year of his Majesty's reign to Savannah Town, (alias New Windsor) and from thence to every trader amongst the Indians, and notice was given them to conform thereunto.

Scenauky presented the missionaries two large jars, one of honey, and one of milk, and invited them to come up to their new town at Yamacraw, and teach the children there; and told them that the honey and milk was a representation of their inclinations. The same evening, having done my business on board Captain Thomson, I went down to the ships in the scout boat. About midnight came to anchor at Tybee a sloop from New York, called the Midnight, loaded with provisions.

On the 15th Captain Yokely not being yet come down, Mr. Oglethorpe was much concerned at the delay, which was of great damage to the poor people, who by not being on their lands, were losing the best season both for building and improving (which is the winter.) Besides, we were apprehensive that the Spanish Indians might undertake something against the Highlanders, if they were not strengthened; who also might be uneasy at finding themselves not supported; and that the Spaniards themselves might perhaps take possession of the mouths of the harbors, and drive off and conquer the English Indians, who were then, and have long been in possession of those islands, and to whom they belonged for several ages. The danger of sickness, and damage of goods, besides the expense and hazard of sending the people in open boats, was very great; and if no vessel lay in the entrance, if the Spaniards should come up with the smallest ship, they might entrench themselves under the shelter of the ship's cannon, in spite of all that the English Indians could do. Mr. Oglethorpe spoke to both the Captains to go and anchor at the entrance of Jekyl sound, and go in with boats (which he would furnish and go with himself) sound the bar and carry their ships in. They remonstrated the danger and impossibility of merchant ships making discoveries. At last this expedient was thought of; to buy the cargo of the Midnight sloop, who arrived last night, on condition that she should go into Jekyl sound, and deliver the cargo at Frederica in the Alatamaha. Captain Cornish and Captain Thomas consented to go board the sloop, and in her to try the entrance, and promised them to come back and carry their ships in, who, in the mean time,

would lie in safety in Tybee harbor. Mr. Oglethorpe agreed for the cargo; the master of the sloop, one Barnes, being a brisk man and very willing to undertake the discovery of the entrance, seeing it was for the public service. Mr. Oglethorpe ordered Mr. Horton and Mr. Tanner, with thirty of the single men of the colony, on board the sloop, with cannon, arms, ammunition, and tools for entrenching, with whom Captain Cornish and Captain Thomas went down by sea to meet him at Frederica; himself going down by the channels within the islands. Such diligence was used, that the sloop sailed by eight the next morning. Mr. Oglethorpe ordered from Savannah the workmen that he had engaged there; also more Indians from Toma Chi Chi; and those Indians who were already down, to rendezvous at certain posts, where he might send for them as occasion should require.

On the 16th, in the evening, Mr. Oglethorpe set out in the scout boat, through the inland channels to meet the sloop at Jekyl sound. He carried with him Capt. Hermsdorf, two of the colony, and some Indians. Capt. Dunbar also accompanied him with his boat. I was left with the ships, having charge of their cargoes.

On the 17th Capt. Yokely came down to Tybee from Savannah.

On the 18th he began to take beef and other provisions out of Capt. Dymond, for Frederica; and before he had completed his cargo, the wind came about so that he could not get out.

Before Mr. Oglethorpe set out for the Southward, Lieutenant Delegal, who at that time commanded his Majesty's independent company at Port Royal, waited upon him, pursuant to his letter, to acquaint him with the circumstances of the company, and what provisions would be necessary for their subsistence, and what boats for their embarkation, that company being ordered to St. Simons.

A gentleman with letters to the Governor of Augustine, from the person charged with the King of Spain's affairs at the court of England, came over in the ship Symond. Mr. Oglethorpe, before he went to Alatamaha, left orders with Major Richard of Purysburgh to conduct that gentleman in a six-oared boat, being the best then to be got, to Augustine and also by the same occasion sent a letter to that Governor.

Mr. Spangenburg acquainted Mr. Oglethorpe, that several Germans with whom he had an influence were gone to Pennsylvania instead of Georgia, and that he would go thither and fetch them, to be an increase of strength to the colony. Mr. Oglethorpe told him, that he would not inveigle any from another colony; but if Mr. Penn, the proprietor of that Province, was desirous they should come away, he was willing to receive them; therefore he gave letters for Mr. Penn to Mr. Spangenburg.

On the 19th, Major Richard set out for St. Augustine, with the gentleman for that place.

Whilst Mr. Oglethorpe was absent, the colony that remained with us were employed, some in helping to build the Beacon at Tybee, and some in hunting and fishing; they all went daily on shore to Peeper island, but none went up to Savannah, nor no boats came to them without license, for fear some unwary people should be drawn to spend what little they had in buying refreshments, and lest they should make themselves sick, by drinking drams and eating trash. They had plenty of fresh provisions and good beer provided for them, which made this restraint not inconvenient. They washed their linen and dressed their meat on shore with fires made of cedar and bay trees, which to people new come from England, seemed an extraordinary luxury. On the shore were oyster banks, dry at low water, where they took as many as they pleased, the oysters being very good.

