304. ANNUAL REGISTER, 175?.
fecutors by the cnmpaflion of fome the whole town came out to meet
women, who had been witneffes of him; as the batteau in which he
his ill treatment. was fitting came near the fhore>
On the 1 1 th of April they came a young Indian rudely hauled him
within fight of the town of Conafa- out of ic into the water, which was
danga, where they were foon fur- knee deep, and very cold. As. foon
rounded by a large company of In- as he had got on fhore he was fur-
dians, who ordered all the prifoncrs rounded by a ring of Indians to the
to dance and fm 2;; many complied, number of 500, who ordered him
butEalthurn ftillrefufed; he could rot however avoid a very difagree- able ceremony, which was perform- ed immediately after the dance and ibnjj were ended
again to perform the ceremony of the fong and dance, which was to be followed by the fame race which he had run at his former lodging; he did not, he fays, indulge this
The dcincing and finging was as party by dancing any more than
ufual performed in the middle of a the others, but he acknowledged
large circle of Indians, at a conli- that \\& Jla?npcd, which, as he fays,
iierable diftance from an Indian was to prepare him for his rac,
houfe, the door of which was fet and after fome time the Indians,
open; as foon as the fong was either millaking this ftsmping fcr
ended, the circle opened, and the dancing, or difpenfing with their
prifoners were to run the gauntlet command, made way for'him to
to this houfe; while they were run- run. When he fet oJf, about 150
ring, the Indians continued a moft boys, who had been prepared for
vociferous fhout, and beat them fo that pnrpofe, pelted him with ftones
violently upon the head, that many and dirt; but he would not have
dropped down, but when they had received much damage from this
entered the houfe they were to be volley, if an Indian, grudging him
beaten no more. Eartburn received his good fortune, had not flopped
feveral blows in this diabolicalrace, him as he was running, and held
which he felt long afterwards, him till the boys had armed them-
"but he was noiwithllanding one of felves with more dirt and llones;
the firft that entered the afylum; by this fecond volley hewaswound-
he was treated with great kindnefs ed in the right eye, and his head
by the women, who gave him and and face were fo covered with dire
his companions boiled corn and that he could not fee his way; he
beans, and warmed them at a good was however again delivered by
fire, though fiill he was without fome women, who took pity on
clothes. him,wafhed his wounds, and gave
After he had continued ten days him food.
.Tt this place, he was feritl)y water The next day he was brought to
with a fmall party of Indians to the center of the town, and there de-
another town called Cohnewago, livered to three young Indians to be
and obliged to leave all his compa- adopted, and fent 200 miles farther
nions behind him. When '.he party up the ftream, to a town called Of-
that efcorted him came near the wegotchy.
town, they fliouted to give notice Thefe young men, as foon as
that they had a prifoncr,upon which they had received him, told him
he
