from a laughing Chippawaw. The next day (27th) we
arrived at the Swifts,[1] six leagues from the mouth of the
river, and the Uttawaw chief sent to his village for
horses. Soon after a party of young Indians came to us
on horseback, and the two Canadians and myself having
mounted, we proceeded, together with the twelve Indians
my escort, who were on foot, and marched in the front,
the chief carrying English colours, towards the village,
which was two leagues and a half distant. On our approaching
it, I was astonished to see a great number of
white flags flying; and, passing by the encampment of the
Miamis, while I was admiring the regularity and contrivance
of it, I heard a yell, and found myself surrounded
by Pondiac's army, consisting of six hundred savages,
with tommahawks in their hands, who beat my horse, and
endeavoured to separate me from my Indians, at the
head of whom I had placed myself on our discovering the
village. By their malicious smiles, it was easy for me
to guess their intention of putting me to death. They
led me up to a person, who stood advanced before two
slaves (prisoners of the Panis nation, taken in war and
kept in slavery[2]) who had arms, himself holding a fusee
with the butt on the ground. By his dress, and the air
he assumed, he appeared to be a French officer: I afterwards
found that he was a native of old France, had been
long in the regular troops as a drummer, and that his
war-name was St. Vincent. This fine dressed half
French, half Indian figure desired me to dismount; a
bear-skin was spread on the ground, and St. Vincent and
I sat upon it, the whole Indian army, circle within circle,
————
Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (Vol 1 1904).djvu/310
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304
Early Western Travels
[Vol. i
