piece of a cane stalk; they had also brought with them small cane or reed about the size of a rye straw, which they made sharp at the end like a pen, and dipped them into this poison, and stuck them in the ground among the grass, along their own tracks, in such a position that they might stick into the legs of the pursuers, which answered the design; and as the Catawbas had runners to watch the motion of the the pursuers, when they found that a number of them were lame, being artificially snake-bit, and that they were all turning back, the Catawbas turned upon the pursuers and defeated them, and killed and scalped all that were lame. When Solomon had finished his story and found that I understood him, he concluded by saying, 'You don't know, Catawba velly bad Indian, Catawba all one devil, Catawba.'

"Some time after this I was told to take the dogs with me and go down the creek—perhaps I might kill a turkey. It being in the afternoon, I was also told not to go far from the creek, and to come up the creek again to the camp, and to take care not to get lost. When I had gone some distance down the creek I came upon fresh buffalo tracks, and as I had a number of dogs with me to stop the buffalo, I concluded I would follow after and perhaps kill one; as the grass and weeds were rank I could readily follow the track. A little before sundown I despaired of coming up with them; I was then thinking how I might get to camp before night. I concluded, as the

buffalo had made several turns, if I took the back track to the creek it would be dark before I could get to the camp; therefore, I thought I would take a nearer way through the hills and strike the creek a little below the camp. But as it was cloudy weather, and I a very young woodsman, I could find neither creek nor camp. When night came on I fired my gun several times and halloed, but could get no answer. The next morning early the Indians were out after me, and as I had with me ten or a dozen dogs, and the grass and weeds were rank, they could readily follow my track. When they came up with me they appeared to be in a very good humor. I asked Solomon if he thought I was running away. He said: 'No, no; you go too much clooked.' On my return to camp they took away my gun from me, and for this rash step I was reduced to a bow and arrow for nearly two years. We were out on this tour for about six weeks.

"When we returned to the town, Pluggy and his party had arrived, and brought with them a considerable number of scalps and prisoners from the south branch of the Potomac. They also brought with them an English Bible, which they gave to a Dutch woman who was a prisoner, but as she could not read English she made a present of it to me, which was very acceptable.

"When they killed a buffalo they would lash the paunch of it round a sapling, cast it into the kettle, boil it and sup the broth. They were polite in their own way, passed but

surrendered, and that if not the house would be burned over their heads, he replied that he could eat fire, and when the house was in

flames he and his men marched out in a fighting position and were all killed."

ON

N the 23d of April, 1784, Congress passed the first ordinance providing for the establishment and maintenance of government by the United States in the territory northwest of the Ohio River. Thomas Jefferson was chairman of the committee that reported the measure. The ordinance contained a provision prohibiting slavery in the territory after the year 1800, but this clause was stricken out before the law was passed.

Under this first ordinance the survey of the public lands was begun. This appears to have been the only important result accomplished by the measure. Though the ordinance was nominally in force from the

time of its enactment until July 13, 1787, when it was superseded by the celebrated" Ordinance of Freedom," in reality it was a dead letter. The establishment of government in the West and the promotion of settlement there seem to have been warmly favored by Jefferson, but for a time all his efforts failed to accomplish the desired result.

Congress, having purchased from the Indians at the Treaty of Fort Stanwix, in New York, in 1784, whatever title the Six Nations had to lands in the valley of the Ohio, now sought to provide for the survey and disposal of the same; and on May 20, 1785, was passed "An ordinance for ascertaining the mode

of disposing of lands in the Western Territory." This ordinance provided that a surveyor should be appointed from each State, who should take oath before the geographer of the United States for the faithful performance of his duties. The geographer was to have the direction of the survey, and as soon as they had qualified, the surveyors were to divide the territory into townships six miles square, by lines running north and south, crossed by other lines "at right angles, as near as may be, unless where the boundaries of the late Indian purchases may render the same impracticable." The pay of the surveyors was fixed at $2 for every mile in length surveyed; this included the wages of chainmen, markers and all expenses. The first north and south line was to begin on the Ohio River at a point due north from the western termination of a line that had been run at the southern boundary of Pennsylvania, and the first east and west line was also to begin at the same point. The geographer was instructed to number the townships and fractional parts of townships from south to north, the first township on the river being numbered one and so on progressively; also to number the ranges in like manner from east to west, the first range west of Pennsylvania and extending from the Ohio to Lake Erie, being range number 1. He was also to attend personally to the running of the first east and west line, the fixing of the latitudes of the terminations of the first north and south line, and also that of the

