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THE ADVENTURES OF ALEXANDER HENRY.

I. HIS CAPTURE BY THE CHIPPEWAY INDIANS.

T happened at the massacre of Michilimackinac, where I had lately opened a store. On my arrival there I had found several other traders gathered from different parts of the country, and their universal talk was of the hostility of the Indians. Many even dreaded an attack on the fort. M. Laurent Ducharme distinctly informed Major Etherington that a plan was on foot for destroying his garrison, and all the English in the upper country; but the commandant, who believed this and other reports of the same nature to be without foundation, at last lost his temper and swore he would send the next man to prison who came with a story of the kind. The garrison at this time consisted of ninety privates, two subalterns, and the commandant; and the English merchants at the fort were four in number. Thus strong, the majority of us felt little anxiety about the Indians, who had no weapons but small arms. Meanwhile, the Indians from every quarter were daily assembling in unusual numbers, but with every appearance of friendship, frequenting the fort and disposing of their peltries in such a manner as to dissipate almost everyone's fears. For myself, on one occasion I took the liberty of observing to the Major that, in my judgment, no confidence ought to be placed in them, and that I was informed no less than four hundred lay around the fort. In return the Major only rallied me on my timidity; and it is to be confessed that if this officer neglected admonition on his part, so did I on mine.

Not long after my arrival at Michilimackinac, a Chippeway, named Wawatam, began to frequent my house, betraying in his demeanour strong marks of personal regard. After this had continued for some time, he came one day with his whole family, and at the same time brought a large present of skins, sugar, and dried meat. Having laid these in a heap he began a speech, in which he informed me that, some years before, he had observed a fast, devoting himself, according to the custom of his nation, to solitude and the mortification of his body, in hope to obtain from the Great Spirit protection through all his days; that on this occasion he had dreamed of adopting an Englishman as his son, brother, and friend; that, from the moment in which he first beheld me, he had recognised me as the person whom the Great Spirit had been pleased to point out to him for a brother; that he hoped I would not refuse his present; and that he should for ever regard me as one of his family.

Well, I could not do otherwise than accept the present, and declare my

willingness to have so good a man for my friend and brother. I offered a present in return, which Wawatam accepted. And then, thanking me for the favour which he said that I had rendered him, he left me, and soon after set out on his winter's hunt.

Twelve months had now passed since his visit, and I had almost forgotten the person of my "brother," when, on June 2nd, Wawatam again appeared at my house, this time in a temper obviously melancholy and thoughtful.

He told me that he had just returned from his wintering-ground, and I asked after his health. Without answering my question, he went on to say he was sorry to find me returned from the Sault; he intended to go thither at once, and wished me to accompany him and his family. Here he paused for a while, and suddenly inquired if the commandant had heard any bad news; adding that, during the winter, he himself had frequently been disturbed by the noise of "evil birds"; and further suggesting that there were numbers of Indians about the fort who had never shown themselves within it.

Wawatam was about forty-five years of age, a chief, and of excellent character among his nation. Referring much of what I heard to the peculiarities of the Indian character, I did not pay to his remarks much of the attention that it will be found they deserved. I replied that I could not think of going to the Sault so soon (he had named next morning as the best time for starting), but would follow him there after the arrival of my clerks.

Finding himself unable to prevail upon me, he withdrew for that day; but early next morning he came again, bringing with him his wife, and a present of dried meat. At this interview, after stating that he had several packs of beaver, for which he intended to deal with me, he expressed a second time his apprehensions from the numerous Indians who were around the fort, and earnestly pressed me to agree to an immediate departure for the Sault. As a reason for this particular request, he assured me that all the Indians proposed to come in a body that day to the fort, to demand liquor of the commandant, and he desired me to be gone before they grew intoxicated.

I had made by this time so much progress in the language in which Wawatam addressed me, as to be able to hold an ordinary conversation in it; but the Indian manner of speech is so extravagantly figurative, that it is only a perfect master who can follow and comprehend it entirely. Had I been further advanced in this respect, I think that I should have gathered so much information from this friendly monitor, as would have put me in possession of the design of the enemy, and enabled me to save others as well as myself. As it was, I turned a deaf ear to everything, leaving Wawatam and his wife, after long and patient but ineffectual efforts, to depart alone, with dejected countenances, and not before they had each let fall some tears.

