SALT PORK, SHIP’S BISCUIT, AND BURGOO: SEA PROVISIONS FOR COMMON SAILORS AND PIRATES, PART 1.

Sailors or Pirates loading provisions onto boat for transport to a ship. From an illustration of Blackbeard in Charles Johnson’s, “A General History of the Lives and Adventures of the Most Famous Highwaymen, Murderers, Street-Robbers, &c.,” illustrated by Joseph Nichols, 1736.

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SALT PORK, SHIP’S BISCUIT, AND BURGOO: SEA PROVISIONS FOR COMMON SAILORS AND PIRATES, PART 1.

Sailors or Pirates loading provisions onto boat for transport to a ship. From an illustration of Blackbeard in Charles Johnson’s, “A General History of the Lives and Adventures of the Most Famous Highwaymen, Murderers, Street-Robbers, &c.,” illustrated by Joseph Nichols, 1736.

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, by George Francis Dow. 3

The settler also must take with him a supply of food to answer his needs on reaching Massachusetts, and it was advised that enough for the space of a year might be required in which case each person should be certain to have in store 8 bushels of meal, 2 bushels pease, 2 bushels oatmeal, 1 gallon brandy, 1 gallon oil and 2 gallons vinegar. Sugar could be had in New England as the Colonial vessels were bringing it from the West Indies in the way of trade, but spices, necessary to the English diet, must be brought from England.

John Josselyn, writing in 1638, listed the following articles as necessary equipment for every family coming to New England, viz.:

Bellows	£0	2	0
Scoop		0	9
Great pail		0	10
Casting shovel		0	10
A sack		2	4
Lanthorn		1	3
Tobacco pipes
5 broad howes		10	0
5 narrow howes		6	8
5 felling axes		7	6
2 hand saws		10	0
1 whip saw		10	0
1 file and wrest		10
2 hammers		2	0
2 augers		1	0
Wheels for a cart		14	0
Wheel barrow		6	0
Canoe	3	0	0
Short oak ladder		0	10
Plough		3	9
Axle tree		0	8
Cart		10	0
[11]3 shovels		4	6
2 spades		3	0
2 broad axes		7	4
6 chisels		3	0
3 gimblets		0	6
2 hatchets		3	6
2 frows		3	0
2 hand bills		3	4
Nails of all sorts	2	0	0
3 locks and 3 pr. fetters		5	10
2 curry combs		0	11
Brand for beasts		0	6
Hand vise		2	6
100 wt. spikes nails and pins (120)	2	5	0
2 pick axes	0	3	0
Chain and lock for a boat		2	2
Coulter (10 pound)		3	4
Pitch fork		1	4
Plough share		2	11

Household implements for a family of six persons, viz.:

1 iron pot	0	7	0
1 great copper kettle	2	0	0
1 small kettle		10	0
1 lesser kettle		6	0
1 large frying pan		2	6
1 small frying pan		1	8
1 brass mortar	0	3	0
1 spit		2	0
1 grid iron		1	0
2 skillets		5	0
Platters, dishes and spoons of wood		4	0

The above prices are estimated costs in England and the freight on the same would be reckoned at the rate of half a ton per person.

