In order to extend the means of gaining more exact information with regard to this beautiful country, the party divided, and took different directions.  Boone and Stewart formed one division, and the remaining three the other.  The two former had as yet seen few thick forests.  The country was much of it of that description, now known by the name of “Barrens,” or open woods, which had the appearance of having been planted out with trees at wide and regular distances from each other, like those of an orchard, allowing the most luxuriant growth of cane, grass, or clover beneath them.  They now passed a wide and deep forest, in which the trees were large and thick.  Among them were many of the laurel tribe, in full verdure in mid winter.  Others were thick hung with persimmons, candied by the frost, nutritive, and as luscious as figs.  Others again were covered with winter grapes.  Every thing tended to inspire them with exalted notions of the natural resources of the country, and to give birth to those extravagant romances, which afterwards became prevalent, as descriptions of Kentucky.  Such were Finley’s accounts of it—­views which went abroad, and created even in Europe an impression of a kind of new El Dorado, or rather rural paradise.  Other and very different scenes, in no great length of time, disenchanted the new paradise, and presented it in the sober traits of truth.

They were never out of sight of buffaloes, deer, and turkeys.  At night-fall they came in view of Kentucky river, and admired in unsated astonishment, the precipices three hundred feet high, at the foot of which, as in a channel cut out of the solid limestone, rolled the dark waters of the beautiful stream.  A lofty eminence was before them.  Thinking it would afford them a far view of the meanderings of the river, they ascended it.  This expectation was realized.  A large extent of country stretched beneath them.  Having surveyed it, they proposed to commence their return to rejoin their companions.  As they were leisurely descending the hill, little dreaming of danger, the Indian yell burst upon their ears.  A numerous party of Indians sprang from the cane-brake, surrounded, vanquished, and bound them, before they had time to have recourse to their arms.  The Indians proceeded to plunder them of their rifles, and every thing in their possession but the most indispensable articles of dress.  They then led them off to their camp, where they confined them in such a manner as effectually to prevent their escape.

Not knowing a word of the speech of their captors, who knew as little of theirs, they were wholly ignorant of what fate awaited them.  The Indians next day marched them off rapidly towards the north, compelling them to travel at a rate which was excessively annoying to captives in their predicament-manacled, in momentary apprehension of death, and plunging deeper into the wilderness in advancing towards the permanent abode of their savage masters.  It was well for them