190 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



parties, and set off one south and t'other west to 

 look for a good place for a settlement. I and Right- 

 eous, one of Asa's brothers, took the southerly track. 



"It was no pleasuring party that journey, but a 

 right-down hard and dangerous expedition, through 

 cypress swamps, where snapping-turtles were plenty 

 as mosquitoes, and at every step the congo and 

 mocassin snakes twisted themselves round our ankles. 

 We persevered, however. We had a few handfuls 

 of corn in our hunting-pouches, and our calabashes 

 well filled with whisky. With that and our rifles 

 Ave did not want for provender. 



" At length, on the fourth day, we came to an up- 

 land, or rolling prairie as we call it, from the top of 

 which we had a view that made our hearts leap for 

 joy. A lovely strip of land lay before us, bounded 

 at the further end by a forest of evergreen oaks, 

 honey locusts, and catalpas. Towards the north was 

 a good ten mile of prairie ; on the right hand a Avood 

 of cotton-trees, and on the left the forest in which 

 you now are. We decided at once that we should 

 find no better place than this to fix ourselves ; and 

 we went back to tell Asa and the others of our dis- 

 covery, and to show them the way to it. Asa and 

 one of his brothers returned with us, bringing part 

 of our traps. They were as pleased with the place 

 as we were, and we went back again to fetch the 

 rest. But it was no easy matter to bring our plunder 

 and the women and children through the forests and 



