M'Clocklan, two Pennsylvania traders, whom they had taken with
all their goods. They told me that they had been sent to Canada, but
were now returned home.

This evening, I received an answer to his honour the governor's
letter, from the commandant.

15th. The commandant ordered a plentiful store of liquor, provision,
&c. to be put on board our canoes, and appeared to be extremely
complaisant, though he was exerting every artifice which he could
invent to set our Indians at variance with us, to prevent their going
until after our departure: presents, rewards, and every thing which
could be suggested by him or his officers. I can not say that ever in
my life I suffered so much anxiety as I did in this affair. I saw that
every stratagem, which the most fruitful brain could invent, was
practised to win the half king to their interest; and that leaving him
there was giving them the opportunity they aimed at. I went to the
half king and pressed him in the strongest terms to go; he told me
that the commandant would not discharge him until the morning. I then
went to the commandant, and desired him to do their business, and
complained of ill treatment; for keeping them, as they were part of my
company, was detaining me. This he promised not to do, but to forward
my journey as much as he could. He protested he did not keep them, but
was ignorant of the cause of their stay; though I soon found it out.
He had promised them a present of guns, &c. if they would wait until
the morning. As I was very much pressed by the Indians to wait this
day for them, I consented, on a promise that nothing should hinder
them in the morning.

16th. The French were not slack in their inventions to keep the
Indians this day also. But as they were obliged, according to promise,
to give the present, they then endeavoured to try the power of liquor,
which I doubt not would have prevailed at any other time than this:
but I urged and insisted with the king so closely upon his word, that
he refrained, and set off with us as he had engaged.

We had a tedious and very fatiguing passage down the creek. Several
times we had like to have been staved against rocks; and many times
were obliged all hands to get out and remain in the water half an hour
or more, getting over the shoals. At one place, the ice had lodged,
and made it impassable by water; we were, therefore, obliged to carry
our canoe across the neck of land, a quarter of a mile over. We did
not r