in order to organize more effectually the militia, to resist the depredations of the Indians. His title was that of adjutant-general, with the rank of major.

Young Washington had now got into the profession best suited to his tastes, and he immediately commenced studying military tactics, and practicing the sword exercise, until he became familiar with the one, and very skillful in the use of the other. He had, however, hardly begun his military service, into which he entered with all his heart, when he was compelled for a time to abandon it. His brother Lawrence, who had been for some time slowly sinking under a pulmonary disease, was advised by his physician to seek a warmer climate. Not wishing in his delicate state of health to go alone, he took his favorite brother, George, with him, and sailed for Barbadoes in September, 1751.

They were five weeks in making the voyage. Change of climate, however, wrought no permanent change for the better in the invalid, and after staying a few weeks on the island, he resolved to return to Bermuda. In the mean time, George was seized with the small-pox, and lay confined for three weeks. Immediately on his recovery, he was dispatched by his brother to Virginia, to bring his wife to Bermuda, to join him there. His passage home was a long and stormy one. He was absent in all four months. His brother, finding that he continued to grow worse, wrote home, requesting his wife not to join him. He lingered on till summer, when he came home, and rapidly sank into the

grave.

George being left one of the executors of his brother's property, which was very large, his time for awhile became almost exclusively occupied in taking care of it. Mount. Vernon, with other estates, had been left to the only surviving daughter, but in case she died without children, they were to go to George.

In the mean time Governor Dinwiddie had divided Vir

ginia into four military divisions, and appointed Washing ton, whose commission had been renewed, over the northern. This division covered a large territory, which he was required to visit at stated intervals. The militia in the various sections were mustered to receive him when he came, and he reviewed and instructed them, as well as the officers, in the duties of their calling. Very tall and finely formed, he was at this time the impersonation of a fine military character, and carried all the enthusiasm of his ardent nature into the profession so congenial to his tastes, and so in accordance with his love of excitement and adventure.

The French and English were at this time contending for the mastery of the continent. The latter occupied the Atlantic slope, while Canada was in possession of the former, who were making vigorous efforts to control the western lakes and rivers south to the mouth of the Mississippi, and thus shut up the English east of the Alleghany Mountains. Intelligence was soon received that they had already crossed over from Canada, and were erecting fortifications and ́establishing posts along the Ohio. This was crowding close upon the Virginia province, while, at the same time, it unsettled the Indians, hitherto at peace, so that an ominous cloud was gathering on the frontier. England had anticipated this state of things, and sent over orders to have two forts built on the Ohio, and dispatched thirty cannon, with ammunition, to defend them. The French, however, had outstripped the slow movements of their rival, for they had already commenced a line of military posts, to extend from New Orleans to Canada. Their claims to this vast territory were based on the right of discovery and the stipulations of European treaties to which England acceded, viz., that France should retain all her actual possessions in America. By an extraordinary construction the latter insisted that having discovered the

Mississippi river, she had a right to all the territories through which its waters flowed. Equally absurd with this claim was that of England, who based her right on Indian treaties, although the tribes with which she made them had no more power to cede away the land west of the Ohio, than they had that west of the Mississippi. On their vague assertion that they had at some former time conquered it, although the present savage occupants yielded them no allegiance, and denied their pretensions, the English made a treaty with them including vast territories occupied by other independent tribes. The Indians might well be astonished at the turn things had taken, and be puzzled to know what course to pursue. They asked Mr. Gist, who had been sent by Governor Dinwiddie to trade with them, "whereabout the Indian lands lay, as the French claimed all on one side of the Ohio, and the English all on the other." The claims of both England and France rested on a miserable foundation enough; but, so far as the two nations were concerned, the latter had clearly the advantage. It was evident, however, that might was to settle the question.

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As a first step, Governor Dinwiddie resolved to send a commissioner to the French commander on the Ohio, and demand why he invaded his British majesty's dominions, and what he proposed to do. To undertake this, through nearly six hundred miles of forest filled with Indians and crossed only by trails, required a man of no common intrepidity, fortitude, energy, skill and daring.

There needs no stronger proof of the high estimation in which young Washington, then only twenty-one years old, was held, than the selection of him to perform this hazardous mission. The oldest frontiersman might well have shrunk from it, for it would task the hardihood and endurance of a man trained a life-long in the woods.

His instructions were, to proceed at once to the Ohio, and, assembling the neighboring Indian chiefs at a place

called Logstown, explain his visit, and request an escort of warriors to the French post. After delivering his message and demanding an answer, he was to ascertain, as far as possible, the number, position and designs of the French.

Thus fortified with instructions, he set out on the last day of October, and, after a journey of fourteen days, reached Will's Creek, the utmost verge of civilization. Here he found Mr. Gist, an old and experienced backwoodsman, and engaged him as a guide. With a French and Indian interpreter, two Indian traders and two drivers, making in all eight persons, he, left the haunts of the white man, and, striking an Indian trail, stretched through the wilderness. Floundering through swamps, swimming deep rivers, and straining up the steep mountains, the little company kept on its difficult way, and at length reached the junction of the Alleghany and Monongahela. Washington's quick eye saw at once the advantages of the place, both for a fortification and a depot for provisions, and by his advice a military post was afterward established there. Pushing on to Logstown, he assembled a few Indian chiefs and made them a speech. Among these, one called the Half-King was the most distinguished. Persuading him, with three other Indians, to accompany him as guides, the young major started for the French fortification, a hundred and twenty miles distant. St. Pierre, the commander, of the post, an old man and a knight, received him with marked urbanity. He promised to take Governor Dinwiddie's communication into consideration, and after two days gave his reply, declaring it was not for him to discuss treaties, but obey orders, and he should not leave his post till commanded to do so.

During this time Washington was examining the fort, making drawings of the works, and noting down the number of cannon and men and strength of the post.

It was now the middle of December; the heavy and incessant rain-storms had turned into snow, obliterating the

paths and covering the forest with one vast winding-sheet. Fearing that the snow would become so deep that the horses would break down in their long journey across the wilderness, he sent them back to Venango, to wait there and recruit, while he made the passage down the river in a

canoe.

The French commandant used every artifice to detach the Half-King from Washington, and, not succeeding, determined to detain him till the latter was gone. But the young major, feeling how important it was to keep as allies the tribes over which this chief had influence, was resolved not to leave without him. Winter was deepening, and he was anxious to be off, and he remonstrated with the French commandant on the unfair course he was taking. But every appeal of the straight-forward Virginian was met with the bland smile and courteous denial of a true Frenchman. Being pushed, however, to give a reason for the detention of the savage chief, the wary old knight replied that the latter was waiting for the present of a gun promised him next morning.

The Half-King, having at length obtained his gun, prepared to leave; but the French commandant, still intent on retaining him, endeavored to get him drunk. Washington, however, never left the Indian's side, and by plying him with appeals and remonstrances, and pressing on him the necessity of keeping his sacred promise, at length had the satisfaction of seeing him depart.

Embarking in a single canoe, they pushed out into the turbulent river, and started for Venango, one hundred and thirty miles distant. It was a perilous voyage, for the stream was swollen and filled with uprooted trees and driftwood, that were hurled along the rapid current on which their frail vessel danced like a feather. As night closed over the forest the canoe was hauled on shore, a fire built, and the party bivouacked on the icy bank till morning.