yfelf, viz. my late mother's daughter, whom therefore I cal Led my lifter, her fanhop, and a pappoofe.

31. They once left me alone two difmal nights; and when they returned to me again, perceiving them fmile at each other, 1 asked what is the matter? They replied that two of my children were no more. One of which they said, died of a natur. al death, and the other was knocked on the head.

32. 1 did not utter many words, but the heart was forely pained within me, and my mind exceedingly troubled with trang nd awful ideas. I often imagined, for instance, that 1 plainly faw the naked carcafes of my deceafed children hanging upon the limbs of the trees as the Indians are wont to hang the raw hides of those beats which they take in hunting,

33. It was not long, however, before it was fo ordered by kind Providence, that I fhould be relieved in a good measure from thofe horrid imaginations; for as I walking one day upon the ice, obferving a fioke at fome diftance upon the land, it must proceed, thought I, from the fire of fome Indian hut; and who knows but fome one of my poor children may be there,

34. My curiofity thus excited, led me to the place, and there I-found my fon Caleb, a little boy between two and three years old, whom I had lately buried, in fentiment at least or rather imagined to have been deprived of life, and perhaps alfo denied a decent grave.

35. I found him likwife in tolerable health and circumftan ces, under the protection of a fond Indian mother; and moreover had the happiness of lodging with him in my arms one joyful night. Again we fhifted our quarters, and when we had travelled eight or ten miles upon the fnow and ice, came to a place where the Indians manufactured fugar which they extracted from the maple trees.

36. Here an Indian came to visit us, whom I knew, and who could fpeak English. He asked me why I did not go to fee my fon Squire. I replied that I had lately been informed that he was dead. He allured me that he was yet alive, and but two or three miles off, on the oppolite side of the Lake.

37. At my requeft, he gave me the best directions he could to the place of his abode. I refolved to embrace the first oppor. tunity that offered of endeavoring to fearch it out. While I was bufy in contemplating this affair, the Indians obtained a little bread of which they gave me a small share.

38, I did not talte a morfel of it myself, but faved it all for

my poor child, if I fhould be fo lucky as to find him. At lengthi having obtained my keepers leave to be abfent for one day. I fet off early in the morning, and fteering as well as I could, ac. cording to the directions which the friendly Indian had given me, I quickly found the place which he had fo accurately mark.

ed out.

39. I beheld as I drew nigh, my little fon without the camp; but he looked, thought I, like a ftarved and mangy puppy, that had been wallowing in the afhes. 1 took him in my arms and he spoke to me thefe word, in the Indian tongue : Mother

are you come?"

40. I took him into the wigwam with me, and obferving a number of Indian children in it, I diftributed all the bread which I had referved for my own child, among them all; erwife I fhould have given great offence.

oth

41. My little boy appeared to be very fond of his new me. ther, kept as near me as poffible while I ftayed; and when I told him I must go, he fell as tho he had been knocked down with a club,

42. But having recommended him to the care of him who made him, when the day was far fpent, and the time would per mit me to ftay no longer, I departed, you may well fuppofe with a heavy load at my heart. The tidings I had received of the death of my youngest child had a little before been con firmed to me beyond a doubt; but I could not heartily for the deceased, as for the living child.

no

mourn

fo

43. When the winter broke up we removed to St. John's; and through the enfuing fummer, our principal refidence was at great distance from the fort at that place. In the mean time, however, my fifter's husband having been out with a scouting party to fome of the English fettlements had a drunken frolic at the fort when he returned.

44. His wife, who never got drunk, but had often experienced the ill effects of her hufband's intemperance, fearing what the confequences might prove, if he fhould come home in a morofe and turbulent humor to avoid his infolence, propofed that we fhould both retire, and keep out of the reach of it, until the form abated.

45. We abfconded accordingly ; but fo it happened, that I returned, and ventured into his prefence, before his wife had prefumed to come nigh him. I found him in his wigwam and in á furly mood; and not being able to revenge upon his wife becaufe fhe was not at home, he laid hold of me and

hurried me to the fort; and for a trifling confideration, fold me to a French gentleman whose name was Saccapee.

46. It is an ill wind certainly that blows nobody any good. I had been with the Indians a year lacking fourteen days; and, if not for my filter, yet for me, it was a lucky circumftance indeed, which thus at laft in an unexpected moment, fnatched me out of their cruel hands, and placed me beyond the reach of their infolent power.

47. After my Indian mafter had difpofed of me in the manner related above, and the moment of fober reflection had arrived, perceived that the man who bought me had taken advan. tage of him in an unguarded hour, his refentment began to kindle, and his indignation rofe fo high that he threatened to kill me if he should meet me alone; or if he could not revenge himself thus, that he would fet fire to the fort.

48. I was therefore fecreted in an upper chamber, and the fort carefully guarded, until his wrath had time to cool.

My fervice in the family, to which I was advanced, was perfect freedom, in comparifon with what it had been among the barbarous Indians.

