1625-1750.] POLICY OF THE FRENCH. 75 



those of France, it was far otherwise ; and this 

 difference between the rival powers was naturally 

 incident to their different forms of government, and 

 different conditions of development. France labored 

 with eager diligence to conciliate the Indians and 

 w^in them to espouse her cause. Her agents were 

 busy in every village, studying the language of the 

 inmates, complying with their usages, flattering 

 their prejudices, caressing them, cajoling them, and 

 whispering friendly warnings in their ears against 

 the wicked designs of the English. When a party 

 of Indian chiefs visited a French fort, they were 

 greeted with the firing of cannon and rolling of 

 drums ; they were regaled at the tables of the 

 officers, and bribed with medals and decorations, 

 scarlet uniforms and French flags. Far wiser than 

 their rivals, the French never ruffled the self-com- 

 placent dignity of their guests, never insulted their 

 religious notions, nor ridiculed their ancient cus- 

 toms. They met the savage half way, and showed 

 an abundant readiness to mould their own features 

 after his likeness.^ Count Frontenac himself, 

 plumed and painted like an Indian chief, danced 

 the war-dance and yelled the war-song at the camp 

 fires of his delighted allies. It would have been 

 well had the French been less exact in their imita- 

 tions, for at times they copied their model with 

 infamous fidelity, and fell into excesses scarcely cred- 

 ible but for the concurrent testimony of their own 

 writers. Frontenac caused an Iroquois prisoner to 



I Adair, Post's Journals, Croghan's Journal, MSS. of Sir W. Johnson, 

 etc., etc. 