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, by George Francis Dow. 2

During the ten years that followed the settlement of the Massachusetts Bay, a continuous flow of emigration from England crossed the Atlantic in all kinds of available sailing craft.[4] The passage usually cost £5 per person and this included provisions provided by the ship such as "salt Beefe, Porke, salt Fish, Butter, Cheese, Pease, Pottage, Water-grewell, and such kinde of Victualls, with good Biskets, and sixe-shilling Beere; yet it will be necessary to carry some comfortable refreshing of fresh victuall. As first, for such as have ability, some Conserves, and good Clarret Wine to burne at Sea; Or you may have it by some of your Vintners or Wine-Coopers burned here, & put into Vessels, which will keepe much better than other burnt Wine, it is a very comfortable thing for the stomacke; or such as are Sea-sicke: Sallat-oyle likewise, Prunes are good to be stewed: Sugar for many things: White Biskets, and Egs, and Bacon, Rice, Poultry, and some weather-sheepe to Kill aboard the Ship: and fine flowre-baked meates, will keepe about a weeke or nine days at Sea. Iuyce of Lemons well put[7] up, is good either to prevent or curre the Scurvy.[5] Here it must not be forgotten to carry small Skillets or Pipkins, and small frying-panns, to dresse their victualls in at Sea. For bedding, so it be easie, and cleanly, and warme, it is no matter how old or coarse it be for the use of the Sea: and so likewise for Apparrell, the oldest cloathes be the fittest, with a long coarse coate to keepe better things from the pitched ropes and plankes. Whosoever shall put to Sea in a stoute and well-conditioned ship, having an honest Master, and loving Seamen, shall not neede to feare, but he shall finde as good content at Sea, as at Land.[6]

The Mayflower shipped 15,000 brown biscuit and 5,000 white, that is, hard bread, i.e. crackers; also smoked or half-cooked bacon, as it came from the smokehouse, which was much liked with the biscuit and when fried was considered a delicacy. Haberdyne (dried salted codfish) was also a staple article of diet; also smoked herring. Potatoes were practically unknown at that time and the store of cabbages, turnips, onions, parsnips, etc., soon ran short and gave way to boiled mush, oatmeal, pease puddings, etc. Their beer was carried in iron-bound casks.

When passengers came aboard vessels bound for New England in those early days, how did they stow themselves and their possessions? The Mayflower had a length of about 110 feet and measured about 244 tons. It was originally intended that she should carry ninety passengers, men, women and children, but when the Speedwell put back, twelve of her passengers were taken aboard, and two boys were born during the voyage. The ship also carried a crew of twenty to twenty-five men, and officers and petty officers, about sixteen in number, would bring the total of those aboard to one hundred and forty or more. Goats, pigs, and poultry occupied pens on the upper or spar deck and in the boats carried there. Small sleeping cabins were provided for the ship's officers and the more[8] important passengers; most of the company slept in narrow bunks, in hammocks, and on pallet beds of canvas filled with straw, placed on the deck beneath the hammocks. The crew bunked in the forecastle. The chests and personal possessions of the passengers were stowed below on the lower deck where the food, water and ship's stores were kept. On the Arbella, Governor Winthrop's ship, the male passengers lodged on the gundeck and four men were "ordered to keep that room clean."

The ship Whale, in 1632, brought thirty passengers, including Mr. Wilson and Mr. Dummer, all in good health, and seventy cows of which they lost but two. The shipRegard of Barnstaple, 200 tons, arrived in 1634, brought twenty passengers and about fifty cattle. The ship Society of Boston, N. E., 220 tons, with a crew of thirty-three men, arrived in 1663, with seventy-seven passengers. A notable example of fortitude is found in the voyage of the sloop Sparrow Hawk, that sailed from London in 1626 for Virginia and having been blown off her course was wrecked on Cape Cod.

She was only forty feet in length, had a breadth of beam of twelve feet and ten inches, and a depth of nine feet, seven and one-half inches. Bradford in his Historyrecords that she carried "many passengers in her and sundrie goods ... the cheefe amongst these people was one Mr. Fells and Mr. Sibsie, which had many servants belonging unto them, many of them being Irish. Some others ther were yt had a servante or 2 a piece; but ye most were servants, and such as were ingaged to the former persons, who also had ye most goods ... they had been 6 weeks at sea, and had no water, nor beere, nor any woode left, but had burnt up all their emptie caske."[7] And this happened in the month of December!

