from whence he was set out for Augustine. Some days after, two smokes being made at the Spanish look-out, which was the signal agreed, Major Richard sent over the marine boat, which brought for answer, that there was a guard and horses ready to conduct him to Augustine, but that the Spaniards looked and behaved in such a manner as seemed to be more like enemies than friends. Both men and officers advised that Major Richard should not go without the Spaniards left some one as security for his safety; but he resolved to go.

Being landed on the other side, the Spaniards brought him a horse, and as soon as he was mounted carried him away without taking any leave of the boat. A few days after this, some smokes being made on the Spanish side, the boat went over to see what message there was, and brought back a piece of dirty paper, with something wrote in German, with a black lead pencil, said by the Spaniards to be wrote to Captain Horton, by Major Richard. There was nothing of consequence in those lines only that he was got well to the captain of horse's quarters. They saw the appearance of more Spaniards than usual on the main, and also several fires. Mr. Horton not returning, the Spaniards appearing, and Major Richard writing in so short a manner, that he was arrived at the captain of horse's quarters, made Mr. Hermsdorf conclude that he was kept prisoner there, and that he dared not write plainer, because the letter passed through the Spaniards' hands. Besides this, his men being very unwilling to do their guard exactly, or be vigilant when sentries, the fort not being yet tenable, and being informed that there was a general meeting designed, he thought it was best to re-embark every thing, and retire to Amelia sound, through which the Spaniards must pass, if they came between the islands to attack the colony. And if they advanced with such force as to be able to overpower him, he could perceive them soon enough to retire under the cannon at St. Andrews, and there he resolved to stay till he had farther orders, and sent up the scout boat for them.

Mr. Oglethorpe having informed them of this, he farther acquainted them, that he was going down himself to set things to rights, that now the man-of-war was come it would guard the entrance of Jekyl sound; that the detachment of the independent company would prevent landing upon the back of the island, and that their fort was in a good condi

tion to make a defence if men should land, and force their way through the country; that there was sufficient provision in the fort of all kinds for eight months; so they had nothing to do but to be vigilant against surprises. He left orders for the guards, and Mr. M'Intosh, a Scotch gentleman who had been several years in the king's service, and Mr. Auspourger as engineer to instruct them in their military duty.

The people in general answered they were under no apprehension, and were willing to die in the defence of the place, and were only sorry that he should be exposed without them.

He set out by eight of clock for the southward in Captain Ferguson's scout boat, and I having finished transcribing the letters, Mr. Tanner in about three hours followed him in the Georgia scout boat, John Rae, commander.

We continued unlading the two ships, and bringing every thing into the storehouse, which was now finished on the outside, but the covering was not yet quite water proof.

The people were employed in building a wheelwright's shop, and a cornhouse, being apprehensive that the Indian corn (which is very bulky) and the geer would suffer by being exposed to the wet. Several periaguas and boats arrived from Savannah with numbers of volunteers on board, they having heard many reports by way of Charlestown, and by the Indians, that the Spaniards intended to attack us. And it was confidently reported there, that the town was taken and Mr. Oglethorpe killed.

On the 8th, there was a large boat with four pieces of cannon, and full of men attempted to come in at Jekyl sound, without colors: Ensign Delegal fired to make her bring too (and give an account of herself) and to know whether she was a pirate, or what she should be, which she did not do, but rowed on, at the same time she discovered the Hawk sloop in the harbor, and she, instead of coming in, or shewing colors, ran out to sea, round Jekyl sound, and into Cumberland sound, it being then night, she came pretty near St. Andrews before she was discovered; but being challenged by them, a man answered in English, and they rowed away with the utmost precipitation. On board this boat, as we heard afterwards, was Don Ignatio, with a detachment of the Spanish garrison, and as many Indians and boatmen as the launch could hold.

The same afternoon arrived the king of the Uchee Indians, in a large periagua, with a great many of his men, and one Chevers, a white man who traded amongst them. Arrived also Lieutenant Delegal, with the remainder of the independent company, with thirteen pieces of cannon belonging to them; he passed on to the sea point. The Indians and the volunteers staid for Mr. Oglethorpe's return; so that we were increased in strength.

On the 9th Mr. Oglethorpe returned. I procured an account of his journey from those that went with him as follows. "When he set out he went first on board Capt. Gascoigne; he left Ferguson's scout boat, taking with him Rae's scout boat, and Capt. Gascoigne's six-oared yawl, on board the which was Mr. Moore, Lieutenant of the man-ofwar, and a crew of very good men. They came to St. Andrews in the night, and hastening forward, the next day about noon having reached the south end of Cumberland, they met the periagua and marine boat at anchor; there Mr. Oglethorpe asking how all went on board, Mr. Hermsdorf answering, Well, not to lose time he ordered them to weigh anchor and follow him out to sea, the wind being then fair. They stood out accordingly; after they were out at sea the wind changing the periagua was not able to reach the south end of Amelia, but the scout boat and yawl got into the inlet, and waited the next day for the periagua. In the mean time stopping at a little creek that fell into the sea, upon the ebbing of the water, the men caught more fish with their hands, their oars and a sail, for they had no net, than all the men on board the three boats and the periagua could eat. When the periagua came up, and the men were come on shore, Mr. Oglethorpe inquired into the past transactions, and having quieted the mutinous humor among the men, occasioned by a misunderstanding, fomented only by one of them who was punished, they resolved all to do their utmost; and on the 5th at noon, arrived at St. George's.

