just after we
had passed a place called Murdering town, (where we intended to quit
the path and steer across the country for Shanapin's town) we fell in
with a party of French Indians, who had laid in wait for us. One of
them fired at Mr. Gist or me, not fifteen steps off, but fortunately
missed. We took this fellow into custody, and kept him until about
nine o'clock at night, then let him go, and walked all the remaining
part of the night without making any stop, that we might get the
start, so far, as to be out of the reach of their pursuit the next
day, since we were well assured they would follow our track as soon as
it was light. The next day we continued travelling until quite dark,
and got to the river about two miles above Shanapin's. We expected to
have found the river frozen, but it was not, only about fifty yards
from each shore. The ice, I suppose, had broken up above, for it was
driving in vast quantities.

There was no way for getting over but on a raft, which we set about,
with but one poor hatchet, and finished just after sun setting. This
was a whole day's work: we next got it launched, then went on board of
it, and set off; but before we were half way over, we were jammed in
the ice, in such a manner, that we expected every moment our raft to
sink, and ourselves to perish. I put out my setting pole to try to
stop the raft, that the ice might pass by, when the rapidity of the
stream threw it with so much violence against the pole, that it jerked
me out into ten feet water; but I fortunately saved myself by catching
hold of one of the raft logs. Notwithstanding all our efforts, we
could not get to either shore, but were obliged, as we were near an
island, to quit our raft and make to it.

The cold was so extremely severe, that Mr. Gist had all his fingers,
and some of his toes frozen, and the water was shut up so hard, that
we found no difficulty in getting off the island on the ice in the
morning, and went to Mr. Frazier's. We met here with twenty warriors,
who were going to the southward to war; but coming to a place on the
head of the great Kanawa, where they found seven people killed and
scalped, (all but one woman with very light hair) they turned about
and ran back, for fear the inhabitants should rise and take them as
the authors of the murder. They report that the bodies were lying
about the house, and some of them much torn and eaten by the hogs. By
the marks which were left, they say they wer