In those days cooking on shore was done in an open fireplace. On shipboard, the larger vessels were provided with an open "hearth" made of cast iron sometimes weighing five hundred pounds and over. More commonly a hearth of bricks was laid on deck, over which stood an iron tripod from which the kettles hung. More[9]crudely still a bed of sand filled a wooden frame and on this the fire was built, commonly of charcoal. On the ship Arbella, in which came Governor John Winthrop and his company, in 1630, the "cookroom" was near a hatchway opening into the hold. The captain, his officers and the principal men among the passengers dined in the "round house," a cabin in the stern over the high quarter-deck. Lady Arbella Johnson and the gentlewomen aboard dined in the great cabin on the quarter-deck. The passengers ate their food wherever convenient on the main deck or in good weather, on the spar deck above. Years later, a new ship lying at anchor in Boston harbor was struck by lightning which "melted the top of the iron spindle of the vane of the mainmast" and passing through the long boat, which lay on the deck, killed two men and injured two others as "they were eating together off the Hen-Coop, near the Main Mast."

The ship supplied each passenger with a simple ration of food distributed by the quartermasters, which each family or self arranged group of passengers cooked at a common hearth as opportunity and the weather permitted. Of necessity much food was served cold and beer was the principal drink. John Josselyn, Gent., who visited New England in 1638, records "the common proportion of Victualls for the Sea to a Mess, being 4 men, is as followeth:

"Two pieces of Beef, of 3 pound and ¼ per piece.

"Four pound of Bread.

"One pint ¼ of Pease.

"Four Gallons of Bear, with Mustard and Vinegar for three flesh dayes in the week.

"For four fish dayes, to each Mess per day, two pieces of Codd or Habberdine, making three pieces of fish.

"One quarter of a pound of Butter.

"Four pound of Bread.

"Three quarters of a pound of Cheese.

"Bear is before.

"Oatmeal per day, for 50 men, Gallon 1. and so proportionable for more or fewer.

[10]

"Thus you see the ship's provision, is Beef or Porke, Fish, Butter, Cheese, Pease, Pottage, Water gruel, Bisket, and six-shilling Bear.

"For private fresh provision, you may carry with you (in case you, or any of yours should be sick at Sea) Conserves of Roses, Clove-Gilliflowers, Wormwood, Green-Ginger, Burnt-Wine, English Spirits, Prunes to stew, Raisons of the Sun, Currence, Sugar, Nutmeg, Mace, Cinnamon, Pepper and Ginger, White Bisket, or Spanish Rusk, Eggs, Rice, Juice of Lemmons, well put up to cure, or prevent the Scurvy. Small Skillets, Pipkins, Porrengers, and small Frying pans.

"To prevent or take away Sea sickness, Conserve of Wormwood is very proper."[8]

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Every Day Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, by George Francis Dow. 1

The Massachusetts Bay Company seems to have maintained a "company store," in the modern phrase, at which the colonists might obtain clothing, fabrics, foodstuffs and supplies of all sorts. When Governor Endecott came over in 1628, the Company sent extra clothing sufficient for one hundred men including three hundred suits of clothes, four hundred shirts and four hundred pairs of shoes. Two hundred of the suits of clothes consisted of doublet and hose made up of leather, lined with oiled skin leather, and fastened with hooks and eyes. The other suits were made up of Hampshire kerseys, the doublets lined with linen and the hose with skins.[6] There were a hundred waistcoats of green cotton bound about with red tape, a hundred Monmouth caps, at two shillings each, five hundred red knit caps, milled, at five pence each, and one hundred black hats, lined in the brows with leather. This store supplied the natural wear and tear of headgear among the hundred men. The stock contained four hundred pairs of knit stockings, ten dozen pairs of Norwich garters, three hundred plain falling bands, two hundred handkerchiefs and a stock of sheer linen with which to made up other handkerchiefs. Scotch ticking was supplied for beds and bolsters, with wool to put therein. The blankets were of Welsh cotton and fifty rugs were sent over to place over the blankets, while mats were supplied "to lye vnder 50 bedds aboard shippe."[3]

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Beware that "cotton" in this period covered all spun thread and that Welsh Cotton and Cotswolds Cotton were usually wool.

