1754. MATHEMATICAL QUESTIONS, &c. against rumps and firloins continue, it will be abfolutely neceffary to enforce the love of beef by act of parliament. Yours, Goliah English. 271 Governor's Letter and the French Officer's. Answer. Oct. 31, 1753. liamsburgh in Virginia, and HE major fet out from Wil travelling by the way of Fredericksburg, Winchester, Will's-creek, he arrived, Nov. 22, at the mouth of Turtle creek A on the river Monongahela, where he had an account of the death of the French general in chief in thofe parts, and of their troops returning into winter quarters. From thence he travelled about 10 miles to the forks of the Ohio, where the Monongahela is joined by the river Aligany, and where he fays, a fort might be of great ufe, and might be easily erecBed. From hence he went to the Loggstown, and tells us as follows: ET the annexed figure represent the garden, and S the fegment; then, having the diameter of the circle given = 100, which is alfo diagonal of the infcribed fquare, we get the area of the C circle minus the area of the fquare == 2853,9816; a fourth part of which is 713.4954 yards, the area of the fegment, All which is too plain to need a demonftration. QUESTION in NAVIGATION, by the fame. T IWO hips, at two different ports, A and B, bearing N. E. and S. W. from each other, fail in the following manner; that from the port A fails 50 miles on a direct courfe and then arrives at a port C, under the fame meridian with B; and that from the port B fails 42 miles on a direct courfe and then arrives at D, which is known to bear weft of the port A: Required the diftance of the two ports A and B, and also that of D and C, with each fhip's courfe, difference of latitude, and departure ? D Some Extracts from the Journal of Major "According to the best obfervations I could make, Mr. Giff's new fettlement (which we paffed by) bears about W. N. W. 70 miles from Will's-creek; Shanapin's, or the forks N. by W. or N. N. W. about miles from that; and from thence to the Loggs-town, the courfe is nearly weft about 18 or 20 miles : So that the whole distance, as we went and computed it, is at least 135 or 140 miles from our back inhabitants. 50 25th, Came to town four or ten Frenchmen, who had deferted from a company at the Kufkufkas, which lies at the mouth of this river. I got the following account from them. They were fent from NewOrleans with 100 men, and 8 canoeloads of provifions to this place; where they expected to have met the fame number of men, from the forts on this fide lake Erie, to convoy them and the stores up, who were not arrived when they ran off. I enquired into the fituation of the E French, on the Miffiffippi, their number, and what forts they had built. They informed me, that there were four fmall forts between New-Orleans and the Black-iflands, garifoned with about 30 or 40 men, and a few small pieces in each That at New-Orleans, which is near the mouth of the Miffiffippi, there are 35 companies, of 40 men each, with a pretty ftrong fort mounting 8 carriage guns; and at the Black-islands there are feveral companies, and a fort with 6 guns. The Black-iflands are about 130 leagues above the mouth of the Ohio, which is about 350 above New-Orleans. They alfo acquainted me, that there was a finall pallifado'd fort on the Ohio, at the mouth of the Obaifh about 60 leagues from the Miffiffippi. The Ob...th heads near the weft end of the lake Erie, and affords the communication between the French on Miffiffippi and those on the lakes. Thefe deferters came up from F G *Or Wabash, written by the French Quabach, the 272 Extracts from Major WASHINGTON's Journal. June the lower Shanoah town with one Brown, an Indian trader, and were going to Philadelphia." At this place he met one of the kings of the fix nations, who informed him, "that the French had built two forts, one on lake Erie, and another on French-creek, near a small lake about 15 miles afunder, A and a large waggon road between: They are both built after the fame model, but. different in the fize; that on the lake the largeft. He gave him a plan of them, of his own drawing." And further told him, that three nations of French Indians had taken up the hatchet against the English. "Here, fays he, another Indian king informed me, that an Indian from Venango brought news, a few days ago, that the French had called all the Mingo's, Delawares, &c. together at that place; and told them, that they intended to have been down the river this fall, but the waters were growing cold, and the winter advancing, which obliged them to go into C quarters: But that they might affuredly expect them in the fpring, with a far greater number; and defired that they might be quite paffive, and not to intermeddle, unless they had a mind to draw all their force upon them: For that they expected to fight the English three years. (as they fuppofed there would be fome D attempts made to ftop them) in which time they fhould conquer: But that if they should prove equally strong, they and the English would join to cut them all off, and divide the land between them : That tho' they had loft their general, and fome few of their foldiers, yet there were men enough to reinforce them, and make them mafters of the Ohio." This fpeech, he faid, was delivered to them by one captain Joncaire, their interpreter in chief, living at Venango, and a man of note in the army. After fome account of his negotiations with the Indians, his journal goes on as follows: "Nov. 30. we fet out with a guard of four Indians, and travelled on the road to Venango, where we arrived the 4th of December, without any thing remarkable happening but a continued feries of bad weather. This is an old Indian town, fituated at the mouth of French creek on the Ohio; and lies near N. about 60 miles from the Loggs-Town, but more than 70 the way we were obliged to go. We found the French colours hoifted at a houfe, from which they had driven Mr. John Frazier, an English fubject. I immediately repaired to it, to know where the commander refided. There were three officers, one of whom, Capt. Jon caire, informed me, that he had the command of the Ohio: But that there was a general officer at the near fort, where he. advised me to apply for an answer. He invited us to fup with them; and treated us with the greatest complaifance. The wine, as they dofed themselves pretty plentifully with it, foon banished the restraint which ́at first appeared in their converfation; and gave a licence to their tongues to reveal their fentiments more freely. They told me, that it was their abfolute defign to take poffeffion of the Ohio, and by G- they would do it: For that altho' they were fenfible the English could raise B two men for their one; yet they knew, their motions were too flow and dilatory to prevent any