ahi 
1891-92. ] AN EPISODE IN THE PONTIAC WAR. 23 
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sure of me from my being so young, and that I would on that account 
sooner take to the novelty of their ways of life and more easily forget 
my country and my friends; certain it is that with this behaviour I fared 
better in many respects than those prisoners who appeared always sullen 
and subdued, some of whom indeed suffered death on that account. I 
now frequently saw two of the soldiers who were taken with myself, and 
the meetings at intervals were very satisfactory. It gives inexpressible 
pleasure to meet a countryman of one’s own even in a civilized foreign 
land. Judge then how much more so when in a state of captivity with 
a nation of savages of a colour so different from our own. Happy was I 
to meet with those poor fellows whom but a short time before I would 
not have suffered to speak to me without the usual marks of respect 
from an inferior to a superior. Now there was no distinction, we 
being glad to find those people of the same colour with one another. 
We used often to compare notes of different treatment we met with from 
our masters. One of them told me he was obliged to eat of Captain 
Robson’s body. We would form fifty different schemes for making 
our escape, but reject them all afterwards as perfectly impracticable. 
About the middle of May we were in great distress from want of pro- 
visions, owing to the indolence of the savages, who never stir out of their 
huts to fish or hunt until necessity drives them, which was our case at 
this time. During four days the wind continued so high that no fish 
could be caught, as they durst not venture upon the lakes in their little 
bark canoes. These are generally navigated by two men, or by a man 
and a boy, the former standing in the bow or fore part, where there is a 
pole fixed having a light fixed at the end of it which attracts the fish— 
it being on the darkest side they are most successful. The man in the 
bow marks the fish approaching, and directs the boy to steer the canoe 
so that he may best strike the fish with his harpoon. In this way I have 
seen as much as two men could carry of cat-fish, perch, and pike taken 
in two hours’ time, independent of the satisfaction of procuring so neces- 
sary a part of their daily sustenance. It is a great amusement and 
really a pleasant scene to witness fifty of the lights moving on the 
smooth lake in every direction, while the silence is only disturbed by the 
varied cries of wild beasts from surrounding forests. I have observed 
before that the stormy weather had reduced us to the last extremity of 
want, having recourse to picking up acorns in the woods, and boiling 
them in ashes or water, changing them frequently to take off the bitter 
taste ; and this was our food until the fifth day, when the winds abating 
we obtained plenty of fish. The Indians themselves are so accustomed 
to be reduced to this shift that they think nothing of it, and are always 
sure to make up their loss by future stuffing and sloth. While they have 
