my goods being seized. Notwithstanding this friendly advice, I was determined to run the risk, and, to my extreme mortification, they all were seized by the custom-house officers, by them deposited in the king's warehouse, and afterwards condemned.
In this distressed situation, and very ill in health, I went
down in a king's boat to Cataraqui, where I arrived on
the 8th of November, and took up my abode at Mr.
Howell's tavern. My indisposition increasing, I was
obliged to keep to my blankets, and had only one faithful
squaw to attend me. In this miserable state I lay some
time, expecting every hour to change my climate, though
determined to use every endeavour to effect a recovery.
At this interesting period my correspondent arrived from
England, and notwithstanding the losses he had sustained
by my imprudence, performed the part of a good
Samaritan, pouring oil and wine into my wounds; and
finding my disorder required medical assistance, desired
a surgeon to attend me, and I was soon sufficiently recovered
to pursue my journey to La Chine, where I
remained some months in preparing the goods which he
brought from England [175] for a North-west journey
among the Indians, intending to go next spring to Michillimakinac;
mais la mauvaise fortune qui nous poursuivit toûjours, frustrated all our schemes, and obliged us to
leave La Chine on the 26th of May, 1786, from whence
we proceeded in a large Schenectady boat[1] to Oswegatche,
where we stopped a few hours, and landed at a place called Toniata Creek, where I determined to apply
————
- ↑ Schenectady boats were long, narrow, flat-bottoms, propelled by small and ungainly sails, or by iron-shod poles. They were so named from being first built at Schenectady, and were much used in the shallow water navigation of Western New York and the Upper St. Lawrence.―Ed.
