1763, July.] CHANGING TEMPER OF THE INDIANS. 803 



caution for an assault by storm, and too little pa- 

 tience for a blockade. The Wyandots and Potta- 

 wattamies had shown, from the beginning, less zeal 

 than the other nations ; and now, like children, 

 they began to tire of the task they had undertaken. 

 A deputation of the Wyandots came to the fort, 

 and begged for peace, which was granted them ; 

 but when the Pottawattamies came on the same 

 errand, they insisted, as a preliminary, that some 

 of their people, who were detained prisoners by 

 the English, should first be given up. Gladwyn 

 demanded, on his part, that the English captives 

 known to be in their village should be brought to 

 the fort, and three of them were accordingly pro- 

 duced. As these were but a small part of the 

 whole, the deputies were sharply rebuked for their 

 duplicity, and told to go back for the rest. They 

 withdrew angry and mortified ; but, on the follow- 

 ing day, a fresh deputation of chiefs made their 

 appearance, bringing with them six prisoners. 

 Having repaired to the council-room, they were 

 met by Gladwyn, attended only by one or two 

 ofiicers. The Indians detained in the fort were 

 about to be given up, and a treaty concluded, when 

 one of the prisoners declared that there were 

 several others still remaining in the Pottawatta- 

 mie village. Upon this, the conference was broken 

 off, and the deputies ordered instantly to depart. 

 On being thus a second time defeated, they were 

 goaded to such a pitch of rage, that, as afterwards 

 became known, they formed the desperate resolu- 

 tion of killing Gladwyn on the spot, and then 



