JOSE láARIO HERNANDEZ
-4-
Hora and thara aere raen sean grooming their horseaj others saddling up,
while around the fires were seated or standing groups of swarthy Uinoro&ns
and moustached dragoons engaged in oooking or eating their simple break-
fasto.
While the troop was preparing to aount, five Negroes suddenly emerged
from the bushes and approached the expedition, being questioned, they said
they had esoapad from the Seminole and were anxious for the protootion of
the whites. Four of them belonged to Major Heriot, the fifth was John
Philip, an Indian Negro the slave of King Philip. He had fled from his
master beoauue of attachment to his wife, one of the Negroes owned by Major
deriot. The refugees reported the Indians had no intention of emigrating
and that they were then in parties south of the Tomoka River and East of the
St. Johns (prohibited area to the Indian). They stated that these Seminóles
were preparing ooontie. This re-enoounter was a fortunate oiroumstanoe, for
with a guide suoh as this John Philip the soldiers oould proceed to the very
spot where he had left the Seminóles and thereby avoid muoh delay and danger
of disoovery; and without guidanoe of one possessing Indian sagaoity it is
next to impossible to deteot the lurking plaoe of Indians or trace them in
their devious trails.
Leaving all the Negroes exoept John under the oharge of Lieutenant
Fraser, with his company of artillery who were ordered to remain at the
Tomoka River until the return of the rest of the troops, the expedition
• ,
pushed forward with all expedition. So long a time had elapsed sinoe this
part of the territory had been visited by a white man that the paths were
obliterated by a heavy undergrowth and the bramóles were so thiek that the
men had to literally oarve the way with their swords as they progressed.
Soon they struek into a pathless tract of spongy pine barrens, road there