undertaking of theirs. They pretend to have an undoubted right to the river, from a difcovery made by one La Solle 60 years ago; and the rife of this expedition is, to prevent our fettling on the river or waters of it, as they had heard of fome families moving out in order thereto. From the best intelligence. I could get, there have been 1500 men on this fide Ontario lake: But upon the death of the general all were recalled to about 6 or 700, who were left to garison four forts, 150 or thereabouts in each. The first of them is on French-creek, near a fmall lake, about 60 miles from Venango, near N. N. W. the next lies on lake Erie, where the greater part of their ftores are kept, about 15 miles from the other. From this it is 120 miles to the carrying place, at the falls of lake Erie, where there is a fmall fort; which they lodge their goods at, in bringing them from Montreal, the place whence all their ftores come from. The next fort lies about 20 miles from this, on Ontariolake. Between this fort and Montreal there are three others, the first of which is near oppofite to the English fort Ofwego. From the fort on lake Erie to Montreal is about 600 miles, which they fay requires no more, if good weather, than four weeks voyage, if they go in barks or large veffels, fo that they may crofs the lake: But if they come in canoes, it will require 5 or 6 weeks, for they are obliged to keep under the fhore. E G sth, Rained exceffively all day, which prevented our travelling. Capt. Joncaire fent for the half-king, as he had but just heard that he came with me: He affected, to be much concerned that I did not make free to bring them in before. I excused. it in the best manner I was capable, and told him, I did not think their company agreeable, as I had heard him fay a good deal in difpraife of Indians in general. But 1754. Extracts from Major WASHINGTON'S Journal. 273 But another motive prevented me from bringing them into his company: I knew he was interpreter, and a perfon of very great influence among the Indians, and had lately ufed all poffible means to draw them over to their intereft; therefore I was defirous of giving no opportunity that could be avoided. A was impoffible, either by fording or rafting, the water was fo high and rapid. We paffed over much good land fince we left Venango, and through feveral extenfive and very rich meadows; one of which I believe was near four miles in length, and confiderably wide in fome places. When they came in, there was great pleafure expreffed at feeing them. He wondered how they could be fo near without coming to vifit him; made several trifling prefents; and applied liquor fo faft, that they were foon rendred incapable of the bufinefs they came about, notwithstanding the caution which was given. 6th. The half-king came to my tent, B quite fober, and infifted very much that I should stay and hear what he had to fay to the French. I fain would have prevented his fpeaking any thing, till he came to the commandant; but could not prevail. He told me, that at this place a council fire was kindled, where all their bufinefs with thefe people was to be tranf-about seven days before me. acted; and that the management of the Indian affairs was left folely to Monfieur Joncaire. As I was defirous of knowing the iffue of this, I agreed to stay: But fent our horfes a little way up Frenchcreek, to raft over and encamp; which I knew would make it near night. 12th. I prepared early to wait upon the commander, and was received and conducted to him by the second officer in command. I acquainted him with my bufinefs, and offered my commission and letter: Both of which he defired me to keep till the arrival of Monfieur Riparti, captain, at the next fort, who was fent for and expected every hour. About 10 o'clock they met in council. The king spoke much the fame as he had before done to the general; and offered the French speech-belt which had before been demanded, with the marks of four towns on it, which Monfieur Joncaire refused to recieve; but defired him to carry it to the fort to the commander. This commander is a knight of the military order of St. Lewis, and named Legardeur de St. Piere. He is an elderly gentleman, and has much the air of a foldier. He was fent over to take the command, immediately upon the death of the late general, and arrived here At 2 o'clock the gentleman who was fent for arrived, when I offered the letter, &c. again; which they received, and adjourned into a private apartment for the captain to tranflate, who understood a little English. After he had done it, the commander defired I would walk in, and bring my interpreter to perufe and correct Dit; which I did. 13th. The chief officers retired, to hold a council of war; which gave me an opportunity of taking the dimenfions of the fort, and making what obfervations I could. It is fituated on the fouth, or weft fork of French-creek, near the water; and is almost furrounded by the creek, and a fmall branch of it which forms a kind of E inland. Four houfes compofe the fides. The baftions are made of piles driven into the ground, standing more than 12 feet above it, and harp at top: With portholes cut for cannon, and loop-holes for the small arms to fire through. There are eight 61b. pieces mounted, in cach bastion; and one piece of four pound before the gate. In the baftions are a guard-houfe, chapel, doctor's lodging, and the commander's private ftore; roundwhich are laid plat-forms for the cannon and men to ftand on. There are feveral barracks without the fort, for the foldiers dwelling; covered, fome with bark, and fome with boards, made chiefly of logs. There are alfo feveral other houíes, such as ftables, fmiths fhop, &c. 7th. Monfieur la Force, commissary of the French stores, and three other foldiers came over to accompany us up. We found it extremely difficult to get the Indians off to-day, as every ftratagem had been used to prevent their going up with me. I had last night left John Davifon (the Indian interpreter whom I brought with me from town) and strictly charged him not to be out of their company, as I could not get them over to my F tent; for they had fome business with Kuftaloga, chiefly to know the reafon why he did not deliver up the French belt which he had in keeping: But I was obliged to fend Mr. Gift over to-day to fetch them; which he did with great perfuafion. At 11 o'clock we fet out for the fort, G and were prevented from arriving there till the 11th by exceffive rains, fnows, and bad travelling, through many mires and fwamps, Thefe we were obliged to pas, to avoid croffing the creek, which June, 1754. I could get no certain account of the number of men here: But according to the best judginent I could form, there are an hundred exclufive of officers, of which there Mm |