274 Extracts from Major WASHINGTON's Journal. June there are many. I alfo gave orders to the people who were with me, to take an exact account of the canoes which were hauled up to convey their forces down in the fpring. This they did, and told 50 of birch bark, and 170 of pine; bendes many others, which were blocked out, in readiness to make. 14th. As the fnow increafed very fast,' and our horfes daily became weaker, I fent them off unloaded; under the care of Barnaby Currin and two others, to make all convenient difpatch to Venango, and there wait our arrival, if there was a profpect of the river's freezing: If not, then to continue down to Shanapin's town, at the forks of Ohio, and there to wait till we came to crofs Aliganey; intending myself to go down by water, as I had the offer of a canoe or two. quired what they had done with John Trotter and James M Clocklan, two Penfylvania traders, whom they had taken with all their goods. They told me, that they had been fent to Canada, but were now returned home. This evening I received an answer to A his honour the governor's letter, from the B commandant. 15th. The commandant ordered a plentiful ftore of liquor, provifion, &c. to be put on board our canoe; and appeared to be extremely complaifant, though he was exerting every artifice which he could invent to fet our own Indians at variance with us, to prevent their going till after our departure; prefents, rewards, and every thing which could be fuggefted by him or his officers.-I cannot fay that ever in my life I suffered fo much anxiety as I did in this affair: I faw that every ftratagem, which the moft fruitful brain could invent, was practifed, to win the half-king to their intereft; and that Cleaving him here was giving them the opportunity they aimed at.-I went to the half-king and prefs'd him in the ftrongest terms to go: He told me the commandant would not discharge him till the morning. I then went to the commandant, and defired him to do their bufinefs, and complained of ill treatment: For keeping them, as they were D part of my company, was detaining me. This he promifed not to do, but to forward my journey as much as he could. He protefted he did not keep them, but was ignorant of the caufe of their ftay; though I foon found it out :-He had promifed them a prefent of guns, &c. if they would wait till the morning. As I found many plots concerted to retard the Indians bufinefs, and prevent their returning with me; I endeavoured, all that lay in my power, to fruftrate their fchemes, and hurry them on to execute their intended defign. They accordingly preffed for admittance this evening, which at length was granted them, privately, with the commander and one or two other officers. The half-king told me, that he offered the wampum to the commander, who evaded taking it, and made many fair promifes of love and friendship; faid he wanted to live in peace, and trade amicably with them, as a proof of which he would fend fome goods immediately down to the Logg'stown for them. But I rather think the defign of that is, to bring away all our ftraggling traders they meet with, as I privately understood they intended to carry an officer, &c. with them. And E what rather confirms this opinion, I was enquiring of the commander, by what authority he had made prifoners of feveral of our English fubjects. He told me, that the country belonged to them; that no Englishman had a right to trade upon those waters; and that he had orders to make every perfon prifoner who attempted it on the Ohio, or the waters of it. F I enquired of capt. Riparti about the boy who was carried by this place, as it was done while the command devolved on him, between the death of the late .general, and the arrival of the prefent. He acknowledged, that a boy had been carried paft; and that the Indians had two or three white mens fcalps, (I was told G by fome of the Indians at Venango, eight) but pretended to have forgotten the name of the place which the boy came from, and all the particular facts, tho' he had queftioned him for fome hours, as they were carrying him paft, I likewife en As I was very much preffed, by the Indians, to wait this day for them, I confented, on a promife, that nothing fhould hinder them in the morning. 16th. The French were not flack in their inventions to keep the Indians this day alfo But as they were obligated, according to promife, to give the prefent, they then endeavoured to try the power of liquor; which I doubt not would have prevailed at any other time than this: But I urged and infifted with the king fo clofely upon his word, that he refrained and fet off with us as he had engaged." The rest of the journal contains only an account of his fatiguing and dangerous journey back to William bugh, where he arrived, Jan. 16, 1754; therefore we shall conclude with the governor's letter, and the French officer's answer. COPY of the GOVERNOR's Letter. SIR, TH HE lands upon the river Ohio, in the western parts of the colony of Vir 1754. Gov. of Virginia's Letter, and the French Answer. 275 Virginia, are so notoriously known to be the property of the crown of Great-Britain, that it is a matter of equal concern and furprize to me, to hear that a body of French forces are erecting fortreffes, and making fettlements upon that river, within his majesty's dominions. The many and repeated complaints IA have received of thefe acts of hoftility, Jay me under the neceffity, of sending, in the name of the king my mafter, the bearer hereof, George Washington, Efq; one of the adjutants general of the forces of this dominion; to complain to you of the incroachments thus made, and of the injuries done to the fobjects of GreatBritain, in open violation of the law of nations, and the treaties now fubfifting between the two crowns. If thefe facts are true, and you shall think fit to justify your proceedings, I must defire you to acquaint me, by whose authority and inftructions you have lately marched from Canada with an armed force, and invaded the king of GreatBritain's territories, in the manner complained of? that according to the purport and refolution of your answer, I may act agreeably to the commiffion I am honoured with, from the king my master. However, Sir, in obedience to my inftructions, it becomes my duty to require your peaceable departure; and that you would forbear profecuting a purpofe fo interruptive of the harmony and good understanding, which his majefty is defirous to continue and cultivate with the moft