Thunder, and the Hunter; and travelled on the road to Venango, where
we arrived the fourth of December, without any thing remarkable
happening but a continued series of bad weather.

This is an old Indian town, situated at the mouth of French creek, on
Ohio; and lies near north about sixty miles from the Loggstown, but
more than seventy the way we were obliged to go.

We found the French colours hoisted at a house from which they had
driven Mr. John Frazier, an English subject. I immediately repaired to
it, to know where the commander resided. There were three officers,
one of whom, Captain Joncaire, informed me that he had the command of
the Ohio; but that there was a general officer at the near fort, where
he advised me to apply for an answer. He invited us to sup with them,
and treated us with the greatest complaisance.

The wine, as they dosed themselves pretty plentifully with it, soon
banished the restraint which at first appeared in their conversation,
and gave a license to their tongues to reveal their sentiments more
freely.

They told me, that it was their absolute design to take possession of
the Ohio, and by G-d they would do it: for that, although they were
sensible the English could raise two men for their one, yet they knew
their motions were too slow and dilatory to prevent any undertaking of
theirs. They pretend to have an undoubted right to the river from a
discovery made by one La Salle, sixty years ago: and the rise of this
expedition is, to prevent our settling on the river or waters of it,
as they heard of some families moving out in order thereto. From the
best intelligence I could get, there have been fifteen hundred men on