334 MICHILLIMACKINAC. [1763. 



At this time there were about thirty-five men, 

 with their officers, in garrison at Michillimackinac.^ 

 Warning of the tempest that impended had been 

 clearly given ; enough, had it been heeded, to have 

 averted the fatal disaster. Several of the Cana- 

 dians least hostile to the English had thrown out 

 hints of approaching danger, and one of them had 

 even told Captain Etherington, the commandant, 

 that the Indians had formed a design to destroy, not 

 only his garrison, but all the English on the lakes. 

 With a folly, of which, at this period, there were 

 several parallel instances among the British officers 

 in America, Etherington not only turned a deaf ear 

 to what he heard, but threatened to send prisoner 

 to Detroit the next person who should disturb the 

 fort with such tidings. Henry, the trader, who 

 was at this time in the place, had also seen occa- 

 sion to distrust the Indians ; but on communicat- 

 ing his suspicions to the commandant, the latter 

 treated them with total disregard. Henry accuses 

 himself of sharing this officer's infatuation. That 

 his person was in danger, had been plainly inti- 

 mated to him, under the following curious circum- 

 stances : — 



An Ojibwa chief, named Wawatam, had con- 

 ceived for him one of those friendly attachments 

 which often form so pleasing a feature in the In- 

 dian character. It was about a year since Henry 

 had first met with this man. One morning, Wa- 



i This appears from the letters of Captain Etherington. Henry states 

 the number at ninety. It is not unhkely that he meant to include all the 

 inhabitants of the fort, both soldiers and Canadians, in his enumeration. 



