NORTH AMERICA. 435 
my mind, I fubmitted, and determined to return 
to Carolina. 
Receiving information that the company ? s 
fchooner was ready toTail for Mobile, I embarked 
on board a trading boat for Manchac, where ar- 
riving in the evening, I took leave next morning 
of Meffrs. Swanfon and Co. and fet off for the 
forks of the Amite, and next day fat fail, de- 
fcending the tardy current of the Amite. Ob- 
ferving two bears croffing 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 fwiftly acrofs and efcaped in 
the forefts on the ifland of Orleans. The breeze 
dying away at evening, we came to anchor, and 
had variety of amufements at frilling and fowling* 
Next day, November 13th, 1777, with a fteady 
leading breeze, entered and failed over the lake 
Maurepas, and through the (freights into the 
Pontchartrain, and continued under fail ; but at 
midnight, by keeping too near the Weft (bore, 
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 brifkly from North-Eaft, driving the fea 
into the lake, we got off, made fail again, and 
before night pafled 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 ; pafling by the beautiful 
bay St. Louis, into which defcend many delight- 
ful rivers, which flow from the lower or maritime 
fettlements of the Chaftaws or Flatheads. Con- 
tinuing through the (otind between the oyfter 
F f z banks 
