1763, June.] FORT LE BCEUF. 17 



The available defences of Fort Le Bceuf con- 

 sisted, at the time, of a single ill-constructed block- 

 house, occupied by the ensign, with two corporals 

 and eleven privates. They had only about twenty 

 rounds of ammunition each ; and the powder, more- 

 over, was in a damaged condition. At nine or ten 

 o'clock, on the morning of the eighteenth of June, 

 a soldier told Price that he saw Indians approach- 

 ing from the direction of Presqu' Isle. Price ran 

 to the door, and, looking out, saw one of his men, 

 apparently much frightened, shaking hands with 

 five Indians. He held open the door till the man 

 had entered, the five Indians following close, after 

 having, in obedience to a sign from Price, left their 

 weapons behind. They declared that they were 

 going to fight the Cherokees, and begged for pow- 

 der and ball. This being refused, they asked leave 

 to sleep on the ground before the blockhouse. 

 Price assented, on which one of them went ofi", but 

 very soon returned with thirty more, who crowded 

 before the window of the blockhouse, and begged 

 for a kettle to cook their food. Price tried to give 

 them one through the window, but the aperture 

 proved too narrow, and they grew clamorous that 

 he should open the door again. This he refused. 



Soldier also says, he suspected they intended to put them all to Death ; 

 and that on hearing a Woman scream out, he supposed they were mur- 

 dering her ; upon which he and another Soldier came immediately oft', 

 but knows nothing of the rest : That the Vessel from Niagara was in 

 Sight, but believes she liad no Provisions, as the Indians told them they 

 had cut off Little Niagara, and destroyed 800 Barrels : And that he thinks, 

 by what he saw, Venango had capitulated." 



The soldier here spoken of was no doubt Gray, who was mentioned 

 above, though his story is somewhat differently given in the letter of 

 Captain Ecuyer, just cited. 



VOL. II. 2 



