1763, June.] INDIAN BALL PLAY. 339 



all opened, while behind rose the tall palisades, 

 forming a large external square. The picturesque 

 Canadian houses, with their rude porticoes, and 

 projecting roofs of bark, sufficiently indicated the 

 occupations of their inhabitants ; for birch canoes 

 were lying near many of them, and fishing-nets 

 were stretched to dry in the sun. Women and 

 children were moving about the doors ; knots of 

 Canadian voyageurs reclined on the ground, smok- 

 ing and conversing ; soldiers were lounging list- 

 lessly at the doors and windows of the barracks, 

 or strolling in careless undress about the area. 



Without the fort the scene was of a very diifer- 

 ent character. The gates were wide open, and 

 soldiers were collected in groups under the shadow 

 of the palisades, watching the Indian ball play. 

 Most of them were without arms, and mingled 

 among them were a great number of Canadians, 

 while a multitude of Indian squaws, wrapped in 

 blankets, were conspicuous in the crowd. 



Captain Etherington and Lieutenant Leslie stood 

 near the gate, the former indulging his inveterate 

 English propensity ; for, as Henry informs us, he 

 had promised the Ojibwas that he would bet on 

 their side against the Sacs. Indian chiefs and war- 

 riors were also among the spectators, intent, appar- 

 ently, oil watching the game, but with thoughts, 

 in fact, far otherwise employed. 



The plain in front was covered by the ball- 

 players. The game in which they were engaged, 

 called haggaUaway by the Ojibwas, is still, as it 

 always has been, a favorite with many Indian 



