Part 5

Uncle Forman and I stopped the first night with Mr. Ellis, at the White Cliffs, and next day embarked on board of a boat for New Orleans. On our way down we sometimes went on shore and took a bowl of chocolate for breakfast with some rich planter, a very common custom of the country. The night before our arrival at New Orleans we put up with a Catholic priest; some gentlemen of our company were well acquainted between Natchez and New Orleans, and had learned the desirable stopping places. The good priest received us kindly, gave us an excellent supper, plenty of wine, and was himself very lively. We took breakfast with him the next morning; and before our departure the priest came up to me with a silver plate in his hand, on which were two fine looking pears, which he tendered me. He looked at first very serious; but, remembering his good humor the previous evening, I suspected his fun had not yet all run out. I eyed him pretty close, and while thanking him, I rather hesitated, when he urged me to take them. I knew no pears grew in that country. I finally took one, weighed it in my hand, and looked at him, till he bursted out into a loud laugh. They were ingeniously wrought out of stone or marble, and looked exactly like pears. I brought them home and gave them to a friend.

Arriving in New Orleans, we took lodgings, and our first business was to wait on his excellency Governor Miro. Mr. Forman settling within his government with so large a number of people, under an arrangement with the Spanish ambassador at New York, Don Diego de Gardoque, gave him a high standing. Uncle Forman was in person a fine-looking man, very neat, prepossessing, and of genteel deportment, so that he was always much noticed.

As there was then no vessel in port destined for the United States, I had to delay a couple of weeks for one. At length the brig Navarre, Captain McFadden, made its appearance, and soon loaded for Philadelphia. There were a number of Americans in waiting, who engaged their passage with me, on this vessel. Uncle Forman did not leave the city until after the Navarre had taken its departure. He suggested that I should take a formal leave of Governor Miro and his secretary, Don Andre. The secretary was a large, fine-looking man. I politely asked him if he had any commands for the cape--Cape Francois, a fine town in the northern part of St. Domingo, usually dignified with the designation of the _The Cape_--for which port, I believe, the vessel cleared. "I know not," said the secretary, "to what cape you are going--only take good care of yourself."

After all were on board, the brig dropped down two or three miles, where the passengers went ashore, and laid in provisions enough, the captain said, to have carried us to London after our arrival in Philadelphia. I may mention something about distances as computed in those days. From Natchez to New Orleans was called three hundred miles by water, and only one hundred and fifty by land. From New Orleans to the Balize, at the mouth of the Mississippi, was reckoned one hundred and five miles. It was said that such was the immense volume of the Mississippi river that it kept its course and muddy appearance for a league out at sea.

There were no ladies among the passengers. We entered into an arrangement that each passenger should, in rotation, act as caterer for the party for each day. It fell to my lot to lead off in this friendly service. We got along very nicely, and with a good deal of mirthful pleasure, for a couple of weeks, enjoying our viands and wine as comfortably as if at a regular boarding house. The captain's wife, however, was something of a drawback to our enjoyment. She was a vinegary looking creature, and as cross and saucy as her looks betokened, was low-bred, ill-tempered, and succeeded in making herself particularly disagreeable. During the pleasant weather portion of our voyage, she managed, without cause, to raise a quarrel with every passenger; and what added to her naturally embittered feeling, was that we only laughed at her folly.

When we arrived in sight of Cuba, the wind arose, and blew almost a hurricane, causing a heavy sea. We were in such danger of being cast away on the Florida reefs that the captain summoned all hands on deck for counsel. But, providentially, we escaped. For near two weeks no cooking could be done, and each one was thankful to take whatever he could obtain in one hand, and hold fast to something with the other, such was the rolling and pitching of our frail vessel. Most of the passengers were sea-sick; I was among the few who escaped from that sickening nausea. One night the rain was so heavy, the lightning so vivid, and thunder so tremendous, that the vessel trembled at every clap; when I went to my friend Wyckoff, as well as others who were asleep, informing them that it was a moment of no little danger and excitement.

Captain McFadden was a most profane man. But during the hours of our distress and danger he became very mild and humble, but it lasted no longer than the storm. The vinegary Mrs. McFadden, too, was very sensibly affected during this trying period; for, standing in the companion-way, leading to the cabin, she very humbly and demurely said that she would go below and make her peace. We all thought she could not be too quick about it. She was a veritable Katharine, but he was not a Petruchio.

Before we arrived at the capes of the Delaware, an American sailor, who had made his escape from a British man-of-war at the mouth of the Mississippi, sickened and died on board our craft. When we got into the Delaware, the sailors took his remains on shore and gave them a decent sepulture. At length we reached Philadelphia in safety.

GENERAL INDEX.

