ADVENTURES IX LOUISIANA. 191 



swamps. "NVe had to cut paths through the thickets, 

 and to make bridges and rafts to cross the creeks and 

 marshes. After ten days' labour, however, and with 

 the help of our axes, we were at our journey's end. 



" We began directly clearing and cutting down trees, 

 and in three weeks we had built a loghouse, and were 

 able to lie down to rest without fear of being dis- 

 turbed by the wolves or catamounts. We built two 

 more houses, so as to have one for each two families, 

 and then set to work to clear the land. We had 

 soon shaped out a couple of fields, a ten-acre one for 

 maize, and another half the size for tobacco. These 

 we began to dig and hoe ; but the ground was hard, 

 and though we all worked like slaves, we saw there 

 was nothing to be made of it without ploughing. A 

 ploughshare we had, and a plough was easily made 

 but horses were wanting ; so Asa and I took fifty 

 dollars, which was all the money we had amongst us, 

 and set out to explore the country forty miles round, 

 and endeavour to meet with somebody who would 

 sell us a couple of horses and two or three cows. 

 Xot a clearing or settlement did we find, however, 

 and at last we returned discouraged, and again began 

 digging. On the very first day after our return, as 

 we were toiling away in the field, a trampling of 

 horses was heard, and four men mounted, and fol- 

 lowed by a couple of wolf-hounds, came cantering 

 over the prairie. It struck us that this would be a 

 famous chance for buying a pair of horses, and Asa 



