pioneers of the old southwest-第3部分

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se　picturesque　Captains　of　the　Lord　who　bore　their　muskets　on　their　shoulders　when　they　went　forth　to　preach。　Armored　only　with　the　shield　of　faith；　the　helmet　of　salvation；　and　the　sword　of　the　spirit；　his　feet　〃shod　with　the　preparation　of　the　gospel　of　peace；〃　he　went　out　into　the　country　of　these　bloodthirsty　tribes　and　told　them　that　he　had　come　to　them　in　their　darkness　to　teach　the　love　of　the　Christ　which　lighteth　the　world。　The　Indians　received　him　suspiciously。　One　day　while　he　sat　in　his　tent　writing；　some　Delawares　drew　near　to　slay　him　and　were　about　to　strike　when　they　saw　two　deadly　snakes　crawl　in　from　the　opposite　side　of　the　tent；　move　directly　towards　the　Apostle；　and　pass　harmlessly　over　his　body。　Thereafter　they　regarded　him　as　under　spiritual　protection。　Indeed　so　widespread　was　his　good　fame　among　the　tribes　that　for　some　years　all　Moravian　settlements　along　the　borders　were　unmolested。　Painted　savages　passed　through　on　their　way　to　war　with　enemy　bands　or　to　raid　the　border；　but　for　the　sake　of　one　consecrated　spirit；　whom　they　had　seen　death　avoid；　they　spared　the　lives　and　goods　of　his　fellow　believers。　When　Zinzendorf　departed　a　year　later；　his　mantle　fell　on　David　Zeisberger；　who　lived　the　love　he　taught　for　over　fifty　years　and　converted　many　savages。　Zeisberger　was　taken　before　the　Governor　and　army　heads　at　Philadelphia；　who　had　only　too　good　reason　to　be　suspicious　of　priestly　counsels　in　the　tents　of　Shem：　but　he　was　able　to　impress　white　men　no　less　than　simple　savages　with　the　nobility　of　the　doctrine　he　had　learned　from　the　Apostle。

In　1751　the　Moravian　Brotherhood　purchased　one　hundred　thousand　acres　in　North　Carolina　from　Lord　Granville。　Bishop　Spangenburg　was　commissioned　to　survey　this　large　acreage；　which　was　situated　in　the　present　county　of　Forsyth　east　of　the　Yadkin；　and　which　is　historically　listed　as　the　Wachovia　Tract。　In　1753；　twelve　Brethren　left　the　Moravian　settlements　of　Bethlehem　and　Nazareth；　in　Pennsylvania；　and　journeyed　southward　to　begin　the　founding　of　a　colony　on　their　new　land。　Brother　Adam　Grube；　one　of　the　twelve；　kept　a　diary　of　the　events　of　this　expedition。*

*　This　diary　is　printed　in　full　in　〃Travels　in　the　American　Colonies。〃　edited　by　N。　D。　Mereness。


Honor　to　whom　honor　is　due。　We　have　paid　it；　in　some　measure；　to　the　primitive　Gaels　of　the　Highlands　for　their　warrior　strength　and　their　fealty；　and　to　the　enlightened　Scots　of　Ulster　for　their　enterprise　and　for　their　sacrifice　unto　blood　that　free　conscience　and　just　laws　might　promote　the　progress　and　safeguard　the　intercourse　of　their　kind。　Now　let　us　take　up　for　a　moment　Brother　Grube's　〃Journal〃　even　as　we　welcome；　perhaps　the　more　gratefully；　the　mild　light　of　evening　after　the　flooding　sun；　or　as　our　hearts；　when　too　strongly　stirred　by　the　deeds　of　men；　turn　for　rest　to　the　serene　faith　and　the　naive　speech　of　little　children。

