He declared that under the new occupancy of the forts in
the Indian country the red men were neglected and their
wants were no longer supplied as they had been in the
days of the French; that exorbitant prices were charged
by the traders for goods; that when the Indians were
departing for their winter camps to hunt for furs they
were no longer able to obtain ammunition and clothing on
credit; and, finally, that the British desired the death
of the Indians, and it was therefore necessary as an act
of self-preservation to destroy them. He once more
displayed the war-belt that he pretended to have received
from the king of France. This belt told him to strike in
his own interest and in the interest of the French. He
closed his speech by saying that he had sent belts to
the Chippewas of Saginaw and the Ottawas of Michilimackinac
and of the river La Tranche (the Thames). Seeing that
his words were greeted with grunts and shouts of approval
and that the assembled warriors were with him to a man,
Pontiac revealed a plan he had formed to seize the fort
and slaughter the garrison. He and some fifty chiefs and
warriors would wait on Gladwyn on the pretence of discussing
matters of importance. Each one would carry beneath his
blanket a gun, with the barrel cut short to permit of
concealment.
Pages:
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48