bit of pork. Mr. Henry received one of the thighs; Cunningham the head and feet. After this breakfast they pursued their way with speed till night, when they devoured their last pork and biscuit. About the 10th of October, they saw at the east a great smoke, which inspired them with joy, as they thought it marked the encampment of the army, though it proved to be a fire at one of their camps. They were delayed several hours in consequence of injuries to one of their canoes by running upon the limb of a tree in the river. Birch bark was procured, and the roots of cedar for twine, and the canoe was covered with pitch made from the turpentine of the pine and scrapings of the pork bag. Just at night, these hungry and starving men beheld an object which gave them more pleasure than they could have experienced had they seen a mountain of gold; it was a moose, which was shot by Steele on the north bank, and the fall of which was proclaimed by a huzza. In a moment the second guide cut off the nose and upper lip and put it on the fire. Now indeed was the time of feasting; the night was spent in selecting the titbits and in boiling, roasting, and broiling, though but little was eaten at a time. The next day another moose was killed, and they arrived at their encampment at Dead River. Steele and two others were sent immediately forward to meet the army, and to their great joy they met it the same day. Major Meigs says that he discovered "Steele and party" at the third pond, Oct. 11th; but it appears from Henry that only three of the party could have been met at this time. The others remained in order to "jerk" their venison to provide against emergencies, lest the army should have abandoned the expedition.1

Several days were thus employed, during which there was much suffering in the midst of plenty; for the meat was eaten without bread, or salt, or oil; the appetite was not satisfied, and a diarrhea reduced them to still greater weakness. On the 16th of October, taking their knapsacks of food they crossed the river, and abandoning their canoes from inability to carry them,

1 The jerking was performed by cutting the meat into thin strips, and laying it on a square rack of poles laid across each other to the height of four feet from the ground. A smoke-fire was made beneath in order to dry the meat, thus preserving it for future use, and rendering it lighter to carry.

proceeded along the Carrying-place. At the bog near the third pond they met some pioneers of the army, making a causeway, and soon made a feast on boiled pork and dumplings. They were kindly received by Major Febiger, and by Morgan, whose person was large and commanding, and who wore leggins and cloth in the Indian style. His thighs uncovered seemed to have been roughly handled by the bushes. Thus the whole exploring party rejoined the army after an absence of more than three weeks in the wilderness. Steele had not returned to his party, having dislocated his shoulder; and Clifton and M'Konkey had deserted their post soon after they were left at the first pond.

THE PROGRESS OF THE ARMY.

The army was left by the exploring party at Fort Western. Morgan with three companies of riflemen embarked in batteaux, Sept. 25th, with orders to proceed rapidly to the Great Carry: ing-place and clear the road. Sept. 26th. Colonel Green, with Major Bigelow, and three companies of musket-men also embarked with the second division. Sept. 27th, Major Meigs embarked with the third division, consisting of four companies. and forty-five days' provision. His progress was slow. At Fort Halifax, where he arrived the 29th, was a carrying place of ninety-seven rods around Toconock falls. He encamped five miles above them. The next day he proceeded seven miles, and at night was joined by Arnold. Sabattis, a Penobscot Indian, and a St. Francois Indian, well recommended, accompanied the army from Fort Western. A guide of the name of Jakins was obtained, living above Toconock Falls. Oct. 1. The army ascended the river nine miles. Among the trees observed were butternuts and red cedars. Oct. 2. At Scohegin Falls there was a carrying-place of two hundred and fifty paces across a small island. Oct. 3. Major Meigs proceeded to Norridgewock. On his way he called at a house and saw a child fourteen months old, the first white child born in Norridgewock. This was Abel Farrington, son of Capt. Thomas F., formerly of Groton. Near the site of the Indian village, in going up the falls, his batteaux filled with water, and he lost his kettle, butter, and sugar.

Father Rale's grave was still to be seen. There appeared to have been an intrenchment, and a covered way through the bank of the river for the convenience of getting water. Oct. 4. He proceeded one mile to a carrying-place of a mile and a quarter; and here he was detained two days. In the afternoon of the 6th he proceeded five miles. Oct. 7th, at noon, arrived at the Carratuncas carrying-place of four hundred and thirtythree paces, where the river is confined between two rocks, not more than forty rods apart. Here he remained one day. Oct. 9th, in the afternoon, he proceeded four miles and encamped; the river very rapid, and in some places very shoal, being divided by a number of islands. Oct. 10, he reached the Great Carrying place of twelve miles. Oct. 11, he went as far as the third pond where he discovered Lieut. Steele and party. Oct. 12, he returned, to give orders to build a block-house, to the Kennebec, where Col. Enos arrived with the fourth division of the army, consisting of three companies of musket-men.

