So according to your Orders of the 31 of Octt Last I put of from the Camp in the Evening of the same Day about four miles Down the Lake I saw a fier on the West Shoar and went Nigh to it being Informed by the people With me that Our Scouts Commonly made fiers Near that place I Proceeded about Seven Miles from hear I saw a fier on the East Side on a Neck of Low Land and passed it at sum Distance about fourteen Miles from hear I saw a fier on the West Shoar Which J passed at two or three miles Distance So Proceeded Down the Lake tel about _ four o'clock in the morning the Wind Blew fresh and Rained and was very Dark I being unserten how far Wee had got Down the Lake put on Shoar hall'd up the Canoe and staid til morning then found that we had not got Within Seven or Eight Miles of the Narrows Concluded to travel that Day by Land accordingly at Eight o'clock I satt out Leut Waterbery and one man more and Left two men with the Canoe Wee Traveled til Past Noon along the sides of Mountains allmost Impasable and got on the top of a very high Mountain Where I had a fine Prospect of this Lake and of the Mountains on Champlaine I judged Wee had got about

SIR WM. JOHNSON'S SCOUTS. 275

five miles by four hours hard traveling I allso thought I could see all from their by the Looks of the Land Within a Little Ways of the Narrows and Judged I Could see aney advantagous ground this side the Narrows Where the Enemy Would be likely to post their Guard I could see no Smoak only at a great Distance towards Champlain Which I Judged the Products of the Camp at Carelon finding the Mountains so Bad to pass Concluded to Return to the Canoe and go Down the Lake that Night about Eight miles if I Did not Discouer aney Enemy Soner acordingly I did and at Dark Lanched the Canoe and Proceded it Rained and Was very Dark so I could have seen aney Light a great Distance wee padled Down the Lake about three hours got where the Lake was very Narrow Could Discouer no Light Judged I had got By where the party was posted acording to what Information I had had Looked at it not Safe to Land there that Night as it was so Near the Enemys Camp knowing Capt Rogers had been thar a Day or two before and that Likely he Might have alarmed them and that by that means they Might auoyd keeping fires in Order to Lay in Wate for an opurtunity to Discouer our Spies I Judged that If I should be Discouered in the Day time that it was more than an Equil Chance to be taken So taking Every Circumstance into Consideration Looked at it Beter to Return unsuccessfull then to Run So Big Risk of being Discouered as I Looked at it I must Land there and stay another Day about ten O Clock that Night Sett out for hoome where I arrived about 12 O Clock the next Day all Well .