Capt. Morand had with him in the boat a swivel gun, well charged with canister and grape; the signal was given; the covering of the boat was immediately thrown off, and a volley from the concealed soldiers, together with a discharge from the swivel, did murderous execution on the thickly crowded Ottagamies. Scarcely had they time to recover from their first surprise, when a repetition of discharges from the musketry and the cannon nearly annihilated the whole tribe. It is believed that more than a thousand of their chiefs and braves, with women and children, fell at this time. Their burial subsequently has given to this spot the name of Le Butte des Morts,' the Hill of the Dead.1

1

"The expedition returned to Mackinac without loss, and the remainder of the band of Foxes soon after left this part of the country, and moved west of the Mississippi."

There is certainly a confusion of dates, or blending of incidents, in these accounts. One expedition is said to have been in the winter, by land; the other in the summer, by water, and both under Captain Morand. Carver's account, having been obtained in 1766, refers distinctly to the year 1706; the traditionary account of the water expedition must refer to a much later period, and the commander's name is inaccurately given. As to the great battle on the Fox River in 1746, there is no account of it, to which we can refer with any certainty; and with respect to the period and the cause of the building up of the Great Butte des Morts, we are altogether lost in uncertainty. It is worthy of remark that Carver, who was there in 1766, or in the immediate vicinity, does not mention it; and it is probable that if such mound was then there, it was an ancient mound, and the account that it was raised over the dead who had fallen in Morand's expedition, is incorrect; for Carver received his tradition of that expedition from an old Indian, and surely the remarkable circumstances respecting the great burial mound would not have been forgotten, if such facts existed, and the mound was then to be seen.

1 See Note K.

Around Lake Superior there had hitherto been no attempts at settlement and cultivation, except at the immediate missionary establishments at the Sault de St. Marie, and at Chagouemegon; the few trading-posts, which were frequented at stated seasons, could not be looked upon as settlements. Although it is known that the early missionaries were well acquainted with the richness of that region in the production of copper, and that their letters speak not only of the vast mass of native copper found in the Ontonagon, but of numerous other places where the mineral was found in abundance; yet there is no evidence of any attempts having been made, to any extent, to turn these mineral discoveries to advantage. After the conquest of Canada by the English, a company of adventurers from England had undertaken to work these mines, but the distracted situation of American affairs obliged them to relinquish their scheme.1 There is abundant evidence, at this day found in the copper region, of a working of these mines, at some far distant period, and by some unknown people, that excites our curiosity, without in any degree satisfying it. In some of the old mines have been found various matters indicating a knowledge of mining as pursued at the present day, and the possession of tools, the manufacture of which could not with much propriety be attributed to our present races of Indians. Stone hammers have been found in large quantities, (equal to ten cartloads ;) they are made of green stone, or porphyry pebble, with single and double grooves, by which a withe was attached; such are not uncommon in other parts of the country; but a copper gad, with the head much battered, a copper chisel, with a socket for the handle, a copper knife, fragments of a wooden bowl to dip water, numerous levers of wood, used in raising the mass of copper to the surface; all denoting work performed by a people of whom there exists neither record nor tradition. Remnants of charcoal have been found in many places, and pits have been explored, which had formerly been sunk some fourteen feet

1 Carver's Travels; Henry's Travels.

deep, following the course of copper veins; these pits have been discovered in extending continuous lines-at one place. twelve miles, and at another, thirty miles; and upon a mound of earth, thrown out of one of them, grew a pine tree, ten feet in circumference; the annular growths of a hemlock, which was cut down, (growing on a mound, under similar circumstances,) counted three hundred and ninety-five years. A pit on Isle Royale, which had been filled up with surrounding earth, was opened; the old mine had been worked through solid rock nine feet, the walls being perfectly smooth; at the bottom was found a vein of native copper eighteen inches thick, including a sheet of pure copper lying against the footwall.1

It is well known, that copper rings, designed for bracelets, are frequently met with in the Western mounds. Are not these copper rings a strong link in the chain of evidence to connect the ancient mining of the Lake Superior region, with the earth-works of the Mississippi Valley? Who were the nations that peopled these regions? Whence did they come? How have they passed away, and left in the bosom of their mother Earth the only traces of their existence ?—are questions that time and research have not yet solved, and we must be content to leave them in the mystery with which they are enveloped.