chriftian king. B on the lands fituate along the river Ohio, and to contest the pretenfions of the king of Great Britain thereto. I shall tranfmit your letter to the marquis Duguifne. His anfwer will be a law to me; and if he fhall order me to communicate it to you, Sir, you may be affured I fhall not fail to dispatch it to you forthwith. As to the fummons you fend me to retire, I do not think myself obliged to obey it. Whatever may be your inftructions, I am here by virtue of the orders of my general; and I intreat you, Sir, not to doubt one moment, but that I am determined to conform myself to them with all the exactnefs and refolution which can be expected from the best officer. I do not know that in the progrefs of this champaign any thing has paffed which can be reputed an act of hoftility, or that is contrary to the treaties which fabfift between the two crowns; the continuation whereof as much interefts, and is as pleafing to us, as the English. Had you been pleased, Sir, to have defcended to particularize the facts which occafioned your complaint, I should have had the honour of anfwering you in the fulleft, and, I am perfuaded, most fatiffactory manner. I made it my particular care to receive Mr. Washington, with a diftinction fuitDable to your dignity, as well as his own quality and great merit. I flatter myfelf that he will do me this juftice before you, Sir; and that he will fignify to you in the manner I do myfelf, the profound respect with which I am, SIR, I perfuade myself you will receive and entertain major Washington with the candour and politenefs natural to your nation; and it will give me the greatest E fatisfaction if you return him with an anfwer fuitable to my wishes for a long and lafting peace between us. I have the honour to fubfcribe myself, SIR, Your moft obedient, Williamsburg, in Virginia,} October 31, F SI have the honour of commanding here in chief, Mr. Washington delivered me the letter which you wrote to the commandant of the French troops. G I should have been glad that you had given him orders, or that he had been inclined to proceed to Canada, to see our general; to whom it better belongs than to me to fet forth the evidence and reality of the rights of the king, my master, up Your most humble, and EPITAPH on William Pierfe, of Hutton R the name Of William Pierfe, his virtues will proclaim; Long pains he fuffer'd, patient and refign'd: His death, his friends, relations, fervants 276 A NEW SONG, Sung by Mrs. CHAMBERS at Marybon Gardens. As t'other day o'er the green meadow 1 paft, A fwain overtook me and held my hand faft, Then cry'd, my dear Lucy, thou caufe of my care, How long must Poetical ESSAYS in JUNE, 1754. 277 DUANE DELIGHT. BJJ || The first couple caft off two couple, the fecond couple follow the first all on their own fides, all four meet your partners, take hands and lead up to the top, the fecond couple follows the firft, all four foot it and the first couple caft off one couple, right and left with the top couple quite round, then the fame with the third couple quite round. Poetical ESSAYs in JUNE, 1754. A MONODY. On the DEATH of a young LADY. THE And gently faunter'do'er the dewy glade; The western skies were fairly ting'd with gold, [hade. And chilling horror deepen'd with the When unmolested by the blaze of day, The bird of night forfook her ivy grove, And screaming forth her terrifying lay, Along the filent gloom began to rove. The fluttering bat had left the time-shook tow'r, And flowly hover'd thro' the noxious air; While Philomela, from a neighb'ring bow't, [care. Warbled her evening fong, replete with Beneath a fabled cloud's expanded veil The filver moon darted a glimm'ring ray, While fportive zephers, prattling in the glade, [ing spray. Difpers'd the fweets of each furround: 'Twas then when Damon, on the bank reclin'd, Had left the bright munificence of state, To eafe the anguith of his drooping mind, And bear with calmnefs all the will of fate. His bofom heav'd with agony and pain, His eyes a flood of pearly tears diftill'd; The paler lily held its meagre reign, Where erft the rofe its blooming empire held. A groan that feem'd to rend his manly breaft, The gloomy feat of antient filence shook; Awhile the torrent of his grief fuppreft, And thus the youth in faul:ring accents fpoke. Vain hope, be gone-her eyes must beam no more ; [eye; No more her graces ftrike the aftor ish'd No more each youth with raptur'd heart adore [queen might vie, Those charms which e'en with beauty's Now deep in duft the dear Amanda lies, To Damon's arms, to Damon's bofom dear; Who hears the tale but fympathetic fighs, And deigns to shed a tributary tear? Mark'd by the fatal eye of rigid death. She fell a victim to his cruel dart; To him the beauteous nymph refign'd her breath, [heart. Fraught with the forrows of a wounded Was fo much sweetness deftin'd for the grave! Did nature frame fuch beauty to decay! Were all those charms, thofe powers to enЛlave, 'Defign'd to sparkle only for a day! Awake, ye little gewgaws of a court, Behold yon meteor gleam along the 278 Poetical ESSAYs in JUNE, 1754 And emulate the grief that tears my heart; Let fighs and wailing rend the diftant plain, Sure all may weep-for all must feel the fmart. Slowly from yonder brake methinks fhe comes, Piercing the folitary ear of night; Her every horror, every plaint affumes, That heightens care and banishes delight. By thy affiftance all my hopes are paid, Here let us fit and mock the pride of state, The monarch falls an equal prey to fate, Or let us hie where death imperial reigns, Sleeps in the arms of immortality, or feels nor knows a difcontented hour. Where bafe detraction hides her fulfome head Deep in the gloomy manfion of a grave; Her pow'r in vain, her fatal influence fled, [slave. To death's omnipotent command, a Where all importance, all diftinctions cease, Tho' e'er fo great, fo eminently vain, Where fwoln affliction fleeps in endless No fwain that e'er the nymph ador'd, 2. It chanc'd I met the blooming fair "Now, now's the time for love." 3. Then kneeling at her feet I fore, Of al my care's prolonger, 4. The conflict in her foul I faw "Twix. virtue and deine.; Could rapture well prove thonger EPIGRA M. (The youthful Strephor. cries) Where ev'ry charm, and ev'ry grace Demands a thousand fighs! H how I doat on that dear face, Why should thy fmiles fuch joys impart, To Celia thus the fhepherd spoke ; When thus the nymph replies, I read it in your eyes. To Mr. M' ARDELL, on feeing a Print of |