Journal of Col. Croghan. 265 



same as described yesterday, excepting this afternoon's journey 

 through wood land, to cut off a bend of the river. Came about 

 twenty-seven miles this day. 



15th. We set out very early, and about one o'clock came to 

 the Ouabache, within six or seven miles of Port Vincent. On my 

 arrival there, I found a village of about eighty or ninety French 

 families settled on the east side of this river, being one of the 

 finest situations that can be found. The country is level and 

 clear, and the soil very rich, producing wheat and tobacco. I 

 think the latter preferable to that of Maryland or Virginia. The 

 French inhabitants hereabouts, are an idle, lazy people, a parcel 

 of renegadoes from Canada, and are much worse than the Indians. 

 They took a secret pleasure at our misfortunes, and the moment 

 we arrived, they came to the Indians, exchanging trifles for their 

 valuable plunder. As the savages took from me a considerable 

 quantity of gold and silver in specie, the French traders extorted 

 ten half Johannes from them for one pound of vermilion. Here 

 is likewise an Indian village of the Pyankeshaws, who were much 

 displeased with the party that took me, telling them that " our and 

 your chiefs are gone to make peace, and you have begun a war, 

 for which our women and children will have reason to cry." 

 From this post the Indians permitted me to write to the Com- 

 mander, at Fort Chartres, but would not suffer me to write to 

 any body else, (this I apprehend was a precaution of the French, 

 lest their villany should be perceived too soon,) although the In- 

 dians had given me permission to write to Sir William Johnson 

 and Fort Pitt on our march, before we arrived at this place. But 

 immediately after our arrival they had a private council with 

 the French, in which the Indians urged, (as they afterwards in- 

 formed me,) that as the French had engaged them in so bad an 

 affair, which was likely to bring a war on their nation, they now 

 expected a proof of their promise and assistance. Then delivered 

 the French a scalp and part of the plunder, and wanted to 

 deliver some presents to the Pyankeshaws; but they refused 

 to accept of any, and declared they would not be concerned in 

 the affair. This last information I got from the Pyankeshaws, as 

 I had been well acquainted with them several years before this 

 time. 



Port Vincent is a place of great consequence for trade, being 

 a fine hunting country all along the Ouabache, and too far for 

 Vol. I.— 34 