I observed here a kind of long moss I had never seen before; it grows in great quantities upon the large trees, and hangs down three or four yards from the boughs; it gives a noble, ancient, and hoary look to the woods; it is of a whitish green color, but when dried is black and like horsehair. This the Indians use for wadding their guns, and making their couches soft under the skins of beasts which serve them for beds. They use it also for tinder, striking fire by flashing the pans of their guns into a handful of it, and for all other uses where old linen would be necessary.

On the 23d, Col. Bull, one of his Majesty's council in Carolina, arrived here in his own periagua, with letters from the Lieutenant Governor, Council and Assembly of that Province, for Mr. Oglethorpe. I offered him the ship's great cabin, and all provisions and necessaries, but he refused it, having himself a cabin fitted up with all conveniences aboard

his own periagua; howsoever he did us the favor to dine on board.

Nothing remarkable happened on board till Mr. Oglethorpe returned from the southward, which was on the 25th, in the evening. I had from one who went along with him the following account.

"The scout boat went along through channels, between the islands and the main; these channels are in some places above a mile, and in others not above two hundred yards wide. In many places the woods of pines, evergreen oaks, and cedar trees grow close to the water side, which with the clear sea-green color and stillness of the channels, sheltered by the woods, is very delightful to the eye. In other places, on the banks, are wide marshes, so hard that cattle feed upon them, though at some of the very highest spring tides they are just covered with water. We passed between the island of Wilmington and the main; upon the latter, we landed at one Mr. Lacy's, where five gentlemen of five hundred acre lots have built their houses together, that they might be the more easily fortified, which they are with palisades well flanked with several pieces of cannon. They with masters and servants make the garrison, and in all times of apprehension do regular duty; one of the masters with proportion of servants, mounting guard each night. They have cleared above one hundred acres of land round the fort. They have milk, cattle, hogs, garden stuff, and poultry in such plenty, that they sent at different times several bushes of eggs down to Frederica. This fort commands the water passage between the islands to Savannah. It stands high, the banks of the river being about eighteen foot perpendicular from high water mark, the bottom is a clay mixed with iron stone, and is the only place an enemy can land at from the southward. It is but four miles from Savannah by land, though sixteen by water; and the ridge of pine groves reaching all the way from the one to the other, it is passable for horses and carriages by going a little round about to follow the course of the open groves. Mr. Lacy has there set up potash works, and made some for trial, but finding that he could make more advantage of the same labor by sawing timber for the sugar islands, and splitting staves for the Madera, he does not now go on with the potash, till he can have more strength of hands. Here we

met a boat from Savannah with workmen from the southward; they were most of them Germans and Swiss, raised at Purysburgh; the boat being full of men and heavy loaded, we outwent her. From this fort we saw the island of Skidoway, being four miles distance down a wide channel; we stopped at the northwardmost point of that island, where there is a village, a guard-house, and battery of cannon: the freeholders of the island perform guard duty at the battery. The land of this island is very rich; the inhabitants have cleared about thirty acres, but propose doing much more this year, since there will be settlements to the southward of them, for they have been much hindered by continual alarms. This island is about twelve miles long, and four wide. Leaving Skidoway on the left, and the mouths of Vernon and Ogeechee rivers on the right, we passed forward, and still kept through channels, as before, sometimes crossing wide sounds (for so the boatmen here call the gulfs of the sea which run into the land, and the entrances of the rivers.) There are three or four sounds to be passed, which in blowing weather are dangerous to those open boats. I believe where we passed, St. Catharine's is above two leagues wide. The tides of flood carried us up along side the islands, and the tides of ebb down to the sea. Mr. Oglethorpe being in haste, the men rowed night and day, and had no other rest than what they got when a snatch of wind favored us. They were all very willing, though we met with very boisterous weather. The master, Capt. Ferguson, is perfectly acquainted with all the water passages, and in the darkest night never missed the way through the woods and marshes, though there are so many channels as to make a perfect labyrinth. The men vied with each other, who should be forwardest to please Mr. Oglethorpe. Indeed, he lightened their fatigue, by giving them refreshments, which he rather spared from himself than let them want. The Indians seeing the men hard labored, desired to take the oars, and rowed as well as any I ever saw, only differing from the others, by taking a short and long stroke alternately, which they called the Yamassee stroke. I found this was no new thing to the Indians, they being accustomed to row their own canoes, boats made out of a single tree hollowed, which they manage with great dexterity.