286 RUIN OF THE INDIAN CAUSE. [1765, 



cretionary orders to go down to Mobile and report 

 to the English commandant there ; and of these 

 he was but too glad to avail himself. He descended 

 the Mississippi in disguise, and safely reached New 

 Orleans.^ 



Apparently, it was about this time that an inci- 

 dent took place, mentioned, with evident satisfac- 

 tion, in a letter of the French commandant, Aubry. 

 The English officers in the south, unable to send 

 troops up the Mississippi, had employed a French- 

 man, whom they had secured in their interest, to 

 ascend the river with a boat-load of goods, which 

 he was directed to distribute among the Indians, 

 to remove their prejudice against the English and 

 pave the way to reconciliation. Intelligence of 

 this movement reached the ears of Pontiac, who, 

 though much pleased with the approaching sup- 

 plies, had no mind that they should be devoted to 



1 MS. Letter — Auhry to the Minister, July, 1765. Aubry makes him- 

 self merry with the fears of Eraser ; who, however, had the best grounds 

 for his apprehensions, as is sufficiently clear from the above as well as from 

 the minutes of a council held by him with Pontiac and other Indians at 

 the Illinois, during the month of April. The minutes referred to are 

 among the Paris Documents. 



Pontiac's first reception of Eraser was not auspicious, as appears from 

 the following. Extract from a Letter — Fort Pitt, July 24 {Pa. Gaz. Nos. 

 1912, 1913): — 



" Pondiac immediately collected all the Indians under his influence to 

 the Illinois, and ordered the French commanding ofiicer there to deliver 

 up these Englishmen [Eraser and his party] to him, as he had prepared a 

 large kettle in which he was determined to boil them and all other Eng- 

 lishmen that came that way. . . . Pondiac told the French that he had 

 been informed of Mr. Croghan's coming that way to treat with the Indians, 

 and that he would keep his kettle boiling over a large fire to receive him 

 likewise." 



Pontiac soon after relented as we have seen. Another letter, dated New 

 Orleans, June 19, adds : " He [Eraser] says Pondiac is a very clever fellow 

 and had it not been for him, he would never have got away alive." 



