1763.] PONTIAC INVITES AID. >333 



but he had not the commanding spirit of Pontiac. 

 His influence seems not to have extended beyond 

 his own tribe. He could not, or at least he did not, 

 control the erratic forces of an Indian community, 

 and turn them into one broad current of steady and 

 united energy. Hence,. in the events about to be 

 described, the natural instability of the Indian 

 character was abundantly displayed. 



In the spring of the year 1763, Pontiac, in com- 

 passing his grand scheme of hostility, sent, among 

 the rest, to the Indians of Michillimackinac, invit- 

 ing them to aid him in the war. His messengers, 

 bearing in their hands the war-belt of black and 

 purple w^ampum, appeared before the assembled 

 warriors, flung at their feet a hatchet painted red, 

 and delivered the speech with which they had been 

 charged. The w^arlike auditory answered with 

 ejaculations of applause, and, taking up the blood- 

 red hatchet, pledged themselves to join in the con- 

 test. Before the end of May, news reached the 

 Ojibwas that Pontiac had already struck the Eng- 

 lish at Detroit. This wrought them up to a high 

 pitch of excitement and emulation, and they 

 resolved that peace should last no longer. Their 

 numbers were at this time more than doubled by 

 several bands of their wandering people, who had 

 gathered at Michillimackinac from far and near, 

 attracted probably by rumors of impending war. 

 Being, perhaps, jealous of the Ottawas, or willing 

 to gain all the glory and plunder to themselves, 

 they determined to attack the fort, without com- 

 municating the design to their neighbors of L'Arbre 

 Croche. 



