ed; but I applied my weapons so effectually about me, though at random, that I was so successful as to beat them off a little; when finding that they designed to renew the battle, I made for the shore, as the only means left me for my preservation; for, by keeping close to it, I should have my enemies on one side of me only, whereas, I was before surrounded by them; and there was a probability, if pushed to the last extremity, of saving myself by jumping out of the canoe on the shore, as it is easy to outwalk them by land, although comparatively as swift as lightning in the water. I found this last expedient alone could fully answer my expectations, for as soon as I gained the shore, they drew off, and kept aloof. This was a happy relief, as my confidence was, in some degree, recovered by it. On recollecting myself, I discovered that I had almost reached the entrance of the lagoon, and determined to venture in, if possible, to take a few fish, and then return to my harbour, while day-light continued; for I could now, with caution and resolution, make my way with safety along shore, and indeed there was no other way to regain my camp, without leaving my boat, and making my retreat among the marshes and reeds, which, if I could even effect, would have been in a manner throwing myself away, for then there would have been no hopes of ever recovering my bark, and returning in safety to any settlements of men. I accordingly proceeded, and made good my entrance into the lagoon, though not without opposition from the alligators, who formed a line across the entrance, but did not pursue me into it, nor was I molested by any there, though there were some very large ones in a cove at the upper end. I soon caught more trout than I had present occasion for, and the air was too hot and sultry to admit of their being kept for many hours, even though salted or barbecued. I now prepared for my return to camp, which I succeeded in with but little trouble, by keeping close to the shore; yet, I was opposed upon reentering the river out of the lagoon, and pursued near to my landing, (though not closely attacked,) particularly by an old daring one, about twelve feet in length, who kept close after me, and when I stepped on shore, and turned about, in order to draw up my canoe, he rushed up near my feet, and lay there for some time, looking me in the face, his head and shoulders out of water: resolved he should pay for his temerity, and having a heavy load in my fusee, I ran to my camp, and returning with my piece, found him with his foot on the gunwale of the boat, in search of fish; on my coming up, he withdrew, slowly and sullenly into the water, but soon returned, and placed himself in his former position, looking at me, and seeming neither fearful nor any way disturbed. I soon despatched him, by lodging the contents of my gun in his head, and then proceeded to cleanse and prepare my fish for supper; and accordingly took them out of the boat, laid them down on the sand, close to the water, and began to scale them: when, raising my head, I saw before me, through the clear water, the head and shoulders of a very large alligator, moving slowly towards me: I instantly stepped back, when, with a sweep of his tail, he brushed off several of my fish. It was certainly most providential that I looked up at that instant, as the monster would probably, in less than a minute, have seized and dragged me into the river. Bartram's Travels. Generous disposition of the Rattlesnake. WHEN on the coast of Georgia, I consented, with a few friends, to make a party of amusement, at fishing and fowling, on Sapello, one of the seacoast islands: we accordingly descended the Alatamaha, crossed the sound, and landed on the north end of the island, near the inlet, fixing our encampment at a pleasant situation, under the shade of a grove of live oaks and laurels, on the high banks of a creek, which we ascended, winding through a salt-marsh, which had its source from a swamp and Såvanna in the island: our situation elevated and open, commanded a comprehensive landscape; the great ocean, the foaming surf breaking on the sandy beach, the snowy breakers on the bar, the endless chain of islands, checkered sound and high continent, all appearing before us. The diverting toils of the day were not fruitless, affording us opportunities of furnishing ourselves plentifully with a variety of game, fish and oysters, for our supper. About two hundred yards from our camp, was a cool spring, amidst a grove of the odoriferous myrica; the winding path to this salubrious fountain, led through a grassy savanna; I visited the spring several times in the night, but little did I know, or any of my careless drowsy companions, that every time we visited the fountain, we were in eminent danger, as I am going to relate :early in the morning, excited by unconquerable thirst, I arose and went to the spring, and having, thoughtless of danger, nearly half past the dewy vale, along the serpen. tine footpath, my hasty steps were suddenly stopped by the sight of a hideous serpent, the formidable rattlesnake, in a high spiral coil, forming a circular mound, half the height of my knees, within six inches of the narrow path; as soon as I recovered my senses and strength from so sudden a surprise, I started back out of his reach, where I stood to view him: he lay quiet whilst I surveyed him,. appearing no way surprised or disturbed, but kept his half-shut eyes fixed on me; my imagination and spirits. were in a tumult, almost equally divided between thanksgiving to the Supreme Creator and Preserver, and the dignified nature of the generous, though