mouths of the principal rivers. The surveyors were required carefully to note on their plats all mines, saltsprings, mill-seats, mountains, watercourses, the nature of the soil, etc. Plats of townships were to be divided into lots of one mile square by lines running parallel to the boundary lines.

It was also provided that as soon as seven ranges of townships had been surveyed, the geographer should transmit plats of the same to the Board of Treasury, by whom they were to be recorded in well-bound books, to which the Secretary of War should have access. The secretary was then to take by lot a number of townships and fractional townships, both of those to be sold entire and of those to be sold in lots, such as would be equal to oneseventh part of the whole seven ranges, for the use of officers and soldiers of the Continental army. The Board of Treasury should from time to time cause the remainder to be drawn in the names of the thirteen States. The plan for the sale of lands not distributed to the soldiers of the several States was as follows: The Board of Treasury to transmit to the commissioners of the loan offices of the several States copies of the original plats, with the townships and fractional townships that should have fallen to the several States noted thereon; notice then to be given by advertisements in newspapers and announcements posted in public places of the proposed sale, which was to be at public vendue, in the following

manner: Township or fractional township number 1, range 1, to be sold entire; number 2, in lots; and thus, in alternate order, through the whole of the first range. The same alternation to be observed in the sale of the second range, though beginning in the reverse order. The third range to be sold in the same order as the first, and the fourth in the same order as the second, etc. Provided, however, that none of the lands be sold at a less price than one dollar per acre, payable in specie or loan-office certificates, reduced to specie value, or certificates of liquidated debts of the United States including interest, besides the expense of the survey, and other charges thereon, which were rated at thirty-six dollars per township; payment to be made at the time of sale. The United States reserved for future sale four lots, numbers 3, 11, 26 and 29, in each township and lot number 16 in each township for the maintenance of schools in said township. One-third part of all gold, silver, lead and copper mines were reserved for future disposition by Congress.

May 27, 1785, Congress chose the following surveyors: Nathaniel Adams, New Hampshire; Rufus Putnam, Massachusetts; Caleb Harris, Rhode Island; William Morris, New York; Adam Hoops, Pennsylvania; James Simpson, Maryland; Alexander Parker, Virginia; Absalom Tatum, North Carolina; William Tate, South Carolina; and July 18th, Isaac Sherman, Connecticut, General Rufus Putnam being then engaged in surveying lands in Maine for the

State of Massachusetts, General Benjamin Tupper was appointed in his stead. Caleb Harris and Nathaniel Adams having resigned, Colonel Ebenezer Sproat and Winthrop Sargent were chosen in their places.

Hunters and squatter settlers had penetrated the country now forming the eastern part of Ohio as early as the Revolution a few even earlier. To the salt-springs in the present county of Trumbull white hunters had resorted as early as 1754, and salt was made there by Pennsylva nians some twenty years later. From the old settlement of Wheeling and its vicinity a number of adventurers crossed the river from time to time. and erected cabins. A number who came out with General McIntosh to Fort Laurens in 1778 as axemen, scouts, hunters, etc., are supposed to have remained and built homes on several of the branches of the Ohio and the Muskingum. After the treaty of Fort McIntosh, it was feared that there would be such a rush of squatters into that portion of the territory bordering on Pennsylvania and Virginia that evil results would ensue, and accordingly measures were taken both to drive out the intruders already there and prevent the entrance of others. June 15, 1785, Congress ordered the following proc lamation published and circulated in the territory:

"Whereas, it has been represented to the United States in Congress assembled that several disorderly persons have crossed the Ohio and settled upon their unappropriated lands; and whereas, it is their inten