Reference is Hopkins, The Tale of a Soldier's Coat, Stuart Press, 2000

Cheers,

Wayne

Memoir of Robert Witherspoon. 1730.

 Memoir of  Robert Witherspoon, A Scots-Irish family settles

in South Carolina in the 1730s.

 We were then put on board an open boat with tools and a years provision and one still mill for each family. They allowed each person over sixteen one ax, a broad ax, one narrow hoe. Our provisions consisted of indian corn, rice, wheaten flour, beef,  pork, rum and salt we were much distressed in this part of our passage as it was the dead of winter and we were exposed to the inclemency of the weather day and night and what added to the grief of all pious persons on board was the Atheistical blasphemous mouths of our patrons they brought us up as far as Potatoe Ferry on Black River, about twenty miles from Georgetown and turned us on shore where we lay in Samuel Commander’s barn for some time while the boat wrought her way up as far as the king’s tree with the goods and provision.

The boat that brought up the goods arrived at the Kingstree. The people were much oppressed in bringing their things as there was no horse there, they were obliged to toil hard, as they had no other way but to carry them on their back. The goods consisted of their bed-clothing chests provision tools post &c. [etc. At that time there were no roads every family had to travel the best they could, which was double distance to some for their only guides were swamps and branches. After a time the men got sufficient knowledge of the woods as to blaze paths, so the people learned to follow blazes from place to place.

As the winter season advanced there was but a short time for preparing land for planting — but the people were strong and healthy All that could do anything wrought diligently and continued clearing and planting as long as the season would admit. So they made provisions for that year. Their beasts were few and as the range was good there was no need of feeding creatures for some time to come.

The first thing my father brought from the boat was the gun[,] one of queen Anne’s muskets,  loaded with swan shot. One morning while we were at breakfast a travelling oppossum on his way passed the door. My mother screamed out there is a great bear we hid behind some barrels at the other end of our hut Father got his gun and steedied it on the fork that held up the end of the hut and shot him about the hinder parts which caused poor opossum to grin and open his mouth in a frightful manner. Father having mislaid his shot could not give it a second bout, but at last ventured out and killed it with a pail.

Another thing which gave us great alarm was the Indians when they came to hunt in the spring they were great in numbers and in all places like the Egyptian locast but they were not hurtful. Besides these things we had a great deal of trouble and hardships in our first settling, but the few inhabitants were favored with health and strength. We were also much oppressed with fear on divers other accounts, especially of being massacred by the Indians, or bit by snakes, or torn by wild beasts, or of being lost and perishing in the woods, of whom there were three persons who were never found.

17th Century Supplies and Provisions List For Immigrants.

Provisions List 1630 A Catalog of such needefull things as every Planter doth or ought to provide to go to New-England Victuals for a whole yeere for a man... 8 Bushels of meale 2 Bushels of Otemeale. 1 Gallon of Aquavitae 1 Firkin of Butter 2 Bushels of pease. 1 Gallon of Oyle. 2 Gallons of Vinegar. Apparell. 1 Monmouth Cap. 1 Wast-coat. 1 Suit of Frize. 2 Paire of Sheets. 3 Falling Bands. 1 Suit of Canvas. 3 Paire of Stockings. 1 Paire of Blankets. 3 Shirts. 1 Suit of Cloth. 4 Paire of Shooes. 1 Course Rug. 7 Ells of Canvase to make a bed and boulster. Armes. 1 Armor compleat. 1 Sword. 1 Bandilier. 60 Pound of Lead. 1 Long peece. 1 Belt. 20 Pound of Powder. 1 Pistoll and Goose shot. Tooles. 1 Broad Howe. 1 Shovell. 1 Felling Axe. 1 Grindstone. 1 Narrow Howe. 1 Spade. 1 Gimblet. 1 Pickaxe. 1 Steele Handsawe. 2 Augers. 1 Hatchet. Nayles of all sorts 1 Whipsawe. 4 Chissels. 2 Frowes. 1 Hammer. 1 Broad Axe. 1 Hand-Bill. Household Implements. 1 Iron Pot. 1 Gridiron. Trenchers. Dishes. 1 Kettel. 2 Skellets. Wooden Platters. Spoons. 1 Frying pan 1 Spit. Spices Sugar. Cloves. Mace. Fruit. Pepper. Cinnamon. Nutmegs. Also there are divers other things necessary to bee taken over to this Plantation, as Bookes, Nets, Hookes and Lines, Cheese, Bacon, Kine, Goats, &c. From: New England’s Plantation, or, A short and True Description of the Commodities and Discommodities of that Country. By Reverend Francis Higginson, London, 1630.

