Page:Life and astonishing adventures of Peter Williamson (2).pdf/8

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and happy as I was in a good wife, yet did my felieity last me not long ; for about the year 1754, the Indians in the French Interest, who had for a long time before ravaged and destroyed other parts of Ameriea unmolested, I may very proper- ly say, began to be very troublesome on the frontiers of our provinee, where they generally appeared in small skulking parties, with yellings, shoutings, and antie postures, instead of trumpets and drums, committing great devastations. The Pennsylvanians little imagined at first that the Indians, guilty of such outrages and violenee, were some of those who pretended to be in the English interest ; which, alas ! proved to be too true to many of us ; for, like the French in Eu- rope, without regard to faith or treaties, they suddenly break out into furious, rapid outrages, and devastations, but soon retire preeipitately having no stores nor provisions but what they meet with in their incursions. Some indeed carry a bag with biscuit or Indian corn therein, but not unless they have a long march to their destined place of action. And those French who were sent to dispossess us in that part of the world, being indefatigable in their duty, and con- tinually contriving and using all manner of ways and means to win the Indians to their interest, many of whom had been too negligent, and some- times, I may say, cruelly treated by those who