Oct. 13. This day Arnold wrote a letter to Gen. Schuyler and enclosed it to a friend in Quebec, and sent it by the St. Francois Indian. The wind was so high, that the boats could not cross the third pond, One man was severely injured by the fall of a tree in the night. Four moose had been killed. Oct. 15. Major Meigs crossed the third pond, which was much larger than the other two, and appeared to be nine miles in circumference. He encamped in a cedar swamp. Orders were given that the allowance should be three-quarters of a pound of pork and the same of flour to each man a day. Oct. 18. Two oxen were killed and divided. Major M. proceeded up the river about twenty miles, the water being smooth, and encamped on the south side. The land this day appeared fine and mostly covered with grass as high as a man's waist. The rifle corps always preceded the other troops; the boats loaded usually had three men in them; the remainder of the army marched by land. Oct. 19. On account of rain Major M. remained in camp till two o'clock, then proceeded five miles and encamped on the north side of the river; passing three small falls, but finding the current otherwise gentle. He was ordered to proceed with his

division with the greatest expedition to the Chaudiere, and furnish pioneers under Capt. Ayres, to clear the carrying-place. Oct. 20. He passed several small falls and one portage of thirteen rods. It was a rainy day. Oct. 21. Proceeding three miles there was a portage of thirty-five rods, and two miles further a portage of thirty rods. The whole distance was only five miles. Oct. 22. Major M. proceeded only three miles, passing two portages, each of seventy-four rods. Last night the water of the river rose eight feet, overflowing the country, so that the men on shore proceeded with difficulty. Oct. 23. The progress was very slow, as the stream was rapid. A number of the men marched up the river which comes in from the west, mistaking it for Dead River. Some boats were dispatched after them. At the encampment was a portage of fifteen rods, the river being extremely rapid. Here five or six batteaux filled, by which were lost several barrels of provisions, and some cash, clothes, and guns. By the upsetting of a boat, Mr. Henry was thrown into the river and narrowly escaped drowning. A council was held and it was resolved that the sick should return to Cambridge, and that fifty men should proceed with dispatch to the Chaudiere pond. The next day a progress of only four miles was made. Oct. 25. A progress of six miles, passing three portages, two of them of four rods, and one of ninety rods. Oct. 26. The ponds at the head of the river were crossed; first a pond two miles across; then was passed its outlet, two and one-half rods wide and four rods long, communicating with the second small pond a mile in length; the next strait was a mile and a half long leading to a pond three miles wide; after a narrow strait the fourth pond was found a quarter of a mile wide; then there was a narrow, crooked river of three miles. A carrying-place of fifteen rods led to the fifth pond of one hundred rods. The encampment was on a high hill, which was a carrying-place at the north-west; the ponds were surrounded with high mountains. Oct. 27. After a portage of one crossed; a second portage of

mile a pond of fifty rods was forty-four rods led to a pond two miles wide. From this pond was the portage of four miles and sixty across the height of land to the Chaudiere. the height of land is about two miles. Oct.

rods, to the right, From the pond to The army pro

28.

ceeded to the Chaudiere. Some of the captains, on account of the difficult navigation of that river, carried over but one boat for each of their companies; but Morgan, with excessive labor, transported all his boats. Near this point are the heads not only of the Kennebec, but of the Connecticut, Androscoggin, Penobscot, and Chaudiere rivers.

The army had now entered Canada, but its situation was perilous and discouraging. From Dead River Col. Enos had returned to Cambridge with the sick, and with his whole rear division, consisting of William's, McCobb's, and Scott's companies. This measure was the result of a council of war of his own officers in order to avoid the horrors of famine; but without order or permission from Arnold. He was tried by a court. martial in December, and acquitted with honor. He had but three days' provisions, when we set out to return, and was distant one hundred miles from the nearest settlement. The army now consisted of not more than six or seven hundred men; the provisions and ammunition were divided; Mr. Henry says, that in his corps there was no meat of any kind; of the flour five pints constituted the portion of each rifleman. This was baked into five cakes under the ashes. The distance was now eighty or ninety miles to the settlements in Canada, and the way most difficult and dreary.

Oct. 29. The army arrived at one o'clock, at Nepess lake, which lies south of Ammeguntic, and encamped at night on its bank, where there had been an Indian camp. Oct. 30. They marched through the woods about fifteen miles along the eastern side of lake Ammeguntic, and encamped near its north end, or where the Chaudiere issues from it. The travelling this day and the day following was extremely bad, over mountains, and through morasses, in which the men would sink deep in the mud. Attached to the Pennsylvania troops were two heroic women, one the wife of Sergeant Grier, the other the wife of a private named Warner. Mr. Henry says that he passed two streams, wide and deep, flowing into the lake from the east, the northern one being the largest. They were crossed in batteaux or rafts stationed for the purpose by Arnold; the batteaux at the larger river being under the superintendence of Capt. Dearborn.