The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-12-08

with . good breeze AID -seusihB s"e
God for our delverance Almost 'h 'no
mouth OF the estuary, we passed tne CRUISER,
and a little after, the poor Sarah with her
ori,e GRAVY. and these were both sights 10
maize us tremble. The Bernfudau scer'cd
very safe place to DO In, aud our bold stroke
% have been fortunately played, when we
w.ra thus reminded Of the case OF our com
,onions For all that, we had only exchanged
traps Jumped out OF the frying pan into the
fra. run from the yardarm TO the block, ana
escaped the open hostility OF the man-of-war
10 lie at the mercy Of the doubtful faith OF
our Albanian merchant.
From many circumstances, It CHANGED we
we're safer than we could have dared TO hope.
The town OF Albany was at that time much
concerned in coutraband trade across the
desert with the Indians and the French. This
as 1t was highly illegal, relaxed their loyalty,
and as it brought them In relation with the
politest people on the earth, divided even their
sympathes In short, they were like all the
sfugglers in the world, spies and agents
ready made for either party. Our Albanian,
besides, was a very honest man indeed, AMI
very greedy; and to crown our iIck he con
ceived a great delight In cur society. Before
we had reached the town Of New York we
had come 10 full agreement; that he should
carry us as far as Albany upon his ship aud
thence put us on a way to pass the boundaries
and Join the French Fer all this we were to
pay at high rate, but beggars cannot be
choosers nor outlaws bargaiuers
We sailed then up the Hudson river, which,
protest, is very fine stream, and put up at
the Kings Arms, in Albany. The town was
full OF the militia Of The province, breathing
slaughter against the French Governor
Clinton was there himself, very busy man,
and, by what | could learn, very near dis
tracted by the factiousuess Of his assembly.
The Indians on both sides were on the war
path; we saw parties OF them bringing in
prisoners and, what was much worse, scalps,
both male and female, for which they were
paid at fixed rate, and, assure you, the
sight was not encouraging. Altogether we
could scarce have come at a period more
unsuitable for our designs, our position in the
chief inn was dreadfully conspicuous, our
Albanian fubbed us Off with thousand de
lays and seemed upon the point OF retreat
from his engagements, nothing but peril ap-
peared to environ the poor fugitives, and for
some time we drowned our concern In very
irregular course Of living.
This, too proved to be fortunate; and
its one Of the remarks that fan TO be made
upon our escape. how providentially our
steps were conducted TO the very end What
humiliation TO the dignity Of mani Ny
philosophy, the extraordinary genius OF Bal
Iantrae, our valor, in which grant that we
were equal-all these might have proved In
sufficient without the divine blessing on our
efforts And how true it is, as the church
tells us, that the truths OF religion are, after
all, quite applicable even to daily affairs
At least it was in the course OF our revelry
that we made the acquaintance of spirited
youth by the name Of Chew. He was one OF
the most daring Of the Indian traders, very
wel acquainted with the secret paths Of the
wilderness, needy, dissolute, and by a last
good fortune, in some disgrace with his fam.
lily. Him we persuaded 10 come 70 our re
lief; he privately provided what was needful
for our flight; and one day We slipped out
Of Albany without a word 10 our former
friend, and embarked, little above, in
canoe
II was our design tomount the head waters
ID
Point where the French had strong place
in the woods, upon Lake Champain. But &c
have done this directly were too perilous, and
it was accordingly gone upon by such laby
rinth of rivers, lakes and portages rs make
my head giddy 70 remember. These paths
were in ordinary times entirely desert, but
the country was now up, the tribes on the
warpath, the woods full Of Indian scouts
Again and again we came upon these parties
when we least expected them, and one day,
in particular, | shall never forget how, "a
dawn was coming in, we were suddenly sur
rounded by five or six OF these painted devils
uttering very dreary sort Of cry and brand
shing their hatchets. IL passed Off harm
essly indeed, as did the rest OF our encounters
for Chew was well known and highly valued
among the different tribes
We we're come 10 the most critical portion
OF our course, where We might equally ex
pect to fall into the hands Of French or
English, when a terrible calamity befell US
Chew was taken suddenly sick with symp-
toms like those Of poison, and IN the course OF
"A few hours expired in the bottom OF the
canoe. We thus lost at once our guide, our
interpreter, our boatman and our passport,
for he was all these in one, and folnd our
selves reduced, az blow, 10 the most des
perate and irremediable distress Chew, who
took a great pride in his knowledge. had IN
deed often lectured Us on the geography, and
Ballantrae. believe, would listen But for
my part have always found such informa
ton highly tedious, and beyond the fact that
we were now in the country Of the Adiron
l.. L. "A a frtf
destination, could we but have found the
way, was entirely ignorant. Tho wisdom
Of my course was soon tho more apparent,
for with all his pains, Ballantrae was no
further advanced than myself.
He knew we must continue 20 90 up one
stream; then, by way Of a portage, down
another; and then up third. But you are
10 consider, In mountain country, how |
many streams come rolling In from every |
hand And how is a gentleman, who Is a
perfect stranger in that part Of the world, To |
tell any one OF them from any otherf Nor |
was this our only trouble We were great
noyices, besides, ia handling canoe; the
portages were almost beyond our strength |
80 that have seen Us sit down in despair for |
half an hour at a time without one word; and |
the appearance OF u Silleif iuAihiis oiiiNo w |
had now no means Of speaking 70 them,
would have been in all probability the means |
of our destruction. There is altogether some |
excuse II Ballantrae showed something OF |
glooming disposition; his habit Of imputing |
blame TO others, quite as capable as himself, |
was less toerable, and bis language it was |
not always easy to accept Indeed, he had |
on board the pirate ships manner |
OF address which was In high degree unusual |
between gentlemen; and now, when you |
might say he was in fever, it increased
upon him hugely.
The third day Of these wanderings, as we
were carrying the canoe upon rocky port |
age, she fell and was entirely bilsed. The |
portage was between two lakes, both pretty |
extensive the track, such as it was opened |
at both ends upon the water, and on both |
hands was inclosed by the unbroken woods,
and the sides Of the lakes were quite lnpassa |
BILE with bog, so that we beheld ourselves not |