moonet] JOURNEY TO THE SPIRIT WOULD 663 



will try his hatchet upon the Eaglish " | Bancroft, 3), and through seven 



years of bl 1 and death the lily and the totem were borne abreast 



until the flag of France went down forever on the heights of Quebec. 

 For sometime after the surrender the unrest of the native tribes was 

 soothed into a semblance of quiet by the belief, artfully inculcated by 

 their old allies, that the king of France, wearied by his great exertions, 

 had fallen asleep for a little while, but would soon awake to take veu 

 geance on the English for the wrongs they had inflicted on his red 

 children. Then, as they saw English garrisons occupying the aban- 

 doned posts and English traders passing up the lakes even to the 

 sacred island of the (heat Turtle, the despairing warriors said to one 

 another, "We have been deceived. English and French alike are 

 white men and liars. We must turn from both and seek help from our 



Indian gods." 



In 1702 a prophet appeared anion- the Delawares, at Luscarawas, 

 on the Muskingum, who preached a union of all the red tribes and a 

 return to the old Indian life, which he declared to be the divine com- 

 mand, as revealed to himself in a wonderful vision. From an old French 

 manuscript, written by an anonymous eyewitness of the scene which he 

 describes, we have the details of this vision, as related by Pontiac to his 

 savage auditors at the great council of the tribes held near Detroit in 

 April, 17C3. Parkman gives the story on the authority ol this manu- 

 script which he refers to as the " Pontiac manuscript," and states that 

 it was long preserved in a Canadian family at Detroit, and afterward 

 deposited with the Historical Society of Michigan. It bears internal 

 evidence of genuineness, and is supposed to have been written by a 

 French priest. (Parkman, I.) The vision, from the same manuscript, 

 is related at length in Schoolcraft's Algic Researches. 



According to the prophet's story, being anxious to know the, "Master 

 of Life.'" he determined, without mentioning his desire to anyone, to 

 undertake a journey to the spirit world. Ignorant of the way, and not 

 knowing any person who, having been there, could direct him. he per- 

 formed a mystic rite in the hope of receiving some light as to the course 

 he should pursue. He then fell into a deep sleep, in which he dreamed 

 that it was only necessary to begin his journey and that by continuing 

 to walk forward he would at last arrive at his destination. 



Early the next morning, taking his gun, ammunition, and kettle, he 

 started off. firmly convinced that by pressing onward without discour- 

 agement he should accomplish his object. Day after day he proceeded 

 without incident, until at sunset of the eighth day, while preparing to 

 encamp for the night by the side of a small stream m a little opening 

 in the forest, he noticed, running out from the edge of the prairie, three 

 wide and well-trodden paths. Wondering somewhat that they should 

 be there, he finished his temporary lodging and, lighting a tire, began 

 to prepare his supper. While thus engaged, he observed with astonish- 

 ment that the paths became more distinct as the night grew darker. 