49. My new master and mistress were both as kind and gene rous towards me as I could reasonable expect. I seldom afked a favor of either of them, but it was readily granted. In confequence of which I had it in my power, in many inftances, to adminifter aid and refreshment to the poor prifoners of my own nation, who were brought into St. John's during my abode in the family of the above mentioned benevolent and hofpitable Saccapee.

50. Yet even in this family, fuch trials awaited me as I had little reafon to expect; but flood in need of a large stock of prudence, to enable me to encounter them. In this, I was greatly affifted by the governor, and Col. Schuyler who was then a prifoner.

51. I was moreover under unspeakable obligations to the governor on another account. I had received intelligence from my daughter Mary, the purport of which was, that there was a profpect of her being fhortly married to a young Indian of the tribe of St. Francois, with which tribe fhe had continu ed from the beginning of her captivity. Thefe were heavy tidings, and added greatly to the poignancy of my other affictions.

52. However, not long after I had heard this melancholy news, an opportunity prefented of acquainting that humane

and generous gentleman, the commander in chief, and my illulrious benefactor, with this affair alfo, who, in compaffion for my fufferings, and to mitigate my forrows, iffued his orders in good time and had my daughter taken away from the In dians, and conveyed to the fame nunnery where her filter was then lodged, with his exprefs injunction, that they fhould both of them together be well looked after, and carefully educated, as hie adopted children.

53. In this fchool of fuperftition and bigotry, they continu. ed while the war in thofe day between France and Great-Bri tain lasted. At the conclufion of which war, the governor went home to France, took my eldest daughter along with him, and married her there to a French gen.leman, whole name is Cron Lewis.

54. He was at Bofton with the fleet under Count de Eafting, [1779] and one of his clerks. My other daughter ftill contin uing in the nunnery, a confiderable time had elapfed after my return from captivity when I made a journey to Canada, refolving to use my beft endeavours not to return without her.

55. I arrived just in time to prevent her being fent to France. She was to have gone in the next veffel that failed for that place. And I found it extremely difficult to prevail with her to quit the Bunnery and go home with me.

56. Yea, the abfolutely refufed; and all the perfuafion and arguments I could ufe with her were to no effect, until after I had been to the governor, and obtained a letter from him to the fuperintendant of the nuns in which he threatened, if my daughter fhould not be delivered immediately into my hands, or could not be prevailed with to fubmit to my parental authority, that he would fend a band of foldiers to aflift me in bringing her

away.

57. But fo extremely bigoted was fhe to the customs and religion of the place, that after all, fhe left it with the greatest reluctance, and the moft bitter lamentations, which fhe continued as we paffed the ftreets, and wholly refufed to be comforted. My good friend, Major Small, whom we met with on the.} way, tried all he could to confole her; and was so very kind and obliging as to bear us company, and carry my daughter behind him on horfeback.

58. But I have run on a little before my ftory; for I have not yet informed you of the means and manner of my own redemption to the accomplishing of which, the recovery of

AMERICAN SELECTION,

83

my daughter juft mentioned, and the ranfoming of fome of my other children, feveral gentlemen of note contributed not a lit tle; to whofe goodness, therefore, I am greatly indebted, and fincerely hope I fhall never be fo ungrateful as to forget it,

59. Col. Schuyler, in particular, was fo very kind and gene rous as to advance 2700 livres to procure a ranfom for myself and three of my children. He accompanied and conducted us from Montreal to Albany, and entertained us in the most friendly and hofpitable manner a confiderable time, at his own houfe, and I believe entirely at his own expence,

THE WHISTLE.

1.WHEN 1 was a child, at feven years old, fays Dr. Franklin, my friends on a holiday filled my little pockets with coppers. I went directly to a fhop where they fold toys for children; and being charmed with the found of a Whittle, which I met by the way, in the hands of another boy, I voluntarily offered and gave all my money for one.

2. I then came home, and went whiftling all over the houfe, much pleafed with my Whitle; but difturbing all the family. My brothers and fifters, and coufins, underftanding the bargain I had made, told me I had given four times as much for it, as it was worth.

3. This put me in mind of what good things I might have ought with the reft of the money. And they laughed at me o much for my folly, that I cried with vexation; and the re lection gave ne more chagrin than the Whittle gave me pleaf

sire.

4. This however was afterwards of ufe to me; the imprefjon continuing on my mind, fo often that when I was tempted o buy fome unneceffary thing, I faid to myfelf, Don't give too uch for the whistle. And fo I faved my money.

5. As I grew up and came into the world, and obferved the Etions of men, I thought I met with many, very many, Who ave too much for the while.

6. When I faw one too ambitious of court favors, facrificing his time in attendance at levees, his repofe, his liberty, his vir ue, and perhaps his friends to attain it, I have faid to myfelf, This man gives too much for his whistle.

7. When I saw another fond of popularity, conftantly em ploying himself in political buflles, neglecting his own affairs,