essarily evacuate their lands to the fierce enemy,
and fly to the protection of some chief; and that if he would permit
them they should come under his rule and protection when they had to
retreat from their own possessions. He was a kind and merciful
prince, and therefore consented to these proposals.

He had scarcely returned to his nation with the message, before the
whole of his people were obliged to retreat from their country, and
come to my fathers dominions.

He gave them every privilege and all the protection his government
could afford. But they had not been there longer than four days
before news came to them that the invaders had laid waste their
country, and were coming speedily to destroy them in my father's
territories. This affrighted them, and therefore they immediately
pushed off to the southward, into the unknown countries there, and
were never more heard of.

Two days after their retreat, the report turned out to be but too
true. A detachment of the enemy came to my father and informed him,
that the whole army was encamped not far out of his dominions, and
would invade the territory and deprive his people of their liberties
and rights, if he did not comply with the following terms. These were
to pay them a large sum of money, three hundred fat cattle, and a
great number of goats, sheep, asses, &c.

My father told the messenger that he would comply rather than that his
subjects should be deprived of their rights and privileges, which he
was not then in circumstances to defend from so sudden an invasion.
Upon turning out those articles, the enemy pledged their faith and
honor that they would not attack him. On these he relied and
therefore thought it unnecessary to be on his guard against the enemy.
But their pledges of faith and honor proved no better than those of
other unprincipled hostile nations; for a few days after a certain
relation of the king came and informed him, that the enemy who sent
terms of accommodation to him, and received tribute to their
satisfaction, yet meditated an attack on his subjects by surprise, and
that probably they would commence their attack in less than one day,
and concluded with advising him, as he was not prepared for war, to
order a speedy retreat of his family and subjects. He complied with
this advice.

The same night which was fixed upon to retreat, my father and his
family set off about break of day. The king and his two younger wives
went in one