Honnymun. These hateful Indians kidnap all the Game. Curse their black Heads! they fright the Deer and Bear,

And ev'ry Animal that haunts the Wood,

Or by their Witchcraft conjure them away.

No Englishman can get a single Shot,

While they go loaded home with Skins and Furs.
"Twere to be wish'd not one of them survived,
Thus to infest the World, and plague Mankind.
Curs'd Heathen Infidels! mere savage Beasts!
They don't deserve to breathe in Christian Air,
And should be hunted down like other Brutes.

Orsbourn. I only wish the Laws permitted us
To hunt the savage Herd where-e'er they're found;
I'd never leave the Trade of Hunting then,

While one remain'd to tread and range the Wood.

Honnyman. Curse on the Law, I say, that makes it Death

To kill an Indian, more than to kill a Snake.

What if 'tis Peace? these Dogs deserve no Mercy;

They kill'd my Father and my eldest Brother,

Since which I hate their very Looks and Name.

Orsbourn. And I, since they betray'd and kill'd my Uncle;

Tho' these are not the same, 'twould ease my Heart
To cleave their painted Heads, and spill their Blood.
I abhor, detest, and hate them all,

And now cou'd eat an Indian's Heart with Pleasure.

Honnyman. I'd join you, and soop his savage Brains for Sauce ;

I lose all Patience when I think of them,

And, if you will, we'll quickly have amends
For our long Travel and successless Hunt,
And the sweet Pleasure of Revenge to boot.

Orsbourn. What will you do? Present, and pop one down?

Honnyman. Yes, faith, the first we meet well fraught with Furs;

Or if there's Two, and we can make sure Work,

By Jove, we'll ease the Rascals of their Packs,

And send them empty home to their own Country.

But then observe, that what we do is secret,

Or the Hangman will come in for Snacks.

Orsbourn. Trust me for that; I'll join with all my Heart;

Nor with a nicer Aim, or steadier Hand

Would shoot a Tyger than I would an Indian.

There is a Couple stalking now this way

With lusty Packs; Heav'n favour our Design.
Are you well charged?

Honnyman. I am. Take you the nearest,
And mind to fire exactly when I do.

Orsbourn. A charming Chance!

Honnyman. Hush, let them still come nearer.

[They shoot, and run to rifle the Indians.

They're down, old Boy, a Brace of noble Bucks!

Orsbourn. Well tallow'd, faith, and noble Hides upon 'em.

We might have hunted all the Season thro'

For Half this Game, and thought ourselves well paid.

[Taking up a Pack.

Honnyman. By Jove, we might, and been at great Expence For Lead and Powder; here's a single Shot.

Orsbourn. I swear I've got as much as I can carry.

Honnyman. And faith, I'm not behind; this Pack is heavy. But stop; we must conceal the tawny Dogs,

Or their bloodthirsty Countrymen will find them,

And then we're bit. There'll be the Devil to pay;

They'll murder us, and cheat the Hangman too.

Orsbourn. Right. We'll prevent all Mischief of this Kind. Where shall we hide their savage Carcases?

Honnyman. There they will lie conceal'd and snug enough.

But stay—perhaps ere long there'll be a War,
And then their Scalps will sell for ready Cash,

[They cover them.

Two Hundred Crowns at least, and that's worth saving.
Orsbourn. Well! that is true; no sooner said than done -

[Drawing his Knife. [Strips off the Scalp.

I'll strip this Fellow's painted greasy Skull.
Honnyman. Now let them sleep to Night without their Caps,

And pleasant Dreams attend their long Repose.

[Takes the other Scalp.

Orsbourn. Their Guns and Hatchets now are lawful Prize,

For they'll not need them on their present Journey.

Honnyman. The Devil hates Arms, and dreads the Smell of Powder; He'll not allow such Instruments about him;

They're free from training now, they're in his Clutches.

Orsbourn. But, Honnyman, d'ye think this is not Murder?

I vow I'm shocked a little to see them scalp'd,

And fear their Ghosts will haunt us in the Dark.

Honnyman. It's no more Murder than to crack a Louse,

That is, if you've the Wit to keep it private.

And as to Haunting, Indians have no Ghosts,

But as they live like Beasts, like Beasts they die.

I've killed a Dozen in this selfsame Way,

And never yet was troubled with their Spirits.

Orsbourn. Then I'm content; my Scruples are removed.

And what I've done, my Conscience justifies.

But we must have these Guns and Hatchets alter'd,

Or they'll detect th' Affair, and hang us both.