Provision Suggestions 1639 What Provision is made for a Journey at Sea and what to carry with us for our use at Land by William Wood from New-England's Prospect, being a true, lively and experimental Description of that part of America commonly called New-England, London 1639 Many peradventure at the looking over of these relations, may have inclinations or resolutions for the voyage; to whom I wish all prosperity in their undertakings; although I will use no forcive arguments to persuade any, but leave them to the relation; yet by way of advice, I would commend to them a few lines from the pen of experience. And because the way to New-England is over the sea, it will not be amiss to give you directions what is necessary to be carried. Many I suppose, know as well, or better than myself; yet all do not; to those my directions tend. Although every man have ship-provisions allowed him for his five pounds a man, which is salt beef, pork, salt fish, butter, cheese, pease pottage, water grewel, and such kind of victuals, with good biskets, and six shilling beer; yet it will be necessary to carry some comfortable refreshing of fresh victuals. As first, for such as have ability, some conserves, and good claret wine to burn [burnt wine is brandy] at sea; or you may have it by some of your vintners or wine-coopers burned here, and put up into vessels, which will keep much better than other burnt wine; it is a very comfortable thing for the stomach, or such as are sea-sick; sallad-oil likewise, prunes are good to be stewed, sugar for many things; white biskets, eggs, and bacon, rice, poultry, and some weather sheep to kill aboard the ship, and fine flour baked meats will keep about a week or nine days at sea. Juice of lemons, well put up, is good either to prevent or cure the scurvy. Here it must not be forgotten to carry small skillets, or pipkins, and small frying-pans, to dress their victuals in at sea. For bedding, so it be easy, and cleanly, and warm, it is no matter how old or coarse it be for the use of the sea; and so likewise for apparel, the oldest cloaths be the fittest, with a long coarse coat, to keep better things from the pitched ropes and planks. Whosoever shall put to sea in a stout and well-conditioned ship, having an honest master, and loving seaman, shall not need to fear but he shall find as good content at sea as a land... Now for the encouragement of his men, he [the head of a family with servants] must not do as many have done (more through ignorance than desire) carry many mouths and no meat; but rather much meat for a few mouths. Want of due maintenance produceth nothing but a grumbling spirit with a sluggish idleness; when as those servants be well provided for, go through their employments with speed and chearfulness. For meal, it will be requisite to carry a hogshead and an half for every one that is a labourer, to keep him till he may receive the fruit of his own labours, which will be a year and a half after his arrival, if he land in May or June. He must likewise carry malt, beef, butter, cheese, some pease, good wines, vinegar, strong-waters, &c. Whosoever transports more of these than he himself useth, the overplus being sold, will yield as much profit as any other staple commodity. Every man likewise must carry over good store of apparel; for if he come to buy there, he will find it dearer than in England. Woollen cloth is a very good commodity, and linen better; as holland, lockram, flaxen, hempen, callico stuffs, linsey woolsies, and blue callico, green sayes for housewife's aprons, hats, boots, shoes, good Irish stockings, which if they be good, are much more serviceable than knit ones; all kind of grocery wares, such as sugar, prunes, raisins, currants, honey, nutmegs, cloves, &c soap, candles, and lamps, &c. All manner of household stuff is very good trade there, as pewter and brass, for the use of that country; warming-pans and stewing pans be of necessary use, and good traffick there. All manner of iron wares, as all manner of nails for houses, and all manner of spikes for building of boats, ships, and fishing stages; all manner of tools for workmen, hoes for planters, broad and narrow for setting and weeding; with axes, both broad and pitching axes. All manner of augers, piercing bits, whip-saws, two handed saws, froes, both for the riving of pailes, and laths, rings for beetle heads, and iron wedges; though all these be made in the country (there being divers blacksmiths) yet being a heavy commodity, and taking but a little storage, it is cheaper to carry such commodities out of England. Glass ought not to be forgotten of any that desire to benefit themselves, or the country; if it be well leaded, and carefully packed up, I know no commodity better for portage or sale. Here likewise must not be forgotten all utensils for the sea, as barbels, splitting knives, leads, and cod-hooks, and lines, mackrel hooks and lines, shark-hooks, seines, or bass-nets, large and strong, herring nets, &c. Such as would eat fowl, must not forget their six foot guns, their good powder, and shot of all sorts; a great round shot called Barnstable shot, is the best; being made of a blacker lead than ordinary shot. Furthermore, good pooldavies [a heavy canvas] to make sails for boots, roads, anchors for boats and pinnaces, are good; sea-coal, iron, lead, and mill-stones, flints, ordnances, and whatsoever a man conceive is good for the country, that will lie as ballast, he cannot be a loser by it. And lest I should forget a thing of so great importance, no man must neglect to provide himself, or those belonging to him, his ammunition, for the defence of himself and the country. For there is no man there that bears a head, but that bears military arms; even boys of fourteen years of age are practiced with men in military discipline, every three weeks. Whosoever shall carry over drums and English colours, pattesons [spear that is carried in front of troops], halberds, pikes, muskets, bandeleroes, with swords, shall not need to fear good gain for them; such things being wanting in the country.

