s the dislike of the
Indians of Mackinaw to the English, that when Alexander Henry visited
that place in 1761, he was obliged to conceal the fact that he was an
Englishman and disguise himself as a Canadian voyager. On the way he
was frequently warned by the Indians to turn back, as he would not be
received at Mackinaw, and as there were no British soldiers there as
yet, he was assured that his visit would be attend with great hazard.
He still persisted, however, and finally, with his canoes laden with
goods he reached the fort, which, we have before remarked, was
surrounded with palisades, and occupied the high ground immediately
back from the beach. When he entered the village he met with a cold
reception, and the inhabitants did all in their power to alarm and
discourage him.

Soon after his arrival he received the very unpleasant intelligence,
that a large number of Chippewas were coming from the neighboring
villages in their canoes to call upon him. Under ordinary
circumstances this information would not have excited any alarm, but
as the French of Mackinaw as well as the Indians were alike hostile to
the English trader, it was no difficult matter to apprehend danger. At
length the Indians, about sixty in number, arrived, each with a
tomahawk in one hand and a scalping knife in the other. The garrison
at this time contained about ninety soldiers, a commander and two
officers. Beside the small arms, on the bastions were mounted two
small pieces of brass cannon. Beside Henry, there were four English
merchants at the fort. After the Indians were introduced to Henry and
his English brethren, their chief presented him with a few strings of
wampum and addressed them as follows:

"Englishmen, it is to you that I speak, and I demand your attention.
You know that the French King is our father. He promised to be such,
and we in turn promised to be his children. This promise we have kept.
It is you that have made war with this our father. You are his enemy,
and how then could you have the boldness to venture among us, his
children. You know that his enemies are ours. We are informed that our
father, the King of France, is old and infirm, and that being fatigued
with making war upon your nation, he has fallen asleep. During this
sleep you have taken advantage of him and possessed yourselves of
Canada. But his nap is almost at an end. I think I hear him already
stirring and inquiring for his children, and when he does awake w