Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1851-01-03

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with it a most extraordinary shoal of mackere
30 that every place was filled with them, wher
they remained ready taken. without net or skill
Of man-a bounlrnl provision for the wants o
the people, till other relief cond be obtained
Another incident he related which occurred il
one of the back settlements, when the Indians
had been employed to burn the dwellings Of the
settlers, and cruelty to murder the people. One
I OF these solitary habitations was in the possess.
ion Of Friends family. They lived in suc
secure simplicity, that they had hitherto had NJ
apprehension of 'anger, and used neither bar
or bolt to their door. having no other means OF
securing their dwelling from intrusion than by
drawing in the leathcrn thong bv which the
wooden latch inside was lifted from without.
The Indians had committed righlfnl ravages
all around burning and numbering without mer-
cv. Every evening brought forth lidings Of
horror, and every night the unhappy settlers
surrounded themselves with such defences as
they could mus'et-Hvcn then, for dread, scarce
Iy being able to sleep. The Friend and his
family, who had hitherto put no trust in the
arms Of flesh but had left all in the Keeping of
God, believing that man often ran in his own
strength to his own injury, had used so little
precaulion. that tn y slept without even with.
drawing the string, and were as yet unnjured.
Alarmed, however, at length, by the fears of
others, andby the dreadful rumors that surroun.
dcd them, they yielded TO their fears on one
particular night, and before retiring 10 rest,
drew in the string, and thus secured themselves
As well rs they were able
In the dead Of the night, the Friend, who had
not been able TO sleep, asked his wife if she
slept: and she replied that she could not, for
her mind was uneasy Upon this, he confess
ed that the same was his case, and that he be.
licvcd it would be the safest for him 10 rise
and put out the string of the latch as usual
On her approving of this. it was done, and the
two Law down again. commendlnr themselves
to the keeping OF God
Tnis had not o, Cured above ten minutes
w Ell the dismll sound of the war-whoop echo.
ed through the 70 cst. filling every heart with
dread. and almost Immediately afterward. they
counted the footsteps of seven men pass III,
window of their chamber. which was on the
ground floor, and the next moment the door
string was pulled. the latch lifted, and the door
opened. A debate Of a fey minutes took Mace.
the purport of which, as it was spoken in the
Indian language, was unntellirible 10 the ir.
habitauis bat that il was favorable to them was
proved by the door beinr again closed and the
Indian retiring without having crossed the
threshold.
The next morninu hcv saw the smoke rising
from burning habita,ions all around them: pt-
rents were Wcrninu for their children who were
carried off, and children lamcutinr over their
parents who had been cruelty slam.
Some years afterwards, when pcace was res.
torcd and the coloui>ts had occasion t. hold
conferences with the Indians This Friend vas
appointed as one for that purposn. and snoak /
lng in favor of the Ind ans he IT lated the alb We
incident; in reply to winch, an Indian observed. .
thai, by the simple circum,,ancc Of u ting ont
the larch.srrinr. winch proved confidence rather
than tear. their lives and their property had
neon saved; for that he himself WA, one of
that miraulnr party, and that, on f,djnr the