294 BLOCKADE OF DETROIT. [1763, July. 



capitulation, " you must first untie the knot with 

 which our Great Father, the King, has bound us. 

 In this paper, he tells all his Canadian children to 

 sit quiet and obey the English until he comes, 

 because he wishes to punish his enemies himself. 

 We dare not disobey him, for he would then be 

 angry with us. And you, my brothers, who speak 

 of making war upon us if we do not do as you 

 wish, do you think you could escape his wrath, if 

 you should raise the hatchet against his French 

 children? He would treat you as enemies, and 

 not as friends, and you would have to fight both 

 English and French at once. Tell us, my brothers, 

 what can you reply to this ? " 



Pontiac for a moment sat silent, mortified, and 

 perplexed ; but his purpose was not destined to be 

 wholly defeated. " Among the French," says the 

 writer of the diary, " were many infamous charac- 

 ters, who, having no property, cared nothing what 

 became of them." Those mentioned in these oppro- 

 brious terms were a collection of trappers, voya- 

 geurs, and nondescript vagabonds of the forest, 

 who were seated with the council, or stood look- 

 ing on, variously attired in greasy shirts, Indian 

 leggins, and red woollen caps. Not a few among 

 them, however, had thought proper to adopt the 

 style of dress and ornament peculiar to the red 

 men, who were their usual associates, and ap- 

 peared among their comrades witii paint rubbed 

 on their cheeks, and feathers dangling from their 

 hair. Indeed, they aimed to identify themselves 

 with the Indians, a transformation by which they 



