes hazarded, I, in like manner, made the rashest attempts, since scarcely any hope remained that destruction could be avoided. Trusting, by this means, to preserve the lives of the rest, I exposed myself to as many deaths as enemies' weapons. I ran towards the savage host, aiming a musket in a threatening manner, and as I went along the ground was strewed with arrows which rattled under my feet. The savages, ranged in a triple row, stuck to the palisade like flies, and were defended by its thick and lofty stakes, through the interstices of which they were able to shoot arrows at us, but could hardly be reached by our bullets; on which account I did not think it advisable merely to fire the musket, thinking that if they heard the report, and saw none of their companions fall, they would cease to fear, and boldly quit the palisade. I, therefore, walked straight towards the paling, intending to take a more certain aim at the savages with four pistols, and a gun, to which a bayonet was prefixed. But an unlucky accident disconcerted this fine scheme; for when I was about ten steps off the palisade, and was just going to fire, an arrow