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and happy as I was in a good wife, yet did ⟨my⟩ felicity last me not long; for about the year 1754, the Indians in the French Interest, who had ⟨for⟩ a long time before ravaged and destroyed ⟨other⟩ parts of America unmolested, I may very properly say, began to be very troublesome on ⟨the⟩ frontiers of our province, where they ⟨generally⟩ appeared in small skulking parties, with yellings, shoutings, and antic postures, instead of trumpets and drums, committing great devastations. ⟨The⟩ Pennsylvanians little imagined at first that ⟨the⟩ Indians, guilty of such outrages and violence were some of those who pretended to be in ⟨the⟩ English interest; which, alas! proved to be too true to many of us; for, like the French in Europe, without regard to faith or treaties, they suddenly break out into furious, rapid outrages and devastations, but soon retire precipitately having no stores nor provisions but what they meet with in their incursions. Some ⟨indeed⟩ carry a bag with biscuit or Indian corn therein but not unless they have a long march to their destined place of action. And those French who were sent to dispossess us in that part of the world, being indefatigable in their duty, and continually contriving and using all manner of ways and means to win the Indians to their interest, many of whom had been too negligent, and sometimes, I may say, cruelly treated by those who
