Journal of Col. Croghan. 868 



6th. We arrived at the mouth of the Ouabache, where we 

 found a breast-work erected, supposed to be done by the Indians. 

 The mouth of this river is about two hundred yards wide, and in 

 its course runs through one of the finest countries in the world, 

 the lands being exceedingly rich, and well watered ; here hemp 

 might be raised in immense quantities. All the bottoms, and al- 

 most the whole country abounds with great plenty of the white and 

 red mulberry tree. These trees are to be found in great plenty, 

 in all places between the mouth of Scioto and the Ouabache : 

 the soil of the latter affords this tree in plenty as far as Ouicato- 

 non, and some few on the Miame River. Several large fine 

 islands lie in the Ohio, opposite the mouth of the Ouabache, the 

 banks of which are high, and consequently free from inundations ; 

 hence we proceeded down the river about six miles to encamp, 

 as I judged some Indians were sent to way-lay us, and came to a 

 place called the Old Shawnesse Village, some of that nation hav- 

 ing formerly lived there. In this day's proceedings we came 

 about seventy-six miles. The general course of the river, from 

 Scioto to this place, is south-west. 



7th. We stayed here, and despatched two Indians to the Illi- 

 nois by land, with letters to Lord Frazer, an English officer, who 

 had been sent there from Fort Pitt, and Monsieur St. Ange, the 

 French commanding officer at Fort Chartres, and some speeches 

 to the Indians there, letting them know of my arrival here ; that 

 peace was made between us and the Six Nations, Delawares, 

 and Shawnesse, and of my having a number of deputies of those 

 nations along with me, to conclude matters with them also on my 

 arrival there. This day one of my men went into the woods and 

 lost himself. 



8th. At day-break we were attacked by a party of Indians, 

 consisting of eighty warriors of the Kiccapoos and Musquattimes, 

 who killed two of my men and three Indians, wounded myself 

 and all the rest of my party, except two white men and one In- 

 dian ; then made myself and all the white men prisoners, plun- 

 dering us of every thing we had. A deputy of the Shawnesse 

 •who was shot through the thigh, having concealed himself in the 

 woods for a few minutes after he was wounded — not knowing 

 but they were southern Indians, who are always at war with the 

 northward Indians — after discovering what nation they were, 

 came up to them and made a very bold speech, telling them that 



