and fatigue, exposed him frequently to death, and at one period to the most imminent danger of torture. The following brief outline of this little episode of course demands a place here:

General Bradstreet, after the surrender of Canada, having determined to send an officer for the express purpose of taking possession of the Ilinois country in the name of his Britannic Majesty, looked around for a gentleman possessed of the necessary talents and spirit for this undertaking, and Captain Morris was at length fixed upon. A French prisoner of the name of Godefroi, who had forfeited his existence, and expected to be executed for treason, being acquainted with all the Indian languages, was considered as a proper person to act as a guide. He was accordingly sent for, and upon this express condition received both life and liberty, which he afterwards merited in consequence of his tried fidelity and experience, having conducted himself with uncommon address and courage. To transcribe the very interesting journal afterwards drawn up by our traveller, would lead too much into detail. It cannot however but afford satisfaction to become acquainted with the particulars of two hair-breadth escapes from certain destruction, in his own language:

"Having received proper powers and instructions, I set out in good spirits from Cedar Point, in Lake Erie, on the 26th of August, 1764, about four o'clock in the afternoon, at the same time that the army proceeded for Detroit. My escort consisted of Godefroi, and another Canadian, two servants, twelve Indians our allies, and five Mohawks, with a boat, in which were our provisions, who were to attend us to the Swifts of the Miamis river, about ten leagues distant, and then return to the army. I

had

had with me likewise Warsong, the great Chippawaw chief, and Attawang, an Uttawaw chief, with some other Indians of their nations, who had come the same day to our camp with proposals of peace. We lay that night at the mouth of the Miamis river.

"The next day (27th) we arrived at the Swifts, 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 tomahawks 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 bondage), 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, standing round us. Godefroi sat at a little distance from us; and presently came Pondiac, and squatted himself, after his fashion, opposite me.

"This Indian possessed a more extensive power than ever was known among that people; for every chief used to command his own tribe; but eighteen nations, by French intrigue, had been

brought

brought to unite, and chuse this man for their commander, after the English had conquered Canada; having been taught to believe that, aided by France, they might make a vigorous push, and drive us out of North America. Pondiac asked me in his language, which Godefroi interpreted, whether I was come to tell lies, like the rest of my countrymen?' He said, 'that Ononteco (the French king) was not crushed, as the English had reported, but had got upon his legs again,' and presented me a letter from New Orleans, directed to him, written in French, full of the most improbable falsehoods, though beginning with a truth.

"At length Pondiac made a speech to the chiefs, who wanted to put me to death, which does him honour; and shews that he was acquainted with the law of nations: We must not,' said he,

kill ambassadors: do we not send them to the Flatheads, our greatest enemies, and they to us? Yet these are always treated with hospitality.'

"The following day (29th) the Mohawk, who commanded the Indians in the provision-boat, stole away, without taking my letter to General Bradstreet, as he had been ordered, having the night before robbed us of almost every thing, and sold my rum (two barrels) to the Uttawaws. The greater part of the warriors got drunk; and a young Indian drew his knife and made a stroke at me; but Godefroi seized his arm, threw him down, and took the knife from him. He certainly saved my life; for I was sitting, and could not have avoided the blow, though I saw it coming.

"And now, having purchased three horses, and hired two canoes to carry our little baggage, I set out once more, having obtained Pondiac's consent, for the Ilinois country, with my twelve Indians, the two Canadians, one servant, St. Vincent's two slaves, and the little chief's son and nephew.

"After stopping at a village of the Uttawaws, we continued our route towards the Miamis country, putting our baggage into the canoes; but the greater part of us went by land, as the water was so shallow, that those who worked the canoes were frequently obliged to wade and drag them along. We met an Indian and his wife in a canoe returning from hunting, and bought

plenty

plenty of venison ready dressed, some turkeys, and a great deal of dried fish, for a small quantity of powder and shot.

"The following day (3d) we were overtaken by Pondiac's ne phew and two other young Uttawaws, who, with the Chippawaws before mentioned, made the party twenty-four.

"On the 5th we met an Indian on a handsome white horse, which had been General Braddock's, and had been taken ten years before, when that General was killed on his march to Fort du Quesne, afterwards called Fort Pitt, on the Ohio.

"On our arrival at the Miamis fort, the chiefs assembled, and passed me by, when they presented the pipe of friendship; on which I looked at Godefroi, and said: Mauvais augure pour moi' (A bad omen for me).

"After remaining some time, two Indian warriors, one of whom was called Visenlair, with tomahawks in their hands, seized me, one by each arm; on which I turned to Godefroi, the only one who had not left me, and cried out to him, seeing him stand motionless and pale: Eh bien! Vous m'abandonnez done?' (Well then! You give me up?) He answered : Non, mon capitaine, je ne vous abandonnerai jamais,' (No, my captain, I will never give you up ;) and followed the Indians, who pulled me along to the water-side, where I imagined they intended to put me into a canoe; but they dragged me into the *wa.er. I concluded their whim was to drown me, and then scalp me; but I soon found my mistake, the river being fordable. They led me on till we came near their village; and there they stopped and stripped me. They could not get off my shirt, which was held by the wristbands, after they had pulled it over my head, and in rage and despair 1 tore it off myself. They then bound my arms with my sash, and drove me before them to a cabin, where was a bench, on which they made me sit.

"And now every one was preparing to act his part in torturing .me. The usual modes of torturing prisoners are applying hot stones to the soles of the feet, running hot needles into the eyes, which latter cruelty is generally performed by the women, and shooting arrows, and running and pulling them out of the sufferer, in order to shoot them again and again: this is generally done by

the

the children. The torture is often continued two or three days, if they can contrive to keep the prisoner alive so long. It may easily be conceived what I must have felt at the thought of such horrors which I was to endure. I recollect perfectly what my apprehensions were. I had not the smallest hope of life; I remember that I conceived myself as it were going to plunge into a gulf, vast, immeasurable`; and that, in a few moments after, the thought of torture occasioned a sort of torpor and insensibility; I looked at Godefroi, and seeing him exceedingly distressed, I said what I could to encourage him: but he desired me not to speak. I supposed that it gave offence to the savages, and therefore was silent. At this critical moment Pacanne, king of the Miamis nation, and just out of his minority, having mounted a horse, and crossed the river, rode up to me.

"When I heard him calling out to those about me, and felt his hand behind my neck, I thought he was going to strangle me out of pity but he untied me, saying (as it was afterwards interpreted to me), I give that man his life. If you want meat (for they sometimes eat their prisoners), go to Detroit, or upon the lake (meaning, Go face your enemies the English), and you'll find enough. What business have you with this man's flesh, who is come to speak to us?'

"I fixed my eyes stedfastly on this young man, and endeavoured by looks to express my gratitude. An Indian then presented to me his pipe; and I was dismissed by being pushed rudely away. I made what haste I could to a canoe, and passed over to the fort, having received on my way a smart cut of a switch from an Indian on horseback. Mr. Levi, a Jew trader, and some soldiers who were prisoners, came to see me. Two very handsome young Indian women came likewise, seemed to compassionate me extremely, and asked Godefroi a thousand questions. If I remember right, they were the young king's sisters. Happy Don Quixote, attended by princesses!

"At length, after a multitude of difficulties, we arrived at an English post, where I immediately sent an express to General Bradstreet, to warn him of the dangerous situation he was in, being advanced up Sandusky river, and surrounded by treacherous Indians. The moment he received my letter he removed, falling

down