Honnyman. That's quickly done Let us with Speed return,
And think no more of being hang'd or haunted;
But turn our Fur to Gold, our Gold to Wine,
Thus gaily spend what we've so slily won,
And bless the first Inventor of a Gun.

[Exeunt.

The remaining scenes of this act exhibit the rudeness and insolence of British officers and soldiers in their dealings with the Indians, and the corruption of British government agents. Pontiac himself is introduced and represented as indignantly complaining of the reception which he and his warriors meet with. These scenes are overcharged with blasphemy and ribaldry, and it is needless to preserve them here. The rest of the play is written in better taste, and contains several passages of force and eloquence.

APPENDIX C.

DETROIT AND MICHILLIMACKINAC.

1. THE SIEGE OF DETROIT. (Chap. IX.-XV.)

The authorities consulted respecting the siege of Detroit consist of numerous manuscript letters of officers in the fort, including the official correspondence of the commanding officer; of several journals and fragments of journals; of extracts from contemporary newspapers; and of traditions and recollections received from Indians or aged Canadians of Detroit.

THE PONTIAC MANUSCRIPT.

This curious diary was preserved in a Canadian family at Detroit, and afterwards deposited with the Historical Society of Michigan. It is conjectured to have been the work of a French priest. The original is written in bad French, and several important parts are defaced or torn away. As a literary composition, it is quite worthless, being very diffuse and encumbered with dull and trivial details; yet this very minuteness affords strong internal evidence of its authenticity. Its general exactness with respect to facts is fully proved by comparing it with contemporary documents. I am indebted to General Cass for the copy in my possession, as well as for other papers respecting the war in the neighborhood of Detroit.

The manuscript appears to have been elaborately written out from a rough journal kept during the progress of the events which it describes. It commences somewhat ambitiously, as follows:

Pondiac, great chief of all the Ottawas, Chippewas, and Pottawattamies, and of all the nations of the lakes and rivers of the North, a man proud, vindictive, warlike, and easily offended, under pretence of some insult which he thought he had received from Maj. Gladwin, Commander of the Fort, conceived that, being great chief of all the Northern nations, only himself

and those of his nations were entitled to inhabit this portion of the earth, where for sixty and odd years the French had domiciliated for the purpose of trading, and where the English had governed during three years by right of the conquest of Canada. The Chief and all his nation, whose bravery consists in treachery, resolved within himself the entire destruction of the English nation, and perhaps the Canadians. In order to succeed in his undertaking, which he had not mentioned to any of his nation the Ottawas, he engaged their aid by a speech, and they, naturally inclined to evil, did not hesitate to obey him. But, as they found themselves too weak to undertake the enterprise alone, their chief endeavored to draw to his party the Chippewa nation by means of a council. This nation was governed by a chief named Ninevois. This man, who acknowledged Pondiac as his chief, whose mind was weak, and whose disposition cruel, listened to his advances, and joined him with all his band. These two nations consisted together of about four hundred men. This number did not appear to him sufficient. It became necessary to bring into their interests the Hurons. This nation, divided into two bands, was governed by two different chiefs of dissimilar character, and nevertheless both led by their spiritual father, a Jesuit. The two chiefs of this last nation were named, one Takee, of a temper similar to Pondiac's, and the other Teata, a man of cautious disposition and of perfect prudence. This last was not easily won, and having no disposition to do evil, he refused to listen to the deputies sent by Pondiac, and sent them back. They therefore addressed themselves to the first mentioned of this nation, by whom they were listened to, and from whom they received the war-belt, with promise to join themselves to Pondiac and Ninevois, the Ottawas and Chippewas chiefs. It was settled by means of wampum-belts, (a manner of making themselves understood amongst distant savages,) that they should hold a council on the 27th of April, when should be decided the day and hour of the attack, and the precautions necessary to take in order that their perfidy should not be discovered. The manner of counting used by the Indians is by the moon; and it was resolved, in the way I have mentioned, that this council should be held on the 15th day of the moon, which corresponded with Wednesday the 27th of the month of April."

The writer next describes the council at the River Ecorces, and recounts at full length the story of the Delaware Indian who visited the Great Spirit. "The Chiefs," he says, "listened to Pondiac as to an oracle, and told him they were ready to do any thing he should require."

He relates with great minuteness how Pontiac, with his chosen warriors, came to the fort on the 1st of May, to dance the calumet dance, and observe the strength and disposition of the garrison, and describes the council subsequently held at the Pottawattamie village, in order to adjust the plan of attack.

"The day fixed upon having arrived, all the Ottawas, Pondiac at their head, and the bad band of the Hurons, Takee at their head, met at the Pottawattamie village, where the premeditated council was to be held. Care was taken to send all the women out of the village, that they might not