Year: 1875

14th OF September, and lay Wlnd-b0und IN tne
Tough at Belfast fourteen days. The second
day of our sail my grand mother died, and
was inferred in the raging ocean, which was
an affective sight to her offspring. We were
sorely tossed at sea with storms, which caused
our ship to spring leak. Our pumps were
kept necessarily at work, day and night; for
many days our mariners seemed, many times,
at their wits end But it pleased God to
bring US all safe to land, which was about the
first of December. We landed in Charles
Town three weeks before Christmas. We
found the inhabitants very kind. We staid
in town until after Christmas, and were put
on board of an open boat, with tools and q
years provisions, and one still-mill. They al
lowed each hand, upwards of sixteen, one axe,
one broad hoe and one narrow hoe. Our
provisions were Indian corn, rice, wheaton
-four, beef, pork, rum, and salt. We were
much distressed in this part of our passage
to the inclemency of the weather day, and
night; and (Which added to the grief of all
pious persons on board) the atheistical and
blasphemous mouths of our PATRONS and the
other hands. They brought US up as far as
Potatoe Ferry, and turned US on shore, where
we FAY II Samuel Commanders barn for some
time and the boat wrought her way up to
the Kings Tree, with the goods and provis-
ions, which is the first boat that, 1 believe,
ever came up 80 high before. While we lay
at Mr.. Commanders, our men came up in
order to get dirt houses to take their families
to. They brought some few horses with them.
What help they could get from the few in
habitants, in order to carry children and 9th.
er necessaries up, they availed themselves Of
AS the woods were full of water and most sc.
we're frosts, it was very severe on women and
children.


1--WE set out in the morning, and some got
nofarther that day than Mr. McDonald's 3, and
some as far as Mr.. Plowden's; some to James
Armstrong;, and some to uncle William
James. Their little cabins we're as full that
night as they could hold, and the next day
every one made the best they could to their
own place, which was the first day of Febru-
ary, l735. My father had brought on ship
board four children, viz: David, Robert,
John and Sarah. Sarah died in Charles Town,
and was the first buried at the Scotch Meet
ing House graveyard. When We came to the
Bluff, my mother and US children were still
in expectation that we were coming to an
agreeable place. But when we arrived and
saw nothing but wilderness and instead of a
fine timbered house, nothing but mean dirt
one, our spirits quite sank; and what added
to our trouble, our pilot we had with US from
uncle William James, left US when we came
in sight of the place. My father gave US all
the comfort he could, by telling US we would
get all these trees cut down, and in a short
time, there would be plenty of inhabitants, 80
that we could see from house to house. While
we were at this, our fire we brought from Bog
Swamp went out. Father had heard that up
the river swamp was the Kings Tree, al
though there was no path /; neither did he
know the distance. Yet he followed up the
swamp until he came to the branch, and by
that found Rodger Gordon's We watched
him as far as the trees would let us see, and
returned to our dolorous hut, expecting never
to see him or any human person more But,
after some time, he returned and brought
fire. We were some comforted but evening
coming on, the wolves began to howl on all
sides. We then feared being devoured by
wild beasts, having neither gun nor dog, nor
any door to our house. Howbeit, we set to
and gathered fuel and made on good fire,
and so passed the first night. The next day
being a clear, warm morning, we began to
stir about; but about midday there rose a
cloud southwest, attended with high wind
thunder and lightning. The rain quickly
penetrated through between the poles and
brought down the sand that covered them
over, which seemed to threaten to bury us
alive. The lightning and claps were very
awful, and lasted good space of time. l do
not remember to have seen much severer
gust than that was. believe we all sincere
" wished ourselves again at Belfast But
this fright was soon over, and the evening
cleared up comfortable and warm. The boat
that brought up the goods arrived at the
Kings Tree. People were much oppressed in
bringing their things, as there was no horse
there. They were obliged to toll hard, and
had no other way but to convey their beds,
clothing, provisions, chests, tools, pots, &C., on
their backs. And at that time there were few
or no roads, and every family bad to travel
the best way they could, which was here
double distance to some, for they had to tol-
low swamps and branches for their guides,
for some time. After season, some men got
such knowledge of the woods as to blaze
paths, so that people soon found out to follow
blazes from place to place. As the winter
season was far advanced, the time to prepare
for planting was very short. Yet people were
very strong and healthy. All that could do
anything wrought diligently, and continued
clearing and planting as long as the season
would admit, so that they made provisions
for the ensuing year.


"As they had but few beasts, a little served
them and as the range was good, they had no
need Of feeding creatures for some years. l
remember that among the first things my
father brought from the boat was his gun,
which was one of Queen Anne's muskets. He
had her loaded with swan shot. One morning,
when we were at breakfast, there was trav'
cling possum on his way passing by the door !;
my mother screamed out saying, There ls a
great BEAR Mother and US children hid our
selves behind some barrels and the chest, at
the other end of our hut, whilst father got
his gun, and steadied her, past the fork that
held up that end of the house, and shot him
about the hinder parts, which caused poor
possum to grin and open his mouth in fright
full manner. Father was in haste to give him
to second bout, but the shot being mislaid
in the hurry, could not be found. We were
penned up for some time. Father at length
ventured out and killed it with pale.


"Another source of alarm was the Indians.
When they came to hunt in the spring, they
were in great numbers in all places like the
Egyptian locusts, but they were not hurtful.


ave had great deal of trouble and hard
ships in our first settling, but the few inhabi.
tants continued still in health and strength.
Yet we were oppressed with fears, on divers
accounts, especially of being massacred by