JOHN LEDYARD. 285 



form distance of four or five miles from the shore, 

 we concluded to halt, especially as there was a hut 

 hard by that would afford us a better retreat during 

 the night than what we might expect if we pro- 

 ceeded. When we reached the hut, we found it 

 inhabited by an elderly man, his wife and daughter, 

 an emblem of innocent, uninstructed beauty. They 

 were somewhat discomposed at our appearance and 

 equipment, and would have left their house through 

 fear, had not the Indians who accompanied us 

 persuaded them otherwise, and at last reconciled 

 them to us. We sat down together before the door, 

 and from the height of the situation we had a com- 

 plete retrospective view of our route, of the town, 

 of part of the bay, and one of our ships, besides an 



% 



extensive prospect on the ocean and a distant view 

 of three of the neighboring islands. 



"As we had proposed remaining at this hut 

 through the night, and were willing to preserve 

 what provisions we had ready dressed, we purchased 

 a little pig and had him dressed by our host, who, 

 finding his account in his visitants, bestirred him- 

 self and soon had it ready. After supper we had 

 some of our brandy diluted with the mountain- 

 water; and we had so long been confined to the 

 poor brackish water at the bay below that it was a 

 kind of nectar to us. As soon as the sun was set, 



