Mission with Prophetic Power: The Journal of John Woolman (SRSC 12)

Chapter 5: Looking Further (1760–1763)

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our tent, carried out our baggage, and before dark our horses came to us. Next morning, the horses being loaded and our baggage prepared, we set forward, being in all fourteen, and with diligent traveling were favored to get near halfway to Fort Allen. The land on this road from Wyoming to our frontier being mostly poor, and good grass being scarce, the Indians* chose a piece of low ground to lodge on, as the best for grazing. I had sweat much in traveling, and, being weary, slept soundly. In the night I perceived that I had taken cold, of which I was favored soon to get better. Twenty-fourth of Sixth Month.—This day we passed Fort Allen and lodged near it in the woods. We forded the westerly branch of the Delaware three times, which was a shorter way than going over the top of the Blue Mountains called the Second Ridge. In the second time of fording where the river cuts through the mountain, the waters being rapid and pretty deep, my companion’s mare, being a tall, tractable animal, was sundry times driven back through the river, being laden with the burdens of some small horses which were thought unable to come through with their loads. The troubles eastward, and the difficulty for Indians* to pass through our frontier, I apprehend, were one reason why so many came, expecting that our being in company would prevent the outside inhabitants being surprised. We reached Bethlehem on the twenty-fifth, taking care to keep foremost, and to acquaint people on and near the road who these Indians* were. This we found very needful, for the frontier inhabitants were often alarmed at the report of the English being killed by Indians* westward. Among our company were some whom I did not remember to have seen at meeting,