1 Foster and Whitney's Report, 1850, passim.

CHAPTER III.

UNDER BRITISH DOMINION.

Treaty of 1763-England possesses all New France and Louisiana-Protection of eminent domain-Carver's Grant-Illinois and Wabash Companies -Classes of grants in the Territory of Michigan, and in WisconsinDe Vaudreuil's Grant-French inhabitants under English rule-Indians unfriendly to the English-Pontiac's designs-His great confederacy— Calls a grand council, and states his plans to them-Unexpected attacks on the British posts-Black rain at Detroit-Surprise and capture of Michillimackinac-Henry's personal account of it-Fort at Green Bay abandoned-Fort at St. Joseph's captured-Situation of Detroit-Stratagem of Pontiac-Discovered and prevented-Siege of Detroit-Barbarities of the Indians-Reinforcements arrive-Captain Dalyell's sortie, defeat, and death-Siege abandoned by the Indians-Arrival of General Bradstreet -Concludes a peace with the Indian tribes-Pontiac does not consentHis death-His character-Absence of settlements in Wisconsin-Captain Carver's intentions and attempts-His travels and remarks-No Europeans on the Upper Mississippi, as settlers, in 1766-Evidence as to Carver's Grant-The Illinois country-Peaceable settlements of the French -Their mode of life-Their villages and general regulations of propertyTranquillity and happiness-Their religion-Changes under British ruleSettlements decline-Emigration to Spanish Louisiana-Population of the Illinois country-British occupy the forts-Col. Clark's Expedition-His plan adopted by Virginia-British influence over Indians the source of the depredations on the frontier settlements-Claims of Virginia to the Northwest, by her royal charters-Clark assembles his force-Descends the Ohio-Marches overland to Kaskaskia-Captures the town and fortFears of the inhabitants--They apply to Clark-His answer-Their rejoicings-Cahokia surrenders-Fort Sackville, or Vincennes, submitsOath of allegiance taken-Clark establishes forts-County of Illinois established by Virginia-Indians make treaties with Clark-The British governor collects his forces-Resolves to make Clark prisoner-Governor Hamilton's character-He arrives before Vincennes-Captain Helm alone

in the fort-Obtains honourable terms-Clark determines on retaking Vincennes-Marches from Kaskaskia-Hardships suffered by his forces-Arrive at the town and capture it-Attack the fort-Hamilton capitulates, and is sent prisoner to Virginia-Clark's views on Detroit-Captures a convoy of supplies-The result of Clark's enterprises-The five states of the Northwestern Territory-The Northwest during the Revolutionary War-Claims of States proposed to be relinquished-Plans devised and debated in Congress-Deeds of cession by States-Geographical boundaries of the new States not defined understandingly—Revision of deeds of cession proposed-New boundaries of States-Resolutions of Congress on this subject-Ordinance of 1787-Assent of Virginia to alteration of her deed of cession-Review of sixth article of ordinance of 1787.

A NEW era in the history of the West commenced with the year 1763. The capture of Quebec in 1759, and the subsequent capitulation of Montreal in 1760, extinguished the dominion of France in the basin of the St. Lawrence, and by the terms of the Treaty of Paris, in 1763, all the possessions in, and all the claims of, the French nation, to the vast countries watered by the Ohio and the Mississippi, were ceded to Great Britain. Thus, England held the sovereignty of Nova Scotia, Acadia, Canada, all, in fact, of New France, and the whole country from the Gulf of Mexico to the sources of the Mississippi, designated as Louisiana; of all the power of France over these vast regions, not an atom remained, except that which sprung from the deeply-seated affection and everenduring friendship of the Indian nations.

The definitive articles of the Treaty of Paris had been signed by the contracting parties, on the 3d of November, 1762, on which day, by a secret treaty, France ceded to Spain all Louisiana west of the Mississippi, and the island of Orleans. The Treaty of Paris was concluded on the 10th of February, 1763, by which Great Britain became possessed of the whole of New France, and of all that portion of the province of Louisiana lying on the east side of the Mississippi, except the town of New Orleans, and the island on which it is situated, which remained to France; the navigation of the Mississippi was to remain equally free to the subjects of Great Britain and France.