porter's journal. 



lOS 



mishing with the enemj. At one of those places, situated 

 at the foot of a steep hill, they rolled enormous stones 

 down, with a view of crushing us to death, but they did 

 us no injury. The number of villages destroyed amount- 

 ed to ten, and the plunder carried off by the Indians was 

 very great, for we were too much engaged in fighting to 

 prevent them, if it had been possible to do so. The Ty- 

 pees fought us to the last, and even at first harassed our 

 rear on our return ; but parties left in ambush soon put a 

 stop to any further annoyance. We at length came to the 

 formidable fort which checked our career on our first day's 

 enterprise, and although 1 had witnessed many instances of 

 the great exertion and ingenuity of these islanders, I never 

 had supposed them capable of contriving and erecting a 

 work like this, so well calculated for strength and defence. 

 It formed the segment of a circle, and was about fifty yards 

 in extent, built of large stones, six feet thick at the bottom, 

 and gradually narrowing at the top to give it strength and 

 durability. On the left was a narrow entrance merely 

 sufficient to admit of one person's entering, and serving as a 

 sally port. But to enter this from the ouiside, it was neces- 

 sary to pass directly under the wall for one half its length, 

 as an impenetrable thicket prevented the approach to it 

 in any other direction. The wings and rear were equally 

 guarded, and the right was flanked by another fortification 

 of greater magnitude and equal strength and ingenuity. 



In their fortification consisted the strength of the Ty- 

 pees. The usual fighting place with the other tribes was 

 on the plain near the beach, and although they had fre- 

 quently been engaged with the forces of several tribes com- 

 bined, they had never before succeeded in compelling them 

 to retire beyond the river, which, it will be remembered^ 

 is about one quarter of a mile from the fort. 



There are but three entrances into this valley, one oo 

 the west which we descended, one on the east, and one 

 from the beach. No force whatever had before dared to 

 attack them on the west, on account of the impossibility 

 of retreating, in case of a repulse, which they calculated 

 on as certain. The passage on the east led from the val- 

 ley of their friends, and that from the beach was guarded 

 by fortresses deemed impregnable, and justly so against 

 any force which could be brought against them unassisted 



