300 BLOCKADE OF DETROIT. [1763, July. 



loose from their fastenings. Steadily she came 

 round, broadside to the shore ; then, leaning once 

 more to the wind, bore away gallantly on the other 

 tack. She did not go far. The wondering specta- 

 tors, quite at a loss to understand her movements, 

 soon heard the hoarse rattling of her cable, as the 

 anchor dragged it out, and saw her furling her vast 

 white wings. As they looked unsuspectingly on, 

 a puff of smoke was emitted from her side ; a loud 

 report followed ; then another and another ; and 

 the balls, rushing over their heads, flew through 

 the midst of their camp, and tore wildly among the 

 forest-trees beyond. All was terror and consterna- 

 tion. The startled warriors bounded away on all 

 sides ; the squaws snatched up their children, and 

 fled screaming ; and, with a general chorus of yells, 

 the whole encampment scattered in such haste, that 

 little damage was done, except knocking to pieces 

 their frail cabins of bark.^ 



This attack was followed by others of a similar 

 kind ; and now the Indians seemed resolved to turn 

 all their energies to the destruction of the vessel 

 which caused them such annoyance. On the night 

 of the tenth of July, they sent down a blazing raft, 

 formed of two boats, secured together with a rope, 

 and filled with pitch-pine, birch-bark, and other 

 combustibles, which, by good fortune, missed the 

 vessel, and floated down the stream without doing 

 injury. All was quiet throughout the following 

 night ; but about two o'clock on the morning of 

 the twelfth, the sentinel on duty saw a glowing 



1 Pontiac MS. 



