Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/315

EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES. 301 wake of the English man of war, where he secured himself by the hawser, and upon calling out for assistance, was immediately taken on board with the pacquet. The captain examined him, treated him with great humanity, gave him a suit of his own clothes, scarlet trimmed with black velvet, which he appeared in, transcribed the pacquet, which is said to be of the utmost importance in regard to our success in North America, and then sent him post over land with the copy of the pacquet to Lisbon, from whence he was brought to Falmouth in a sloop of war, and immediately set out post for London. Upon his arrival in town, he was examined by proper persons in the administration, and rewarded with a present supply; and by his own desire, was immediately sent to Portsmouth, to go out on board Admiral Boscawen's own ship, upon the present expedition to North America.

 

obert Eastburn, with about thirty other traders, set out from Philadelphia for Oswego, early in the spring of the year 1756, and on the 28th of March, arrived at Captain Williams's fort, where they proposed to take up their lodging for that night; but Captain Williams informing them that there was not convenient room for them, they passed the night in a building called the Indian house, at a small diftance from the fort.

At ten o'clock in the morning of the next day, Eastburn being still at the Indian house where he had lodged, was alarmed by a negro man, who came running down the road, crying out that several of the English had been taken by the enemy, who were coming forward. Eaftburn not thinking himself safe at the Indian house, joined a small detachment, consisting of a serjeant and twelve men, whom Capt. Williams had dispatched to see if the report of the negro was true, and having marched with them about a quarter of a mile, he heard the report of a musquet, which was instantly followed by the cries of a dying man. As soon as his first surprife was over, he advanced to discover the enemy, and soon perceived they were too well prepared for the reception of his party. In these circumstances of imminent danger, he placed himself behind a large pine-tree, which he saw at a small distance, and while the enemy were viewing his party, he discharged his piece among them, by which he wounded one and killed another; at the same time his party fired, but finding it impossible to make a stand against such a superiority of numbers, they retreated as soon as they had made their fire, and Eastburn's situation behind the tree being such as made it impossible for him to join them, he was compelled to retreat a different way.

Some of the Indians seeing him go off, followed his track in a light snow, but it is probable he might yet have escaped, if he had not unfortunately fallen into a deep bog, where he was soon discovered and surrounded.

