Journals of Conrad Weiser (1748), George Croghan (1750-1765), Christian Frederick Post (1758), and Thomas Morris (1764)Croghan, George
History
Journals of Conrad Weiser (1748), George Croghan (1750-1765), Christian Frederick Post (1758), and Thomas Morris (1764)
Croghan, George
Mississippi River Valley -- Description and travel; United States -- Description and travel; West (U.S.) -- Description and travel
halt for about an hour, endeavouring to conceal the truth from me; but
I was no stranger to his real motive. However, about seven o’clock we
arrived at Detroit; whence I was fifty leagues distant when I left the
Miamis river and struck into the woods: and by the circuit I was obliged
to make to avoid pursuit, I made it at least fourscore leagues, or two
hundred and forty miles. The Huron and his people did not arrive till
many days after, and in three different parties. They had lost their way;
were obliged to divide themselves into small bodies in order to seek
for game; had suffered extremely by fatigue and hunger; one having died
by the way, and all the rest being very ill when they reached Detroit.
The Huron I imagined would have died. I gave him, as well as all the
others, all the assistance in my power; but could not help reproaching
him with his barbarity to me, and reminding him, “that the Great Spirit
had protected one whom he had abandoned, and punished him who had basely
deserted his fellow-warrior.” Immediately after my arrival at Detroit, I
sent an express to General Bradstreet, with an account of my proceedings,
and to warn him of the dangerous situation he was in, being advanced some
miles up the Sandusky river, and surrounded with treacherous Indians.
The moment he received my letter, he removed, falling down the river,
till he reached Lake Erie: by this means he disappointed their hopes of
surprising his army. This army however suffered extremely afterwards, and
great numbers were lost in traversing the desert, many of their boats
having in the night been dashed to pieces against the shore, while the
soldiers were in their tents. The boats were unfortunately too large to
be drawn out of the water. The centinels gave the alarm on finding the
sudden swell of the lake, but after infinite labour, from the loss of
boats, a large body of men were obliged to attempt to reach Fort Niagara
by land, many of whom perished. It is worthy of remark, that, during this
violent swell of the waters, soldiers stood on the shore with lighted
candles, not a breath of wind being perceived. This phænomenon often
happens. Another curious fact respecting the waters of these lakes is,
that they rise for seven years and fall for seven years; or in other
words, there is a seven years tide. I have read somewhere, that the
Caspian sea overflows its banks once in fifteen years. This, however,
is denied elsewhere. But, if the former opinion be really the case, as
the American lakes and the Caspian sea are in parts of the earth almost
opposite to each other, it might be worth while to enquire, whether, when
they are at the lowest in one place, they are at the highest in that
which is opposite, or both rise and fall at the same time?
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