^ Forter^s Voyage 



About eleven o'clock we perceived that our people had gained 

 the mountains, and were driving the Happahs from height to 

 height, who fought as they retreated, and daring our men to fol- 

 low them with threatening gesticulations. A native, who bore 

 the American flag, waved it in triumph as he skipped along the 

 mountains — they were attended by a large concourse of friendly 

 natives, armed as usual, who generally kept in the rear of our 

 men. Mouina alone was seen in the advance of the whole, and 

 was well known by his scarlet cloak, and waving plumes. In 

 about an hour we lost sight of the combatants, and saw no more 

 of them until about four o'clock, when they were discovered de- 

 scending the mountains on their return, the natives bearing five 

 dead bodies, slung on poles. 



Mr. Downes and his men soon afterwards arrived at the camp, 

 overcome with the fatigue of an exercise to which they had been 

 so little accustomed. He informed me that on his arrival near 

 the tops of the mountains, the Happahs, stationed on the summit, 

 had assailed him and his men, with stones and spears ; that he 

 had driven them from place to place untill they had taken refuge 

 in a fortress, erected in a manner before described, on the brow 

 of a steep hill. Here they all made a stand, to the number of 

 between three and four thousand. They dared our people to 

 ascend this hill, at the foot of which they had made a halt to take 

 breath. The word was given by Mr. Downes, to rush up the 

 hill ; at that instant a stone struck him on the belly, and laid him 

 breathless on the ground, and at the same instant, one of our 

 people was pierced with a spear through his neck. This occa- 

 sioned a halt, and they were about abandoning any farther at- 

 tempt on the place : but Mr. Downes soon recovered, and finding 

 himself able to walk, gave orders for a charge. Hitherto our 

 party had done nothing. Not one of the enemy had, to their 

 knowledge, been wounded. They scoffed at our men, and ex- 

 posed their posteriors to them, and treated them with the utmost 

 contempt and derision. The friendly natives also began to think 

 we were not so formidable as we pretended : it became, therefore, 

 absolutely necessary that the fort should be taken at all hazards. 

 Our people gave three cheers, and rushed on through a shower 

 of spears and stones, which the natives threw, from behind their 

 strong barrier, and it was not untill our people entered the fort, 

 that they thought of retreating. Five were at this instant shot 

 dead ; and one in particular, fought until the muzzle of the piece 

 was presented to his forehead, when the top of his head was en- 

 tirely blown off. As soon as this place was taken, all further re- 

 sistance was at an end. The friendly natives collected the dead, 

 while many ran down to a village situated in the valley, for the 

 purpose of securing the plunder, consisting of large quantities of 



