of my braves would go towards the Wabash to avenge the death
of their friends and relations. The next day I took a party of hunters,
killed several deer, and left them at the fort gate as I passed."

Here Gomo ended his story. I could relate many similar ones that have
come within my own knowledge and observation, but I dislike to look back
and bring on sorrow afresh. I will resume my narrative.

The great chief at St. Louis having sent word for us to come down and
confirm the treaty, we did not hesitate, but started immediately that
we might smoke the peace pipe with him. On our arrival we met the great
chiefs in council. They explained to us the words of our Great Father
at Washington, accusing us of heinous crimes and many misdemeanors,
particularly in not coming down when first invited. We knew very well
that our Great Father had deceived us and thereby forced us to join
the British, and could not believe that he had put this speech into the
mouths of those chiefs to deliver to us. I was not a civil chief and
consequently made no reply, but our civil chiefs told the commissioner
that, "What you say is a lie. Our Great Father sent us no such speech,
he knew that the situation in which we had been placed was caused by
him." The white chiefs appeared very angry at this reply and said, "We
will break off the treaty and make war against you, as you have grossly
insulted us."

Our chiefs had no intention of insulting them and told them so, saying,
"we merely wish to explain that you have told us a lie, without any
desire to make you angry, in the same manner that you whites do when
you do not believe what is told you." The council then proceeded and the
pipe of peace was smoked.

Here for the first time, I touched the goose quill to the treaty not
knowing, however, that, by the act I consented to give away my village.
Had that been explained to me I should have opposed it and never would
have signed their treaty, as my recent conduct will clearly prove.

What do we know of the manners, the laws, and the customs of the white
people? They might buy our bodies for dissection, and we would touch the
goose quill to confirm it and not know what we were doing. This was the
case with me and my people in touching the goose quill for the first
time.

We can only judge of what is proper and right by our standard of what
is right and wrong, which differs widely from the whites, if I have been
correctly informed. The whites may