of honor that no mischief should befall him,
or unfair advantage be taken of it. Whereupon, Capt. Van Braam, the
old Dutch fencing-master, being the only French interpreter
conveniently at hand, was employed to go and bring in the terms of
surrender. He soon came back; but the terms were too dishonorable for
any true soldier to think of accepting. He was sent again, but with no
better result. The third time, Capt. de Villiers sent written articles
of capitulation; which, being in his own language, must needs be first
translated before an answer could be returned. By the flickering light
of one poor candle, which could hardly be kept burning for the pouring
rain, the Dutch captain read the terms he had brought, while the rest
stood round him, gathering what sense they could from the confused
jumbling of bad French, and worse English he was pleased to call a
translation. After this, there followed a little more parleying
between the hostile leaders; when it was at last settled that the
prisoners taken in the Jumonville affair should be set at liberty;
that the English should build no forts upon the disputed territories
within a twelvemonth to come; and that the garrison, after destroying
the artillery and military stores, should be allowed to march out with
all the honors of war, and pursue their way to the settlements,
unmolested either by the French or their Indian allies. When we take
into account the more than double strength of the enemy, the starving
condition of the garrison (still further weakened as it was by the
loss of twelve men killed and forty-three wounded), and the slender
hope of speedy succor from the settlements, these terms must be
regarded as highly honorable to Col. Washington; and still more so
when we add to this the fact, that the Half King and his other Indian
allies had deserted him at the first approach of danger, under the
pretext of finding some safer retreat for their wives and children.
Whether they failed from choice, or hinderance to return, and take
part in the action, can never now be known with certainty.

Thus the dreary night wore away; and, when the dreary morning dawned,
they destroyed the artillery and the military stores, preparatory to
their setting forth on their retreat. As all the horses had been
killed or lost the day before, they had no means of removing their
heavy baggage: they therefore secured it as best they might, hoping to
be able to send back for it from the settle