rived, and by their signs convinced her from whom they had their instructions. If a doubt could remain, it was removed by the letter-it was from her lover. A lock of his hair, which it contained, presented his manly figure to her gloomy fancy. Here, reader, guess what must have been her ecsta cy. She resolved to brave even the most horrid aspect, which might appear between her and him, whom she considered already hers, without a sigh-she did not for a moment hesitate to follow the wishes of her lover; and took journey with these bloody messengers, expecting very soon to be shielded in the arms of legitimate affec tion. A short distance only then seemed to separate two of the happiest of mortals.Alas! how soon are the most brilliant pictures of felicity defaced by the burning hand of affliction and woe! How swiftly are the halcyon dreams, which lull the supine indolence of thought, suc ceeded by the real pangs which are inflicted by a punish ing providence or a persecuting foe! Having risen the hill, at about equal distance from the camp and her former home, a second party of In dians having heard of the captivating offer made by Mr. JONES, determind to avail themselves of the opportuni ty. The reward was the great object. A clashing of real and assumed rights was soon followed by a furious and bloody engagement, in which several were killed on each side. The commander of the first party, perceiv ing that nought but the lady's death could appease the fury of either, with a tomahawk deliberately knocked her from her horse, mangled her scalp from her beautiful temples, which he exultingly bore as a trophy of zeal to the expectant and anxious lover!! Here, O disappointment, was thy sting! It was with the greatest dif ficulty that Mr. JONES could be kept from total delirium. His horror and indignation could not be appeased ; his remorse for having risked his most valuable treasure in the hands of savages! drove him almost to madness. When the particulars of the melancholy event reached Gen. BURGOYNE, he ordered the survivors of both these parties to immediate execution. CHAP. V. INVASION OF NEW-YORK AND NEW.ENGLAND AND DESTRUCTION OF SCHENECTADY, BY THE IN the year 1690, the Mohawks having made several successful expeditions against the Canadians, the Count FRONTENAC (to raise the depressed spirit of the latter) despatched several parties of French and Indians to attack the frontier settlements of New-York and New-England. A detachment of nearly 500 French and Indians, under the command of Monsieurs P. AILLEBOUT, DE WAULET and LE WAYNE, were despatched from Montréal for this purpose; they were furnished with every thing necessary for a winter's campaign.-After a march of twentytwo days, they on the 8th February reached Schenectady -they had on their march been so reduced as to harbor thoughts of surrendering themselves prisoners of war to the English; but their spies (who had been for several days in the village, entirely unsuspected) representing in so strong terms the defenceless state of the inhabitants, as determined them to make an immediate attack.-They found the gates open and unguarded-they entered them, about eleven o'clock at night,and the better to effect their hellish purpose divided their main body into several dis tinct parties of six or seven men each!-the inhabitants were in profound sleep, and unalarmed until the enemy had broken open their doors and with uplifted tomahawks were surrounding their beds !-before they had time to rise, the savages began the perpetration of the most inhuman barbarities!-no language can express the cruelties which were committed-in less than one hour two hundred of the unfortunate inhabitants were slain and the whole village enwrapt in flames:-A detail of the cruelties committed by the barbarians cannot be read without horror--They ravished, riffed, murdered and mutilated the inhabitants without distinction of age or sex, without any other provocation or incitement than brutal lust and wantonness of barbarity !-pregnant women were ripped open and their infants cast into the flames or dashed against the posts of the doors!!-such monsters of barbarity ought certainly to be excluded from all the privileges of human nature, and hunted down as wild beasts, without pity or cessation. A few of the inhabitants escaped, and in their shirts (in a severe and stormy night) fled to Albany-twenty-five of the fugitives in their flight perished with cold. The enemy after destroying the inhabitants killed all the horses and cattle which they could find, with the exception of about thirty of the former, which they loaded with their plunder and drove off. When the news of the horrid massacre reached Alba❤ ny, an universal fear and consternation seized the inhabitants-the country became panic struck; and many entertained thoughts of destroying the town and abandoning that part of the country to the enemy. A second party of the enemy which Count FRONTENAC had detached from the main body at the three rivers (under command of SIEUR HARTEL, an officer of distinguished character in Canada) on the 18th February fell upon Salmon Falls (a plantation on the river which divides New Hampshire from the province of Maine)-the party consisted of about 70 men, more than half of whom were Indians; they commenced the attack at break of day, in three different places, and although the inhabitants were surprized, yet they fled to their arms and defended themselves with bravery which even their enemies applauded; but they were finally overpowered by numbers, and forty-three of them (men, women and children) fell victims to savage barbarity. The depredations of the French and Indians filled the inhabitants of the western country with fear and alarm. -The Assembly of New-York conceived it necessary to make every exertion to prevent the settlement of the French at Albany-it was resolved that two companies of 100 men each should be raised and sent forward for that purpose. For the defence of the frontier towns in New-England, it was ordered that a constant watch should be kept in the several towns, and that all males (above 18 and under 60 years of age) should be held in readiness to march at the shortest notice. On the 20th March, at a proposed meeting of Commissioners from New-York and New England, a plan was proposed and adopted for invading Canada-800 men were ordered to be raised for the purpose--the quotas of the several colonies were fixed, and general rules adopted for the management of the army. A small vessel was sent express to England the beginning of April, carrying a representation of the exposed state of the colonies and the necessity of the reduction of Canada-a petition was also forwarded to his majesty for a supply of arms and ammunition, and a number of frigates to. attack the enemy by water, while the colonel troops made an invasion by land. JOHN WINTHROP, Esq. was appointed major-general and commander in chief of the land army, and arrived with the troops under his com mand near the falls at the head of Wood Creek, early in the month of August. When the army arrived at the place appointed for the rendezvous of the Indians, from the Five Nations (who had engaged to assist the English) instead of meeting with that powerful body which they expected and which the Indians had promised, there was no more than 70 warriors from the Mohawks and Oneidas!--When the general had advanced about 100 miles, he found that there were not canoes sufficient to transport one half the English across the lake-upon representing to the Indians the impossibility of the army's passing into Canada without a much greater number of canoes, they res plied that it was then too late in the season to make cas noes, as the bark would not peal-in short, they artfully evaded every proposal, and finally told the general and his officers that they looked too high and advised them only to attack Chambly, and the out settlements on this side of St. Lawrence-thus did these Indians (who a few years before had so harrassed all the French and Indians in Canada) exhibit the greatest proofs of cowardice!-the English finding it impossible to cross the lake with advantage, returned to Albany, and thus the expedition failed. In the year 1693, Count FRONTENAC finding that he could not accomplish a peace with the Mohawks (who of all the Indians had been by far the most destructive to the settlements in Canada) determined on their destruc tion. He collected an army of about 700 French and Indians, and, having supplied them with every thing ne cessary for a winter campaign, sent them against the Mohawk castles.-They commenced their march from Montreal on the 15th January, 1693--after enduring in credible hardships, they fell in with the first castle about the 10th February--the Mohawks, were unprepared for |