Page:Surprising life and sufferings of Peter Williamson.pdf/15

 arraigning the divine Justice, like many others in such cases, even in the greatest agonies, incessantly offered up his prayers to the Almighty with the most fervent thanksgivings for his former mercies, and hoping the flames then surrounding him, and slowly consuming his aged limbs, would soon send him to the blissful mansions of the just to be a partaker of the blessings there.

One night after he had been thus tormented; whilst he and I were sitting together condoling each other at the misfortunes and miseries we daily suffered, twenty scalps and three prisoners were brought in by another party of Indians. They had unhappily fallen into their bands in Cannocojigge, a small town near the river Susquehana, chiefly inhabited by Irish people. These prisoners gave us some shocking accounts of the murders and devestations committed in their parts!

The various and complicated actions ofthese barbarians would fill a whole volume; but what I have already related, with a few other instances which I will select from their information, will enable the reader to guess at the horrid treatment the English, and Indians in their interest, suffered for many years past.—I shall therefore only mention in a a brief manuer, those that suffered near the same time with myself.

This party who now joined us, had it not, I found, in their power to begin their wickedness as soon as those who visited my habitation; the first of their tragedies being on the 25th of October, 1754, when John Lewis, with his wife and three small