In the course of the same day, I observed that the Indians came in great numbers into the fort, purchasing tomahawks, and frequently desiring to see silver arm-bands, and other valuable ornaments, of which I had a large quantity

for sale. The ornaments, however, they in no instance purchased; but after turning them over and over, left them, saying they would call again the next day. At night I turned in my mind the visits of Wawatam; but though they were calculated to excite uneasiness, nothing induced me to believe that serious mischief was at hand.

The next day, being the 4th of June, was the King's birthday. The morning was sultry. A Chippeway came to tell me that his nation was going to play Baggatiwag" with the Saes, or Saakies, another Indian nation, for a high wager. He invited me to witness the sport, adding that the Major was to be there, and would bet on the side of the Chippeways. In consequence of this information

I went to the Major, and expostulated with him a little, representing that the Indians might possibly have some sinister end in view. But the Major only smiled at my suspicions.

I did not go myself to see the match which was now to be played without the fort, because, there being a canoe preparing to depart on the following day for Montreal, I employed myself in writing letters to my friends. And even when a fellow-trader, a Mr. Tracy, happened to call upon me, saying that another canoe had just arrived from Detroit, and proposing that I should go with him to the beach to inquire the news, it so happened that I still remained to finish my letters, promising to follow in the course of a few minutes.

Mr. Tracy had not gone more than twenty paces from the door, when I heard an Indian war-cry, and a noise of general confusion.

Going instantly to my window, I saw a crowd of Indians within the fort, furiously cutting down and scalping every Englishman they found. In particular, I witnessed the fate of Lieutenant Jemette. I had, in the room in which I was, a fowling-piece, loaded with swan-shot. This I immediately seized, and held it for a few moments, waiting to hear the drum beat to arms. In this dreadful interval I saw several of my countrymen fall, and more than one struggling between the knees of an Indian, who, holding him in this manner, scalped him while yet living.

At length, disappointed in the hope of seeing resistance made to the enemy, and sensible, of course, that no effort of my own unassisted arm could avail against four hundred Indians, I thought only of seeking shelter.

Amid the slaughter which was raging, I observed many of the Canadian inhabitants of the fort calmly looking on, neither opposing the Indians nor suffering injury. From this circumstance I conceived a hope of finding security in their houses.

Between the yard-door of my own house and that of M. Langlade, my next neighbour, there was only a low fence, over which I easily climbed. At my entrance I found the whole family at the windows, gazing on the scene of blood before them. I addressed myself immediately to M. Langlade, begging that he would put me in some place of safety, until the heat of the affair should be over-an act of charity by which he might perhaps preserve me from the general massacre.

But while I uttered my petition, M. Langlade, who had looked for a moment at me, turned again to the window, shrugging his shoulders, and intimating that he could do nothing for me.

This was a moment of despair. But, the lade's household beckoned me to follow her. she opened, desiring me to enter, and telling

next, a Paris woman of M. LangShe brought me to a door, which me that it led to a garret, where I must go and conceal myself. I joyfully obeyed her directions; and she, having followed me up to the garret door, locked it after me, and with great presence of mind took away the key.

This shelter obtained, if shelter I could hope to find it, I was naturally anxious to know what might still be passing without. Through an aperture which afforded me a view of the area of the fort, I beheld, in shapes the foulest and most terrible, the ferocious triumphs of barbarian conquerors. The dead were scalped and mangled; the dying were writhing and shrieking under the unsatiated knife and tomahawk, amidst the shouts of rage and victory. I was shaken not only with horror at the sight, but

with terror for myself. The sufferings which I witnessed, I seemed to be on the point of experiencing. No long time elapsed before, everyone being destroyed who could be found, there was a general cry of "All is finished!" And, at the same instant, I heard some of the Indians enter the house in which I was!

The garret was separated from the room below only by a layer of single boards, at once the flooring of the one and the ceiling of the other. I could, therefore, hear everything that passed; and the Indians no sooner came in than they inquired whether or not any Englishmen were in the house. M. Langlade replied that he could not say: he did not know of any answers in which he did not exceed the truth, for the Paris woman had not only hidden me by stealth, but kept my secret and her own. M. Langlade was, therefore,