320 In Touch with Nature. 



and said, ' The Mannetta hath killed my sister, and 

 I will go kill the Christians ;' and, taking another 

 with him, they together executed the barbarous 

 facts." Then was the island abandoned, and it 

 returned to waste-land. How soon all traces of 

 the ruined house disappeared can scarcely be con- 

 jectured, but, doubtless, the Indians took every- 

 thing of value, and the destruction was complete. 

 But the history of the troublous time was safe. 

 All the world knew about the tragedy, and, with- 

 out details, George Fox refers to the incident: 

 " On the loth of 7th month," he wrote, " at night, 

 finding an old house, which the Indians had forced 

 the people to leave, we made a fire and lay there, 

 at the head of Delaware Bay. The next day we 

 swam our horses over a river about a mile wide, 

 at twice, first to an island called Upper Dinidock 

 and then to the main land, having hired Indians to 

 help us over in their canoes." This is a reference 

 to Peter Jegou's tavern which stood within sight 

 of the island house. Perhaps Fox paused to con- 

 template these ruins. They offered him a text for 

 preaching to the dusky ferry-men that helped him 

 over to the " main" or Pennsylvania shore. It 