Provisions List 1675 Provisions List from An Account of Two Voyages to New-England by John Josselyn 2d edition, London, 1675 The common proportion of victuals for the Sea to a Mess, being 4 men, is as followeth; Two pieces of Beef, of 3 pound and 1/4 per piece. Four pounds of Bread. One pint 1/2 of Pease. Four Gallons of Beer, with Mustard and Vinegar for three flesh dayes in the week. For four fish dayes, to each mess per day. Two pieces of Codd or Habberdine, making three pieces of a fish. One quarter of a pound of Butter. Four pound of Bread. Three quarters of a pound of cheese. Beer as before. Oatmeal per day, for 50 men, Gallon I. and so proportionable for more or fewer. Thus you see the Ships provision, is Beef or Porke, Fish, Butter, Cheese, Pease, Pottage, Watergruel, Bisket, and six shilling Beea. For private fresh provision, you may carry with you (in case you, or any of yours should be sick at Sea) conserves of Roses, Clove-Gilliflowers, Wormwood, Green-Ginger, Burnt-Wine [brandy], English Spirits, Prunes to stew, Raisons of the Sun, Currence, Sugar, Nutmeg, Mace, Cinnamon, Pepper and Ginger, White Bisket, or Spanish rusk, Eggs, Rice, juice of Lemmons well put up to cure, or prevent the Scurvy. Small Skillets, Pipkins, Porrengers, and small Frying pans... Apparel for one man, and after the rate for more L S D One Hatt 0 3 0 One Monmouth Cap 1 10 0 Three falling bands 0 1 3 Three Shirts 0 7 6 One Wastcoat 0 2 6 One suit of Frize 0 19 0 One suit of Cloth 0 15 0 One suit of Canvas 0 7 6 Three pair of Irish Stockins 0 5 0 Four pair of Shoos 0 8 0 One pair of Canvas Sheets 0 8 0 Seven ells of course Canvas to make a bed at Sea for two men, to be filled with straw 0 5 0 One coarse Rug at Sea for two men 0 6 0 Sum total 4 0 0

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18th century Sailor’s food – Ships Provisions. A Link.

