The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

APPENDIX.] EARLY PAPERS. 443
and prevent their returning with me, I endeavoured all that lay in
my power to frustrate their schemes, and hurried them on to execute
their intended design. They accordingly pressed for admittance
this evening, which at length was granted them, privately, to the
commander and one or two other officers. The Half-King told me,
that he offered the wampum to the commander, who evaded taking
it, and made many fair promises of love and friendship; said he
wanted to live in peace and trade amicably with them, as a proof of
which, he would send some goods immediately down to the Logstown for them. But I rather think the design of that is to bring
away all our straggling traders they meet with, as I privately understood they intended to carry an officer, with them. And what
rather confirms this opinion, I was inquiring of the commander by
what authority he had made prisoners of several of our English subjects. He told me that the country belonged to them; that no Englishman had a right to trade upon those waters; and that he had
orders to make every person prisoner, who attempted it on the Ohio,
or the waters of it.
"I inquired of Captain Reparti about the boy, that was carried by
this place, as it was done while the command devolved on him, between the death of the late general, and the arrival of the present.
He acknowledged, that a boy had been carried past; and that the
Indians had two or three white men's scalps (I was told by some of
the Indians at Venango, eight), but pretended to have forgotten the
name of the place where the boy came from, and all the particular
facts, though he had questioned him for some hours, as they were
carrying him past. I likewise inquired what they had done with John
Trotter and James'McClocklan, two Pennsylvania traders, whom
they had taken with all their goods. They told me, that they had
been sent to Canada, but were now returned home.
" This evening I received an answer to his Honor the Governor's
letter from the commandant.
"15tl. — The commandant ordered a plentiful store of liquor,
and provision to be put on board our canoes, and appeared to be
extremely complaisant, though he was exerting every artifice, which
he could invent, to set our Indians at variance with us, to prevent
their going until after our departure; presents, rewards, and every
thing, which could be suggested by him or his officers. I cannot say
that ever in my life I suffered so much anxiety, as I did in this affair.
I saw that every stratagem, which the most fruitful brain could invent, was practised to win the Half-King to their interest; and that
leaving him there was giving them the opportunity they aimed at. I