hickets
of spruce and fir were covered and exhibited a gloomy aspect.

To add to our discouragements, we received intelligence that Colonel
Enos who was in our rear, had returned with three companies, and taken
large stores of provisions and ammunition. These companies had
constantly been in the rear, and of course had experienced much less
fatigue than we had. They had their path cut and cleared by us; they
only followed, while we led. That they therefore should be the first to
turn back excited in us much manly resentment. Our bold though
unexperienced general discovered such firmness and zeal as inspired us
with resolution. The hardships and fatigues he encountered, he accounted
as nothing in comparison with the salvation of his country.

October 26th. Setting out very early this day we passed on with great
resolution: we passed thro' four several ponds with outlets leading from
one to the other. The course through these ponds, I should judge was
nearly N.W. The land apparently very barren--the timber consisting
chiefly of fir, spruce, hackmetack and hemlock. The ponds were large and
deep; one of them I should judge was three miles in length and one in
breadth.

October 27th. This day we crossed a pond, one fourth of a mile over, and
soon came to another two miles in width. In this pond we caught plenty
of trout. We had now come to the great carrying place, 4 miles and 50
perches over.

As we were all greatly fatigued, it was resolved to leave here most of
our batteaus, which had already been reduced from 10 to 6 to each
company--but 6 I think were carried from this place. We overhauled our
ammunition and found most of our powder damaged and unfit for use; all
of this description we destroyed on the spot.

The last pond we crossed, appeared to be the head of Dead river, or
rather as some suppose, the fountain from which Kennebeck river takes
its first rise, that and the Dead river being one and the same. The
river from the place where we left the Kennebeck, (so-called) to the
place where we entered the Dead river making a long crooked circuitous
route. We now appeared to be on the height of land, and to be several
hundred feet higher than when we were at Fort Western.

October 28th. We this day passed the height of land. We then divided our
provisions which we found did not exceed 4 pounds of flour and 40 ounces
of pork to a man. We were in a meadow by the side of a small stream,
running N.E. into Chaudiere la