Prefatory note, 3

Memoir of Major S. S. Forman, 5

Forman's narrative, 5

Tunis Forman captures two Tories, 6

Major Lee's strategy, 6

British foray at Middletown Point, 6, 7

Major Burrows's loss and captivity, 7

Denise Forman's services, 7

General David Forman, 7

German town battle, 7

Capture of a British sloop, 8

A British and Tory scout, 9

Services of Major Burrows, 9

Major Burrows's narrow escape, 9, 10

Denise Forman and Philip Freneau, 10

Sufferings in British prison ships, 10, 11

Captain Freneau's after-life, 11, 12

Monmouth battle, 12

Fugitives return to New York, 12

British evacuate New York, 13-15

Lieutenant-Colonel J. N. Cumming, 14

Anthony Glean noticed, 14

Washington parting with his officers, 15

Washington and Franklin in Federal Convention, 15

Washington's second inauguration, 16

Major Forman settles at Cazenovia, N. Y., 17

His subsequent career, 17, 18

His narrative--departure for the Ohio, 19

Detention at Lancaster, 20

Meeting Charley Morgan, 22

Scant of funds for traveling, 22

Arrival at Pittsburg, 23

Flat-bottomed boats for the journey, 23

Colonel Turnbull's entertainment, 24

Departure down the river, 25

Difficulties of navigation, 25, 26

Arrival at Wheeling, 26

Flocks of wild turkeys, 26

Arrival at Marietta, 27

Limestone and Columbia, 27

Arrival at Cincinnati, 27

General Harmar's hospitality, 27, 28

Captain Kirby _vs._ Captain Kersey, 28, 29

General Jonathan Forman noticed, 29

General Harmar's defeat, 30

Indian rendezvous at Scioto, 30

Gallipolis settlement, 30, 31

Anecdote of Captain Osmun, 31

Arrival at Louisville, 32

Fort Jefferson; Fort Steuben, 32

Ensign Luce and North Bend, 32, 33

Lacassangue and his station, 33, 34

Early dancing parties at Louisville, 35, 36

Generals Wilkinson and St. Clair, 35

Dr. John F. Carmichael, 36

Ezekiel Forman starts for Natchez, 36

Effort to lure ashore and destroy Forman's party, 37

Louisville incidents; Ashby and family; Mr. Smith; moccasins at balls, 38, 39

An egg-nog frolic, 39, 40

The Sabbath kept by S. S. Forman, 40

A billiard-table at Louisville, 40, 41

A fleet of tobacco boats, 41

Mr. Buckner purchases Mr. Forman's goods, 42

Mr. Forman's mishap, 42

Departure from Louisville, 42, 43

Incident at Fort Massac, 43

Planters and sawyers, 44

Mouth of the Ohio, 44, 45

An Indian alarm, 45

Indian visit; dinner, 46

Visit Indian village, 46, 47

Arrival at _L'Anse a la Graisse_, 47

Lieutenant Foucher's hospitality, 48-50

Lieutenant Foucher noticed, 47, 48-50

Colonel Pope's tour cited, 50

Colonel P. B. Bruin noticed, 51, 52

A cub bear, 52

Arrival at Natchez, 52

Walnut Hills settlement project, 52, 53

Dr. O'Fallon; General Clark; Colonel Holder, 52, 53

Natchez and surroundings, 53

Sir Wm. Dunbar noticed, 54

S. S. Forman's land grant, 55, 58, 59

Fine society at Natchez, 56

Mons. and Madam Mansanteo, 56

Major Stephen Minor noticed, 56, 57

Colonel Anthony Hutchins noticed, 56

Sickly at Natchez in 1790, 56, 57

A round of visits, 57, 58

Bad treatment of servants, 59

Colonel Osmun noticed, 59, 60

Departure for New Orleans, 60

A genial priest, 60, 61

Voyage and incidents to Philadelphia, 61-63

ROBERT CLARKE & CO., CINCINNATI, O.

HAVE JUST PUBLISHED

Major Forman's Narrative.

Narrative of a Journey down the Ohio and Mississippi in 1789-90. By Major Samuel S. Forman, of New Jersey. With a Memoir and Illustrative Notes. By Lyman C. Draper, LL.D. of Wisconsin.

12mo. Paper, 50 cents; cloth, 75 cents.

General David Forman of New Jersey in 1789, entered into a negotiation with the Spanish minister Don Diego de Gardoque, for his brother Ezekiel Forman of Philadelphia, to emigrate with his family, and about sixty colored people, men, women and children, and settle in the Natchez country, then under Spanish authority. Major Samuel S. Forman accompanied this emigrating party, and in this narrative gives a minute account of their trip, the places they passed through and at which they stopped, prominent people they met, with many curious particulars.

This book has not been stereotyped, and the edition is a limited one.

_Sent by mail, prepaid, on receipt of the price._

ROBERT CLARKE & CO., _Publishers_, Cincinnati, O.

Transcriber's Note

Archaic spelling is preserved as printed.

Inconsistency in the use of apostrophes in date ranges is preserved as printed.

Minor punctuation errors have been repaired.

There were some instances of a single inconsistent spelling of a proper noun where it appears more than once. These, along with apparent typographic errors, have been repaired as follows:

Page 19--Foreman amended to Forman--General David Forman, ...

Page 37--beech amended to beach--... ran on the beach, imploring ...

Page 37--Osmnn amended to Osmun--But for the circumstance of Captain Osmun ...

Page 51--à amended to a--... from _L'Anse a la Graisse_ to _Bayou Pierre_, ...

Page 57--afflcted amended to afflicted--Uncle Forman was severely afflicted ...

Page 58--Pittsburgh amended to Pittsburg--... which had traveled with me from Pittsburg ...

Page 60--ta amended to at--... of the country to exchange work at times; ...

Page 63--Wickoff amended to Wyckoff--... when I went to my friend Wyckoff, ...

Page 66--mocassins amended to moccasins--... Mr. Smith; moccasins at balls, ...

Page 67--Madame Mansant amended to Madam Mansanteo--Mons. and Madam Mansanteo, 56