NORTH AMERICA. 435 
my mind, 1 fubmitted, and determined to return to 
Carolina. 
Receiving information that the company's 
fchooner was ready to fail for Mobile, I embarked 
on board a trading boat for Manchac, where ar- 
riving in the evening, I took leave next morning 
of Meffrs. Swanfcn and Co. and fet off for the 
forks of the Amite, and next day fet fail, de- 
scending the tardy current of the Amite. Ob- 
ferving two bears crofting the river a-head, though 
our pieces were ready charged, and the yawl along 
fide to receive us, we purfued them in vain, they 
fwam fwiftiy acrofs and efcaped in the forefts on the 
ifland of Orleans. The breeze dying away at even- 
ing, we came to anchor, and had variety of amuie- 
ments at fifhing and fowling. 
Next day, November 13th, 1777, with a fteady 
leading breeze, entered and failed over the lake 
Maurepas, and through the llreights into the 
iPontchartrain, and continued under fail ; but at 
midnight, by keeping too near the Weft more, 
we ran aground on a fand-bar, where we lay 
beating the hard fandy bottom until morning, 
and our yawl parting from us in the night, which 
we never recovered, we were left to the mercy of 
the winds and floods ; but before noon the wind 
coming brifidy from North-Fall, driving the fea 
into the lake, we got off, made fail again, and 
before night paffed through the Regullets, en- 
tering the ocean through the bay of Pearls, fail- 
ing through the found betwixt Cat ifland and the 
ftrand of the continent ; palling by the beautiful 
bay St. Louis, into which defcend many delight- 
ful rivers, which flow from the lower or maritime 
fettlements of the Chaclaws or Flatheads. Con- 
tinuing through the found between the oyfter 
F f 2 banks 
