268 PONTIAC IN THE WEST. [1764. 



reason to believe him guilty of such villany.^ Lof 

 tus, who had not yet recovered from his fears, 

 conceived an idea that the Indians below New 

 Orleans were preparing an ambuscade to attack 

 him on his way back to his station at Pensacola ; 

 and he petitioned D'Abbadie to interfere in his 

 behalf. The latter, with an ill-dissembled sneer, 

 offered to give him and his troops an escort of 

 French soldiers to protect them. Loftus rejected 

 the humiliating proposal, and declared that he 

 only wished for a French interpreter, to confer with 

 any Indians whom he might meet by the way. 

 The interpreter was furnished ; and Loftus returned 

 in safety to Pensacola, his detachment not a little 

 reduced by the few whom the Indians had shot, 

 and by numbers who, disgusted by his overbearing 

 treatment, had deserted to the French.^ 



The futile attempt of Loftus to ascend the Mis 

 sissippi was followed, a few months after, by another 

 equally abortive. Captain Pittman came to New 

 Orleans with the design of proceeding to the Illi- 

 nois, but was deterred by the reports which reached 



1 D'Abbadie's correspondence with St. Ange goes far to exonerate 

 him ; and there is a letter addressed to him from General Gage, in vvliich 

 the latter thanks him very cordially for the efforts he had made in 

 behalf of Major Loftus, aiding him to procure boats and guides, and make 

 other preparations for ascending the river. 



The correspondence alluded to forms part of a collection of papers 

 preserved in the archives of the Department of the Marine and Colonies 

 at Paris. These papers include the reports of various councils with the 

 Indian tribes of the Illinois, and the whole oflficial correspondence of the 

 French officers in that region during the years 1763-5. They form the 

 principal authorities for this part of the narrative, and throw great light 

 on the character of the Indian war, from its commencement to its close. 



'^ London Mag. XXXIII. 380. MS. Detail de ce qui s'est pass€ a La 

 Louisiane a I'occasion de la prise de possession des Illinois. 



