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The Life of Peter Williamson.

ever, I contrived to defend myself against the inclemency of the weather as well as I could, by making myself a little wigwam, with the bark of the trees, covering the same with earth, which made it resemble a cave; and to prevent the ill effects of the cold which penetrated into it, I was forced to keep a good fire always near the door. Thus did I for near two months endnre such hardships of cold and hunger, as had hitherto been unknown to me. My liberty of going about was, indeed, more than I could have expected, but they well knew the impracticability of my eloping from them. Seeing me outwardly easy and submissive, they would sometimes give me a little meat, but my chief food was Indian corn, dressed as I have above described. Notwithstanding such their civility, the time passed so tediously on, that I almost began to despair of ever regaining my liberty, or seeing my few relations again ; which, with the anxiety and pain I suffered on account of my dear wife, often gave me inexpressible concern. At length the time arrived, when they were preparing themselves for another expedition against the planters and white people ; but before they set out they were joined by many other Indians from Fort Du Quesne, well stored with powder and ball they had received from the French. . As soon as the snow was quite gone, and no traces of their vile

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footsteps could be perceived, they set forth on their journey towards the back parts of the province of Pennsylvania, leaving their wives and children behind in their wigwams. They were now a terrible and formidable body, amounting to near 150. My duty was t carry what they thought proper to load me with, but they never entrusted me with a gun. We marched on several daywithout any thing particular occurring, almost famished for want of provisions ; for my part I had nothing but a few stalks of Indian corn, which I was glad to eat dry; nor did the Indians themselves fare much better, for as we drew near the plantations, they were afraid to kill any game, lest the noise of their guns should alarm the inhabitants. When we again arrived at the Blue Hills before-mentioned, we encamped for three days, though God knows we- had neither tents, nor any thing else to defend as from the inclemency of the air, having nothing to lie on by night but the grass. Their usual method of lodging, pitching or encamping by night, being in parcels of ten or twelve men to a fire, where they lie upon the grass or bushes, wrapt up in a blanket, with their feet to the fire. During our stay here, a sort of council of war was held, when it was agreed to divide themselves into companies of about twenty men each ; after which, every captain marchdB B