The　twelve；　we　learn；　were　under　the　leadership　of　one　of　their　number；　Brother　Gottlob。　Their　earliest　alarms　on　the　march　were　not　caused；　as　we　might　expect；　by　anticipations　of　the　painted　Cherokee；　but　by　encounters　with　the　strenuous　〃Irish。〃　One　of　these　came　and　laid　himself　to　sleep　beside　the　Brethren's　camp　fire　on　their　first　night　out；　after　they　had　sung　their　evening　hymn　and　eleven　had　stretched　themselves　on　the　earth　for　slumber；　while　Brother　Gottlob；　their　leader；　hanging　his　hammock　between　two　trees；　ascendednot　only　in　spirita　little　higher　than　his　charges；　and　〃rested　well　in　it。〃　Though　the　alarming　Irishman　did　not　disturb　them；　the　Brethren's　doubts　of　that　race　continued；　for　Brother　Grube　wrote　on　the　14th　of　October：　〃About　four　in　the　morning　we　set　up　our　tent；　going　four　miles　beyond　Carl　Isles　＇Carlisle；　seventeen　miles　southwest　of　Harrisburg＇　so　as　not　to　be　too　near　the　Irish　Presbyterians。　After　breakfast　the　Brethren　shaved　and　then　we　rested　under　our　tent。。。。　People　who　were　staying　at　the　Tavern　came　to　see　what　kind　of　folk　we　were。。。。　Br　Gottlob　held　the　evening　service　and　then　we　lay　down　around　our　cheerful　fire；　and　Br　Gottlob　in　his　hammock。〃　Two　other　jottings　give　us　a　racial　kaleidoscope　of　the　settlers　and　wayfarers　of　that　time。　On　one　day　the　Brethren　bought　〃some　hay　from　a　Swiss；〃　later　〃some　kraut　from　a　German　which　tasted　very　good　to　us〃；　and　presently　〃an　Englishman　came　by　and　drank　a　cup　of　tea　with　us　and　was　very　grateful　for　it。〃　Frequently　the　little　band　paused　while　some　of　the　Brethren　went　off　to　the　farms　along　the　route　to　help　〃cut　hay。〃　These　kindly　acts　were　usually　repaid　with　gifts　of　food　or　produce。

One　day　while　on　the　march　they　halted　at　a　tavern　and　farm　in　Shenandoah　Valley　kept　by　a　man　whose　name　Brother　Grube　wrote　down　as　〃Severe。〃　Since　we　know　that　Brother　Grube's　spelling　of　names　other　than　German　requires　editing；　we　venture　to　hazard　a　guess　that　the　name　he　attempted　to　set　down　as　it　sounded　to　him　was　Sevier。　And　we　wonder　if；　in　his　brief　sojourn；　he　saw　a　lad　of　eight　years；　slim；　tall；　and　blond；　with　daring　and　mischievous　blue　eyes；　and　a　certain；　curve　of　the　lips　that　threatened　havoc　in　the　hearts　of　both　sexes　when　he　should　be　a　man　and　reach　out　with　swift　hands　and　reckless　will　for　his　desires。　If　he　saw　this　lad；　he　beheld　John　Sevier；　later　to　become　one　of　the　most　picturesque　and　beloved　heroes　of　the　Old　Southwest。

Hardships　abounded　on　the　Brethren's　journey；　but　faith　and　the　Christian's　joy；　which　no　man　taketh　from　him；　met　and　surmounted　them。　〃Three　and　a　half　miles　beyond；　the　road　forked。。。。　We　took　the　right　hand　road　but　found　no　water　for　ten　miles。　It　grew　late　and　we　had　to　drive　five　miles　into　the　night　to　find　a　stoppingplace。〃　Two　of　the　Brethren　went　ahead　〃to　seek　out　the　road〃　through　the　darkened　wilderness。　There　were　rough　hills　in　the　way；　and；　the　horses　being　exhausted；　〃Brethren　had　to　help　push。〃　But；　in　due　season；　〃Br　Nathanael　held　evening　prayer　and　then　we　slept　in　the　care　of　Jesus；〃　with　Brother　Gottlob　as　usual　in　his　hammock。　Three　days　later　the　record　runs：　〃Toward　evening　we　saw　Jeams　River；　the　road　to　it　ran　down　so　very　steep　a　hill　that　we　fastened　a　small　tree　to　the　back　of　our　wagon；　locked　the　wheels；　and　the　Brethren　held　back　by　the　tree　with　all　their　might。〃　Even　then　the　wagon　went　down　so　fast　that　most　of　the　Brethren　lost　their　footing　and　rolled　and　tumbled　pell…mell。　But　Faith　makes　little　of　such　mishaps：　〃No　harm　was　done　and　we　thanked　the　Lord　that　he　had　so　graciously　protected　us；　for　it　looked　dangerous　and　we　thought　at　times　that　it　could　not　possibly　be　done　without　accident　but　we　got　down　safely。。。　we　were　all　very　tired　and　sleepy　and　let　the　angels　be　our　guard　during　the　night。〃　Rains　fell　in　torrents；　making　streams　almost　impassable　and　drenching　the　little　band　to　the　skin。　The　hammock　was　empty　one　night；　for　they　had　to　spend　the　dark　hours　trench…digging　about　their　tent　to　keep　it　from　being　washed　away。　Two　days　later　（the　10th　of　November）　the　weather　cleared　and　〃we　spent　most　of　the　day　drying　our　blankets　and　mending　and　darning　our　stockings。〃　They　also　bought　supplies　from　settlers　who；　as　Brother　Grube　observed　without　irony；

