( 154 



him that morning by fome of the In- 

 dians) to carry upon my head, which 

 was a fufficient weight for a ftrong man 

 in health, through fuch roads, and a 

 grievous burthen to one in my condi- 

 tion. Our way was through a thick 

 wood, the bottom of which was a mere 

 quagmire, moft part of it up to our 

 knees, and often to our middle, and eve- 

 ry now and then we had a large tree to 

 get over ; for they often lay diredly in 

 our road. Befides this, we were conti- 

 nually treading upon the Humps of trees, 

 which were not to be avoided, as they 

 were covered with water ; and having 

 neither Ihoe nor flocking, rny feet and 

 legs were frequently torn and wounded. 

 Before I had got half a mile, the two In- 

 dians had left me ; and making the befl 

 of my way, left they fhould be all gone 

 before I got to the other fide, I fell off a 

 tree that croffed the road, into a very deep 

 fwamp, where I very narrowly efcaped 



drowning. 



