288 BLOCKADE OF DETROIT. [1763, June. 



narrow, and more than eight hundred Indians were 

 on the alert to intercept their passage. 



For several days, the officers at Detroit heard 

 nothing farther of the vessel, when, on the twenty- 

 third, a great commotion was visible among the 

 Indians, large parties of whom were seen to pass 

 along the outskirts of the woods, behind the fort. 

 The cause of these movements was unknown till 

 evening, when M. Baby came in with intelligence 

 that the vessel was again attempting to ascend the 

 river, and that all the Indians had gone to attack 

 her. Upon this, two cannon were fired, that those 

 on board might know that the fort still held out. 

 This done, all remained in much anxiety awaiting 

 the result. 



The schooner, late that afternoon, began to move 

 slowly upward, with a gentle breeze, between the 

 main shore and the long-extended margin of Fight- 

 ing Island. About sixty men were crowded on 

 board, of whom only ten or twelve were visible on 

 deck ; the officer having ordered the rest to lie hid- 

 den below, in hope that the Indians, encouraged by 

 this apparent weakness, might make an open attack. 

 Just before reaching the narrowest part of the 

 channel, the wind died away, and the anchor was 

 dropped. Immediately above, and within gunshot 

 of the vessel, the Indians had made a breastwork 

 of logs, carefully concealed by bushes, on the 

 shore of Turkey Island. Here they lay in force, 

 waiting for the schooner to pass. Ignorant of this, 

 but still cautious and wary, the crew kept a strict 

 watch from the moment the sun went down. 