terrible creature, who had suffered us all to pass many times by him during the night, without injuring us in the least, although we must have touched him, or our steps guarded therefrom by a Supreme Guardian Spirit: Ihastened back to acquaint my associates, but with a determination to protect the life of the generous serpent: I presently brought my companions to the place, who were, beyond expression, surprised and terrified at the sight of the animal, and in a moment, acknowledged their escape from destruction to be miraculous; and I am proud to assert, that all of us, except one person, agreed to let him lay undisturbed, and that person, at length, was prevailed upon to suffer him to escape. Bartram's Travels. Battle of Brandywine. HAVING drawn together his forces, general Washington marched to meet the enemy, who from the head of Elk was directing his course to Philadelphia. As it had been given out by the disaffected, that we were much weaker than in truth we were, the General thought it best to show both whigs and tories the real strength he possessed; and in this view, took his route through the city, bellorum maxima merces, or at least, the great object of the campaign, and the point, which if gained, would in the opinion of Mr. Galloway, be decisive of the contest. The impression made by this review of the American army, it is to be presumed, was rather favourable than otherwise from the propensity of persons unaccustomed to the sight of large bodies of men to augment them. But it was very disproportioned to the zeal for liberty, which had been manifested the year before. It amounted to but about eight or nine thousand men, according to Mr. Marshall; but these, though indifferently dressed, held well burnished arms, and carried them like soldiers, and looked, in short, as if they might have faced an equal number with a reasonable prospect of success. The action which ensued at Brandywine, on the eleventh of September, is an instance, among many others furnished by history, both of the temptation to dispute the passage of a river by fronting the enemy on the opposite side, and of the inefficacy of such attempts. The difficulty and ineligibility of these undertakings are noticed by most of the writers on the art of war, and particularly by the Marquis De Feuqueres. To a person of any military experience, who reflects how easy it must be, to distract the opposing army by fallacious demonstrations, in a situation at once concealed from observation, and exempted from the peril which results from movements in the face of an adversary, in a state to profit by them, the little chance of succeeding in the effort, on a merely defensive plan, must be apparent. Where, indeed, the defending general shall permit himself to become the assailant, if occasion should offer, be, in some degree, balances advantages; and the conception of general Washington, as mentioned by Mr. Marshall, of crossing at the lower ford to attack the enemy's right under Knyphausen, was masterly; and might, if rapidly put in execution, have handsomely turned the tables. It can hardly be doubted, however, that a position on the enemy's flank to the westward, would have been more eligible than taken in front; and that the means of annoying, and possibly crippling him on his march, which was all * that could reasonably be looked for from an army so inferior as ours, might have offered at this river or at Schuylkill. This was probably, at one time contemplated, under the recommendation, as it was said, of general Green. But the public clamor required that a battle should be risked for the city; and I well remember that it was given out at Reading, on the suggestion of general Mifflin, that Green, of whom he was no friend, was jealous of southern influence, and therefore indifferent to the fate of Philadelphia. Butif Green really advised the measure attributed to him, thereby securing the open country to our army in case of disaster, in preference to the plan adopted, and which, in addition to its other faults, tended to place us in the nook formed by the course of the Delaware, I cannot but say, that, whatever were his motives, and we have no ground to presume them bad, he was right. Yet, if congress required that the enemy should be fought, and we have good authority that they did require it, the opportunity of bringing him to action, in any other mode than that of placing ourselves directly in his way, might have been lost. But why so much caution, it may be asked, against a foe in the very heart of the country? Why not rather turn out en masse, surround, and make a breakfast of Mr. Howe, and his mercenaries? Could not a population of two millions of souls, have furnished fighting whigs enough for the purpose? Where were the multitudes which used to appear in arms on the commons of Philadelphia? Where the legions of New-England men, that hemmed in Gage at Boston? Where, in short, the hundred and fifty thousand men in arms throughout the continent spoken of by general Lee, and others at the beginning of the contest? Where were the Pennsylvania riflemen, those formidable, unerring marks-men, each of whom, could venture to put a ball in a target held by his brother? How came it, that that excellent jest of a British dragoon pursuing one of them round a tree, was not exemplified on this occasion? These things promised well; they were flattering in the extreme, and admirably calculated to buoy us up in a confidence of the martial * Not less than one hundred and fifty thousand gentlemen, yeomes, and farmers are in arms, determined to preserve their liberties or perish, Letter from gen. Lee to gen. Burgoyne. |