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18th century Sailor’s food – Ships Provisions. A Link.

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Woodsmen. Historical Travel and Facts.

Washington's Crossing (Allegheny River) By John Buxton.

Then we had our Biscuit, which was laid in for the Voyage,

delivered to us, with 1 lb of Pork to each, and kindling large

fires we cooked our Provisions for next day and slept around

the Fires, each of us being provided with a blanket. We kept

along the southeast shore of Ontario Lake, and passed so near

to the English Fort called Conquen or Oswego that we could

talk to the Centinels.

Friday 28. — We travelled all the next day down the said

creek, and just at night found some tracks where Indians had

been hunting. We parted, and appointed a place a distance

off, where to meet, it being then dark. We encamped, and

thought ourselves safe enough to sleep.

Saturday 29. — We set out early, got to Alleghany, made a

raft, and with much difficulty got over to an island, alittle above

Shannopin's town. The Major having fallen in from off the

raft, and my fingers frost-bitten, and the sun down, and very

cold, we contented ourselves to encamp upon that island. It

was deep water between us and the shore ; but the cold did

us some service, for in the morning it was frozen hard enough

for us to pass over on the ice.

From Saturday 21 to Tuesday, Jan'^ 7. — We stayed at this

Place, We had a good Deal of Snow & bad Weather — My

Son had the Misfortune to have his Feet frost-bitten, which

kept Us much longer here than We intended however We

kill'd Plenty of Deer Turkeys &c and fared very well — The

Land hereabouts very good but to the W and SW it is hilly.

1752

Wednesday Jan'>' 8 — My Son's Feet being somewhat

better, We set out S 30 W 5 M, S 45 W 3 M, the Land

middling good but hilly — I found my Son's Feet too tender

to travel, and we were obliged to stop again.

From Thursday 9 to Sunday 19. — We stayed at this Place

— While We were here We killed Plenty of Bear Deer &

Elk, so that We lived very well.

Monday 20. — We set out W j M — here we were stopped

by Snow.

Tuesday 21. — Stayed all the Day in the Camp.

Wednesday 22. — Set out S 45 W 12 M, where we scared

a Panther from under a Rock where there was Room enough

for Us, in it We encamped & had good Shelter.

We went then a south west course by Land eighty

five miles, where we came to a small river and there we made

a little Boat which carried only two men and our provisions.

The rest travelled by land for two days and then we came to

a large river, where we enlarged our Barge so as she carried

all our Company, and whatever loading we had to put into

her.

, being in a strange place ;

far from home, destitute of friends, clothing money and arms,

and in that deplorable condition had been obliged to under-

take a journey of five hundred miles, but -a gentleman who

was commander of a Privateer and now lay at Charlestown

with whom we had discoursed several times gave to each of

us a gun and a sword and would have given us ammunition

but that he had but little. On the eighteenth day of April

we left Charlestown the second time and travelled by land,

and on the seventeenth day of May 1745 we arrived at my

house, having been absent three years two months and one

day from my family, having in that time by the nicest calculation I am able to make, travelled by Land and water four

thousand six hundred and six miles, since I left my own

House till I returned Home again.

The Journal of Christopher Gist, 1750-1751

August 27^th. – Set off again in the morning early; rainy weather. We dined in a Seneca Town, where an old Seneca woman reigns with great authority. We dined at her house, and they all used us very well at this and the last mentioned Delaware Town. They received us by firing a great many guns, especially at this place. We saluted the town by firing off four pairs of pistols.

The journal of Conrad Weiser, Esq., Indian Interpreter: 1748.