"He immediately landed, and viewing the ground, found but very little cleared, but there was a mount just upon the edge of the river, which was salt water, and the ruins of a rampart and ditch about twenty-five or thirty foot from the bottom of the ditch to the top of the ruined rampart. There was upon the top of the hill another mount cast up by hands, like the bulwarks with which they fortified in Queen

Elizabeth's time, from whence the hill descended on one side to the water; from thence, if the woods were cleared, one could overlook the inside of the island; and from this bulwark you could also see the Spanish look-out, and discover, far into the ocean, for it overlooks Talbot island, which is narrow in that place, and lies between that and the sea. They immediately mounted one piece of cannon, on the lower mount bulwark, which commanded the river, and a couple of swivel guns on the upper mount; several of the men were set to clearing, in-order to judge better of the ground.

"Leaving Mr. Hermsdorf with the periagua and marine boat, Mr. Oglethorpe set out with the scout boat and yawl for the Spanish side, carrying a flag of truce in order to inquire what was become of Major Richard and Mr. Horton and his men. There was nobody at the Spanish look-out; they rowed up to a palmetto hut. Mr. Oglethorpe went ashore about a musket shot from it, and climbing one of the sand hills, to see if there were any people, he ordered Mr. Tanner and four youths that belonged to him to come on shore, making the boats to keep at a grappling, to prevent being surprised, in case of accidents. He sent forward the white flag, and having examined well into the country, he passed through a little wood into an open savannah. There was nobody in the palmetto hut, nor could they discover any men, finding only two horses tied with hobbles amongst the sand hills. He staid upon a rising ground, from whence he could see both the boats and the savannah, and sent one of his lads with a white flag, as far down the Savannah as he could keep him in sight; to see if he could draw any people to a conference, but nobody appearing, he called in his servants in order to return. A boy named Frazier was not yet come back, for whom he staid, and in a little time saw him returning through the wood, driving before him a tall man with a musket upon his shoulder, two pistols stuck in his girdle, and a long sword and a short sword. Frazier coming up to Mr. Oglethorpe said, 'Here sir, I have caught a Spaniard for you.' Mr. Oglethorpe treated this man civilly, gave him wine and victuals, and asked concerning Major Richard and Mr. Horton; on which the fellow pulled out a letter, which he said was from Mr. Horton, whom the Governor of St. Augustine had put under arrest, as also

Major Richard. The man said, he had watched some days for an opportunity to deliver the letter. Mr. Oglethorpe rewarded him well, and appointed to send him an answer by the next day at noon to the same place, which he agreed to come to receive. He would have given him a letter to the Governor of Augustine, but the man said that none could be carried, for that a troop of horse under the command of Don Pedro kept all the passages, so that all letters must go to him. They returned to St. George's. Mr. Oglethorpe had great fires made on Talbot island, another on St. George's, each a mile below the fort, and another a mile and half in the woods; so that any boat coming up the river, between them and the fort, would be discovered by the light of them. That night the men lay upon their arms, strict sentries were kept, the seamen having the charge of the lower mount, and Mr. Hermsdorf's men of the upper. There were sentries placed two hundred yards into the woods every way, and either Mr. Hermsdorf or Mr. Oglethorpe kept going the rounds all night. One scout boat was anchored near half a mile below them, and the marine boat near half a mile above, to watch the river.

"On the 6th, before day break, all hands set to cut down the wood, and with it they raised barricades from the upper mount to the lower; and all trees that were fit for it they cut into palisades by eight of the clock. Mr. Oglethorpe ordered seven shots to be fired out of the two several guns, which for that purpose were ordered to be carried farther into the woods; and then at a moderate distance of time five shots to be fired out of the four pounder, which also was hauled into the wood, and the muzzle turned another way, that the flash might not be discovered from the Spanish lookout this seemed to be guns from different distances; for the small report of the swivel guns made them made them appear further off, and the four pounders to be nearer; so that it appeared to be a ship saluting at some distance behind the island, and that returned by a forte. At ten of the clock Mr. Oglethorpe stood down with the scout boat, and Lieutenant Moore in the yawl, with the marine boat in company; they went to the Spanish main, but did not see the Spaniard at the place appointed, but discovered some horsemen that were concealed behind the sand hills. Mr. Oglethorpe would not suffer the boats to go near where there was any shelter, but to go to