Old and New Mackinaw [pp. 146-151]

OLD AND NEW MA CKINA W.
reverberations through densely wooded
thickets, and over the broad, calm lake.
There is something very quaint and
touching in the details of M. Henri, an
officer who had accompanied General
Amhllerst, in his expedition against Canada, in 1760, as he tells us of the ghastly
scene, first observed as he stood before
his window, looking out for an expected
canoe that was to convey himself, servant, and peltries to a more secure market, and which reason had furnished sufficent excuse, after the warning given to
Major Etherington, for declining to be
present at the game. Standing there in
quiet expectancy, the war-cry reaches
his ear, and on the instant began the
work of destruction; the Indians furioutsly cutting down and scalping every
Englishman at hand. Let me repeat the
words of M. Henr-i himself:
"The first victim whose fate I plainly
witnessed was Lieutenant Jemette. Then
I seized my fowling-piece, and held it for
a few minutes, waiting to hear the drum
beat to arms; but all continued silent as
death, except the howls of rage.
"I then saw my companions fall in
every direction, and more than one struggling between the knees of an Indian,
who scalped the victim while he was yet
alive.
"Shelter or safety for me there seemed
to be none; but, realizing how futile
would be any attempt to stay the massacr-e, I besought a slave of the French
commandant, the one commissioned by
King Louis XV as Governor General over
the Indians of the North-west Territory,
to hide me, as her master had refused to
place me in safety.
"She led me to a garret, at the same
time bidding me conceal myself where
I could. From an aperture in the roof I
could see what was passing without, the
whole area of the fort being also exposed.
"To behold is one thing-to describe
is another; and no language can tell of
the shapes so foul and terrible, the triumphs so ferocious, as were those of the
barbarian conquerors.
"The dead were scalped and mangled,
the dying were writhing and struggling
under the unsatiated knife and tomahawk, while from the bodies of some who
had been literally torn open the butchlers
were drinking the blood, scooped up in
the hollow of joined hands, and quaffed
amid shouts of victory.
"Horror and fear seized upon me, so
that I seemed to be actually suffering
from the torments I witnessed; but no
long time elapsed before every one was
destroyed of the English that could be
found.
"Then there went up a general cry
firom the savages:
"'All is finished!'
"A few minutes after, I heard Indians
in the dwelling-for only a single layer
of boards covered the floor-and they
asked if there were not an Englishman
in the house. M. de Langlade replied
'he could not say,' he'did not know of
any,' and added,'You may examine for
yourselves.' Saying this, he brought
them to the garret-door, which was placed
at the foot of a narrow stairway.
"For a little time there was search for
a key, which left me a few minutes to look
for a hiding-place. In one corner of the
garret was a heap of birch-bark, used in
maple-sugar making. The door was unlocked, thrown open, and the Indians
ascending the stairs, before I had completely crept into a small opening under
the heap. An instant after, four Indians
entered the room, all armed with tomahawks, and all besmeared with blood
upon every part of their bodies.
"The die appeared to be cast. I could
scarcely breathe; but I thought the throbbing of my heart occasioned a noise loud
enough to betray me. The savages
walked in every direction around the
garret, and one of them approached me
so closely that, at a particular moment,
had he put forth his hand, he must have
touched me. Still I remained undiscovered, owing, prob)ably, to the dark color
of nmy clothes, and the want of light in'a
room that had no window.
"After taking several turns around the
room, during which they told M. Lang
I876.]
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