Made no further Discovery there and Returnd to My Party, found all well except Capt Putnam and ye Spie with him, who was not returned, The next Morning about 10 0 the Clock Capt Putnam return'd and ye Spie with him who Gave much the Same acct ag above Saving yt ye Enemies Centrys was sett 20 Rods from yt Fires and for a more Crittical examination of y® Enemies Proceedings he went forward till he Came so nigh yt he was fired upon by one of ye Centeries within a Rod of him, But unfortunately upon Preparing to Fire upon him fell into a Clay Pit and wett his Gun made ye Best retreat he was able, hearing y® Enemy Close to their Heels, yy made a Tack & Luckely escap4 Safe to our Party;Soon after there was a Discovery made of two Frenchmen upon a Hill a Small Distance, who Called to us, said Hill overlooked our ambush, in a few minutes they retreated, and Two Canoes appeared and went by us & Lay in

SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON'S SCOUTS. 273

ye middle of ye Lake about 40 Rods Distance from Each other, Finding by y* Behaviour, there was a Party Coming by Land y* we must inevitably be between 2 Fires.

Upon Which I ordered Two Battoes into y¢ Water Leut Grant with 6 men, and I went into ye other with 6 more & Put on Board Each a Wall peice and Went out towards ye Canoes, who seemed to Ly upon their Paddles as tho' they had a Design to Decoy us into some mischief by their Party yt was Designed to Surround our People on Shore, and then attack us by keeping us between y™ an their Land party finds there Designe attacked them first put ym to y® Rout and surprised so yt they made to y® shore Where Cap: Putnam with ye rest of our Party Lay, but unhappy to y™ he was Prepared for ym shot and kill'd y* Cockson; and by our Wall Peices &c; kill'd Divers of ym Butt upon his fireing upon y: Canoe, Immeadiatly ye Enemy Upon that was upon his Back fired upon and had but Just time to Shove his Battoe into ye Water, and Gett into Before y° Enemy appeared upon ye Waters Edge and Made a Brisk fire upon him Shot Thro' his Blanket in Divers Places, and thro' ye Battoe and then made to our Battoes for refuge, upon his Escape we pursued ye Cannoes with a constant fire upon them till we came within Eighty Rods of yt fires, Discovered a nomber of men upon Each Side of y® shore within about 40 Rods of us Gave y™ Each a Broad side which put y™ to y® Bush, and Gave usa Clear Passage Homewards and after we Got fairly into ye Lake Lay upon Our Oars and Inguired after the Circomstances of y® Party Found none killed, but one Wounded which Gave Joy to all of us after so Long an Engagement which I Judge was near 2 Hours Xe: