24 FRONTIER FORTS AND SETTLEMENTS. [1763, July. 



Ottawas. If you leave this place immediately, and 

 go home to your wives and children, no harm will 

 come of it ; but if you stay, you must blame your- 

 selves alone for w^hat may happen. Therefore we 

 desire you to remove." 



To the not wholly unreasonable statement of 

 wrongs contained in this speech, Captain Ecuyex 

 repHed, by urging the shallow pretence that the 

 forts were built for the purpose of supplying the 

 Indians with clothes and ammunition. He then 

 absolutely refused to leave the place. " I have," 

 he said, " warriors, provisions, and ammunition, to 

 defend it three years against all the Indians in the 

 woods ; and we shall never abandon it as long as 

 a white man lives in America. I despise the Otta- 

 was, and am very much surprised at our brothers 

 the Dela wares, for proposing to us to leave this 

 place and go home. This is our home. You have 

 attacked us without reason or provocation ; you 

 have murdered and plundered our warriors and 

 traders ; you have taken our horses and cattle ; 

 and at the same time you tell us your hearts are 

 good towards your brethren the English. How 

 can I have faith in you ] Therefore, now. Broth- 

 ers, I will advise you to go home to your towns, 

 and take care of your wives and children. More- 

 over, I tell you that if any of you appear again 

 about this fort, I will throw bombshells, which will 

 burst and blow you to atoms, and fire cannon 

 among you, loaded with a whole bag full of bul- 

 lets. Therefore take care, for I don't want to 

 hurt you." ^ 



1 MS. Repon of Conference with the Indians at Fort Pitt, July 26, 1763, 



