Produced by Curtis Weyant, Stephanie and
the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
[Illustration: DANIEL BOONE.]
[Illustration: BOONE'S FIRST VIEW OF KENTUCKY.]
"Fair was the scene that lay
Before the little band,
Which paused upon its toilsome way,
To view this new found land.
Field, stream and valley spread,
Far as the eye could gaze,
With summer's beauty o'er them shed,
And sunlight's brightest rays.
Flowers of the fairest dyes,
Trees clothed in richest green;
And brightly smiled the deep-blue skies,
O'er this enchanting scene.
Such was Kentucky then,
With wild luxuriance blest;
Where no invading hand had been,
The garden of the West."
1856.
Birth of Daniel Boone—His early propensities—His pranks at school—Hisfirst hunting expedition—And his encounter with a panther.—Removal ofthe family to North Carolina—Boone becomes a hunter—Description offire hunting, in which he was near committing a sad mistake—Itsfortunate result—and his marriage.
Boone removes to the head waters of the Yadkin river—He meets withFinley, who had crossed the mountains into Tennessee—They agree toexplore the wilderness west of the Alleghanies together.
Boone, with Finley and others, start on their exploringexpedition—Boone kills a panther in the night—Their progress over themountains—They descend into the great valley—Description of the newcountry—Herds of buffaloes—Their wanderings in the wilderness.
The exploring party divide into different routes—Boone and Stewarttaken prisoners by the Indians, and their escape—Boone meets with hiselder brother and another white man in the woods—Stewart killed by theIndians, and the companion of the elder Boone destroyed by wolves—Theelder brother returns to North Carolina, leaving Boone alone in thewilderness.
Boone is pursued by the Indians, and eludes their pursuit—He encountersand kills a bear—The return of his brother with ammunition—Theyexplore the country—Boone kills a panther on the back of abuffalo—They return to North Carolina.
Boone starts with his family to Kentucky—Their return to Clinchriver—He conducts a party of surveyors to the Falls of Ohio—He helpsbuild Boonesborough, and removes his family to the fort—His daughterand two of Col. Calloway's daughters taken prisoners by theIndians—They pursue the Indians and rescue the captives.
Settlement of Harrodsburgh—Indian mode of besieging and
warfare—Fortitude and privation of the Pioneers—The Indians attack
Harrodsburgh and Boonesborough—