366 THE MASSACRE. [1763, July. 



proaching Isle du Castor, near the mouth of Green 

 Bay, an alarm was given that the Ojibwas were 

 lying there in ambush ; on which the Meno monies 

 raised the war-song, stripped themselves, and pre- 

 pared to do battle in behalf of the English. The 

 alarm, however, proved false ; and, having crossed 

 Lake Michigan in safety, the party arrived at the 

 village of L'Arbre Croche on the thirtieth. The 

 Ottawas came down to the beach, to salute them 

 with a discharge of guns ; and, on landing, they 

 were presented with the pipe of peace. Captain 

 Etherington and Lieutenant Leslie, with eleven 

 men, were in the village, detained as prisoners, 

 though treated with kindness. It was thought that 

 the Ottawas intended to disarm the party of Gorell 

 also ; but the latter gave out that he would resist 

 such an attempt, and his soldiers were permitted 

 to retain their weapons. 



Several succeeding days were occupied by the 

 Indians in holding councils. Those from Green 

 Bay requested the Ottawas to set their prisoners 

 at liberty, and they at length assented. A diffi- 

 culty still remained, as the Ojibwas had declared 

 that they would prevent the English from passing 

 down to Montreal. Their chiefs were therefore 

 summoned ; and being at this time, as we have 

 seen, in a state of much alarm, they at length re- 

 luctantly yielded^ the point. On the eighteenth of 

 July, the English, escorted by a fleet of Indian 

 canoes, left L'Arbre Croche, and reaching, without 

 interruption, the portage of the River Ottawa, 



