276 RUIN OF THE INDIAN CAUSE. [1765. 



4 



the Indians as far as they were capable of reason- 

 ing ; to soften their antipathy to the English, to 

 expose the falsehoods of the French, and to distrib- 

 ute presents among the tribes by way of propitia- 

 tion.^ The mission was a critical one ; but, so far 

 as regarded the Indians, Croghan was well fitted to 

 discharge it. He had been for years a trader 

 among the western tribes, over whom he had 

 gained much influence by a certain vigor of char- 

 acter, joined to a wary and sagacious poUcy, con- 

 cealed beneath a bhifl" demeanor. Lieutenant 

 Fraser, a young ofiicer of education and intelli- 

 gence, was associated with him. He spoke French, 

 and, in other respects also, supplied qualifications 

 in which his rugged colleague was wanting. They 

 set out for Fort Pitt in February, 1765 ; and after 

 traversing inhospitable mountains, and valleys 

 clooo^ed with snow, reached their destination at 

 about the same time that Pontiac's ambassadors 

 were entering New Orleans, to hold their council 

 with the French. 



A few days later, an incident occurred, which 

 afterwards, through the carousals of many a winter 

 evening, supplied an absorbing topic of anecdote 

 and boast to the braggadocio heroes of the border. 

 A train of pack-horses, bearing the gifts which 

 Croghan was to bestow upon the Indians, followed 

 him towards Fort Pitt, a few days' journey in the 

 rear of his party. Under the same escort came 

 several companies of traders, who, believing that 

 the long suspended commerce with the Indians was 



1 MS. Gage Papers. 