〃are　glad　we　have　to　remain　here　so　long　and　that　it　means　money　for　them。　In　the　afternoon　we　held　a　little　Lovefeast　and　rested　our　souls　in　the　loving　sacrifice　of　Jesus；　wishing　for　beloved　Brethren　in　Bethlehem　and　that　they　and　we　might　live　ever　close　to　Him。。。。　Nov。　16。　We　rose　early　to　ford　the　river。　The　bank　was　so　steep　that　we　hung　a　tree　behind　the　wagon；　fastening　it　in　such　a　way　that　we　could　quickly　release　it　when　the　wagon　reached　the　water。　The　current　was　very　swift　and　the　lead　horses　were　carried　down　a　bit　with　it。　The　water　just　missed　running　into　the　wagon　but　we　came　safely　to　the　other　bank；　which　however　we　could　not　climb　but　had　to　take　half　the　things　out　of　the　wagon；　tie　ropes　to　the　axle　on　which　we　could　pull；　help　our　horses　which　were　quite　stiff；　and　so　we　brought　our　ark　again　to　dry　land。〃

On　the　evening　of　the　17th　of　November　the　twelve　arrived　safely　on　their　land　on　the　〃Etkin〃　（Yadkin）；　having　been　six　weeks　on　the　march。　They　found　with　joy　that；　as　ever；　the　Lord　had　provided　for　them。　This　time　the　gift　was　a　deserted　cabin；　〃large　enough　that　we　could　all　lie　down　around　the　walls。　We　at　once　made　preparation　for　a　little　Lovefeast　and　rejoiced　heartily　with　one　another。〃

In　the　deserted　log　cabin；　which；　to　their　faith；　seemed　as　one　of　those　mansions　〃not　built　with　hands〃　and　descended　miraculously　from　the　heavens；　they　held　their　Lovefeast；　while　wolves　padded　and　howled　about　the　walls；　and　in　that　Pentacostal　hour　the　tongue　of　fire　descended　upon　Brother　Gottlob；　so　that　he　made　a　new　song　unto　the　Lord。　Who　shall　venture　to　say　it　is　not　better　worth　preserving　than　many　a　classic？

We　hold　arrival　Lovefeast　here　　In　Carolina　land；　A　company　of　Brethren　true；　　A　little　Pilgrim…Band；　Called　by　the　Lord　to　be　of　those　　Who　through　the　whole　world　go；　To　bear　Him　witness　everywhere　　And　nought　but　Jesus　know。

Then；　we　are　told；　the　Brethren　lay　down　to　rest　and　〃Br　Gottlob　hung　his　hammock　above　our　heads〃as　was　most　fitting　on　this　of　all　nights；　for　is　not　the　Poet's　place　always　just　a　little　nearer　to　the　stars？

The　pioneers　did　not　always　travel　in　groups。　There　were　families　who　set　off　alone。　One　of　these　now　claims　our　attention；　for　there　was　a　lad　in　this　family　whose　name　and　deeds　were　to　sound　like　a　ballad　of　romance　from　out　the　dusty　pages　of　history。　This　family's　name　was　Boone。

Neither　Scots　nor　Germans　can　claim　Daniel　Boone；　he　was　in　blood　a　blend　of　English　and　Welsh；　in　character　wholly　English。　His　grandfather　George　Boone　was　born　in　1666　in　the　hamlet　of　Stoak；　near　Exeter　in　Devonshire。　George　Boone　was　a　weaver　by　trade　and　a　Quaker　by　religion。　In　England　in　his　time　the　Quakers　were　oppressed；　and　George　Boone　therefore　sought　information　of　William　Penn；　his　co…religionist；　regarding　the　colony　which　Penn　had　established　in　America。　In　1712　he　sent　his　three　elder　children；　George；　Sarah；　and　Squire；　to　spy　out　the　land。　Sarah　and　Squire　remained　in　Pennsylvania；　while　their　brother　returned　to　England　with　glowing　reports。　On　August　17；　1717；