Montreal: a capitulation was immediately signed; and Detroit, Michilimackinac,-all New France, in a word, soon after, surrendered to the English. The French troops were to be carried home; and the Canadians to retain their civil and religious privileges. Thus terminated a war, which was of the most serious importance, not only on account of the territory in dispute, but from the unheard of cruelties, which the savages, on each side, were mutually excited to perpetrate. The French began by endeavouring to surround the English colonists; and chain them to a narrow strip of country along the Atlantic. They ended with giving up every acre of what was then the only important territory in North America.

France had been equally unsuccessful on both continents; and, exhausted by her strenuous and continued efforts to merit better fortune, she was, at length, induced to make overtures of peace; and to propose, as the basis of negotiation, the principle, so favourable to Great Britain,-that (uti possidetis) each party should retain whatever it had conquered. England could not help consenting to a treaty upon such grounds; and negotiations were opened both at London and at Paris. No material differences occurred; and every thing seemed to be in a fair train of adjustment, when the treaty was suddenly broken off, by an anomalous attempt of the court of Ver

sailles, to mingle the politics of Spain and of Germany with the disputes between France and Great Britain. A secret family compact between the Bourbons, to support each other through evil and good, in peace and in war, had rendered France unsolicitous of peace, and Spain very desirous of war. The former contrived to arrest the progress of a negotiation, which she had commenced under such humiliating auspices; and the latter assumed a tone of insolence, which ill accorded with her submissive and impotent neutrality, through all the previous stages of the war. As the interests of the two nations were now identified, it only remained for England to make a formal declaration of hostilities against Spain. It was done, on both sides, in 1761: and, as the colonies of New England were chiefly interested in the reduction of the West India Islands, they furnished a considerable body of troops to carry on the war. A large fleet was despatched from England: the land forces amounted, in all, to about sixteen thousand: and, before the end of the second year, Great Britain had taken the important city of Havanna, the key of the Mexican Gulf; together with the French provinces of Martinique, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and the Caribbee Islands. Preliminary articles of peace were now signed at Paris. The Havanna was exchanged for the Floridas: France ceded to Great

Britain, all the conquests, which the latter had made, in North America: and it was stipulated, between the two crowns, that the boundary-line of their respective dominions, in the new hemisphere, should run along the middle of the Mississippi, from its source as far as the Iberville; and along the middle of that river, and of Lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain.

CHAPTER VI.

Indian Wars-Rupture with the Cherokees-Conduct of Gavernor Littleton-Expedition to Fort Prince GeorgeTreaty of Peace-Small Pox in the Army-Reception of Governor Littleton-Infraction of the Treaty by the Indians -Murder of the Hostages, and Massacre of the Frontier Settlers-Indian mode of Warfare-Expedition of Colonel Montgomery-Battle of Etchoe-Retreat of the ArmySurrender of Fort Loudoun-Colonel Grant's ExpeditionSecond Battle of Etchoe-Barbarities of the Army-Peace with the Cherokees-War with the Western IndiansCapture of the Frontier Posts-Battle of Detroit-Expedition of Colonel Bouquet-Battle near Turtle Creek-Defeat of the Indians-Peace.

THE colonists had scarcely done rejoicing at the peace with France, when they were involved in new wars with the Indians. A party of the Cherokees had assisted in the reduction of Fort Du Quesne; and, having lost several of their horses, thought it no wrong to replace them with such others as they found running at large in the woods. The Virginians had, throughout the expedition, treated them with the most haughty contempt; and, glad of an opportunity to vent their hatred of the whole race, they fell upon the unsuspecting warriors; murdered some, and made prisoners of others. The frontier settlers soon felt the

impolicy of this outrage. The whole nation of Cherokees was in arms. Fort Loudoun, which had been established among them, at their own request, was soon invested on all sides; and perhaps the manes of twelve or fourteen Indians were not appeased by the sacrifice of less than ten times the number of whites.

Governor Littleton, of South Carolina, immediately despatched orders for calling out the militia; and, with such troops as were at hand, prepared to march into the enemy's country. But the vengeance of the Cherokees seems now to have been glutted; and they sent thirty chiefs to negotiate a treaty. Governor Littleton received them with an insolent speech; and, when Ouconnostota was beginning to reply, commanded him to be silent. Determined upon war, he feared, his purpose would be shaken by a talk of peace; and, under the pretext of conveying the chiefs safely back to their own people, he thrust them into the rear of his army; put them under a captain's guard; and, when arrived at Fort Prince George, shut the whole thirty in a cabin, which could not conveniently hold seven.

Though he had about fourteen hundred men, he now found them so raw and ill appointed, that he could not hope for a brilliant campaign; and, intending to make up the quarrel in a more amicable manner, he was afraid, his overtures might be refused, or

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