190 BRADSTREET'S ARMY ON THE LAKES. [1764, Sept. 



about the fort were dotted with the lodges of the 

 Kickapoos, a large band of whom had recently 

 arrived ; but the great Miami village was on the 

 opposite side of the stream, screened from sight 

 by the forest which intervened. 



The party landed a little below the fort ; and, 

 while his followers were making their way through 

 the border of woods that skirted the river, Morris 

 remained in the canoe, solacing himself by reading 

 Antony and Cleopatra in the volume he had so 

 oddly obtained. It was fortunate that he did so ; 

 for his attendants had scarcely reached the open 

 meadow, which lay behind the woods, when they 

 were encountered by a mob of savages, armed 

 with spears, hatchets, and bows and arrows, and 

 bent on killing the Englishman. Being, for the 

 moment, unable to find him, the chiefs had time to 

 address the excited rabble, and persuade them to 

 postpone their intended vengeance. The ambassa- 

 dor, buffeted, threatened, and insulted, was con- 

 ducted to the fort, where he was ordered to 

 remain ; though, at the same time, the Canadian 

 inhabitants were forbidden to admit him into their 

 houses. Morris soon discovered that this unex- 

 pected rough treatment was owing to the influence 

 of a deputation of Delaware and Shawanoe chiefs, 

 who had recently arrived, bringing fourteen war- 

 belts of wampum, and exciting the Miamis to 

 renew their hostilities against the common enemy. 

 Thus it was fully apparent that while the Delawares 

 and Shawanoes were sending one deputation to 

 treat of peace with Bradstreet on Lake Erie, they 



