108 A JOURNEY TO THE 



1770. might engross all the credit of taking care of [63] me during 

 ' the journey ; but I had found them of so little use in my two 

 former attempts, that I absolutely refused them ; and by so 

 doing, offended Mr. Norton to such a degree, that neither 

 time nor absence could ever afterwards eradicate his dislike 

 of me ; so that at my return he used every means in his 

 power to treat me ill, and to render my life unhappy. How- 

 ever, to deal with candour on this occasion, it must be 

 acknowledged to his honour, that whatever our private ani- 

 mosities might have been, he did not suffer them to interfere 

 with public business ; and I was fitted out with ammunition, 

 and every other article which Matonabbee thought could be 

 wanted. I was also furnished, as before, with a small assort- 

 ment of light trading goods, as presents to the far distant 

 Indians. 



morality, and continence on others ; always painting, in the most odious 

 colours, the jealous and revengeful disposition of the Indians, when any attempt 

 was made to violate the chastity of their wives or daughters. Lectures of this 

 kind from a man of established virtue might have had some effect ; but when 

 they came from one who was known to live in open defiance of every law, 

 human and divine, they were always heard with indignation, and considered as 

 the hypocritical cant of a selfish debauchee, who wished to engross every woman 

 in the country to himself. 



His apartments were not only convenient but elegant, and always crowded 

 with favourite Indians : at night he locked the doors, and put the keys under 

 his pillow ; so that in the morning his dining-room was generally, for the 

 want of necessary conveniences, worse than a hog-stye. As he advanced in 

 years his jealousy increased, and he actually poisoned two of his women because 

 he thought them partial to other objects more suitable to their ages. He was a 

 most notorious smuggler ; but though he put many thousands into the pockets 

 of the Captains, he seldom put a shilling into his own. 



An inflammation in his bowels occasioned his death on the 29th of Decem- 

 ber 1773 ) ^"<i though he died in the most excruciating pain, he retained his 

 jealousy to the last ; for a few minutes before he expired, happening to see an 

 officer laying hold of the hand of one of his women who was standing by the 

 fire, he bellowed out, in as loud a voice as his situation would admit, " God 



d n you for a b h, if I live I'll knock out your brains." A few minutes 



after making this elegant apostrophe, he expired in the greatest agonies that 

 can possibly be conceived. 



This I declare to be the real character and manner of life of the late 

 Mr. Moses Norton. 



