20 THE WHITE CONQUEST OF AMERICA. 



to have foretold the extermination of the Red man 

 by the White. 



Their efforts to deliver themselves from the presence 

 of the dreaded invader naturally gave rise to most of 

 the Indian wars, which have so constantly occurred 

 in the history of American progress. The picturesque 

 details of the 'last great struggle of the Red man for 

 the supremacy of his race, which succeeded almost 

 immediately after the British conquest of Canada in 

 1762 and 1763, are related by Francis Parkman in his 

 interesting work " The Conspiracy of Pontiac," a book in 

 many respects more interesting than any romance. 



But before we pass to another branch of this sub- 

 ject, one brief anecdote illustrative of this prevailing 

 presentiment among the Indians of the impending 

 destruction of their race, may not be out of place. 



At an early period of colonial history, the English 

 honey bee was brought to America by the European 

 settlers. * It had previously been unknown in North 

 America ; but once it became domesticated among the 

 luxuriant flora of that exhaustless soil, it multiplied 

 exceedingly, and swarms of it taking wing, quickly 

 spread to westward, over the Indian hunting grounds. 

 Here it became known to the Indians under the name 

 of " The White Man's Fly" The appearance of the 

 honey bee was therefore held by them to be an 

 evil omen its advent being regarded as the precursor 

 of the " Pale Faces." For, it was said " As the honey 

 bee comes and settles itself upon the flowers of the 

 prairie and the forest, and drinks of their sweetness; 



* The Honey Bee (Apis Mellifica) was introduced into America, at 

 Boston, about the year 1670 (Haydn's Diet, of Dates, 28th Edit. 1892. 

 Art. "Bee"). 



