men, four women, and twice as many
children, all the way from the mouths of the Ohio to the Red River; and
bad work we had of it, in a crazy old boat, to pass the rapids and avoid
the sand-banks, and snakes, and sawyers, and whatever the devil they
call them, that are met with. I calculate we weren't sorry when we left
the river and took to dry land again. The first thing we did was to make
a wigwam, Injun fashion, with branches of trees. This was to shelter the
women and children. Two men remained to protect them, and the other four
divided into two parties, and set off, one south and t'other west, to
look for a good place for a settlement. I and Righteous, one of Asa's
brothers, took the southerly track.

It was no pleasuring party that journey, but a right-down hard and
dangerous expedition, through cypress swamps, where snapping turtles
were plenty as mosquitoes, and at every step the congo and mocassin
snakes twisted themselves round our ankles. We persevered, however. We
had a few handfuls of corn in our hunting-pouches, and our calabashes
well filled with whisky. With that and our rifles we did not want for
provender.

At length, on the fourth day, we came to an upland, or rolling prairie
as we call it, from the top of which we had a view that made our hearts
leap for joy. A lovely strip of land lay before us, bounded at the
further end by a forest of evergreen oaks, honey locusts, and catalpas.
Towards the north was a good ten mile of prairie; on the right hand a
wood of cotton-trees, and on the left the forest in which you now are.
We decided at once that we should find no better place than this to fix
ourselves; and we went back to tell Asa and the others of our discovery,
and to show them the way to it. Asa and one of his brothers returned
with us, bringing part of our traps. They were as pleased with the place
as we were, and we went back again to fetch the rest. But it was no easy
matter to bring our plunder and the women and children through the
forests and swamps. We had to cut paths through the thickets, and to
make bridges and rafts to cross the creeks and marshes. After ten days'
labour, however, and with the help of our axes, we were at our journey's
end.

We began directly clearing and cutting down trees, and in three weeks we
had built a loghouse, and were able to lie down to rest without fear of
being disturbed by the wolves or catamounts. We built two more houses,
so as to have one for each tw