Identifier: historyofconspir00park_0 (find matches)
Title: History of the conspiracy of Pontiac, and the war of the North American tribes against the English colonies after the conquest of Canada
Year: 1851 (1850s)
Authors: Parkman, Francis, 1823-1893
Subjects: Pontiac's Conspiracy, 1763-1765
Publisher: Boston, C. C. Little and J. Brown London, R. Bentley
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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f addressingthe commandant in the council-room, Pontiac was tomake a certain signal, upon which the chiefs were toraise the war-whoop, rush upon the officers present,and strike them down. The other Indians, waitingmeanwhile at the gate, or loitering among the houses,on hearing the yells and firing within the building,were to assail the astonished and half-armed soldiers;and thus Detroit would fall an easy prey. In opening this plan of treachery, Pontiac spokerather as a counsellor than as a commander. Haughtyas he was, he had too much sagacity to wound thepride of a body of men over whom he had no othercontrol than that derived from his personal characterand influence. No one was hardy enough to ventureopposition to the proposal of their great leader. Hisplan was eagerly adopted. Deep, hoarse ejaculationsof applause echoed his speech; and, gathering theirblankets around them, the chiefs withdrew to theirrespective villages, to prepare for the destruction ofthe unhappy little garrison.
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CHAPTER X. DETROIT. To the credulity of mankind each great calamityhas its dire prognostics. Signs and portents in theheavens, the vision of an Indian bow, and the figureof a scalp imprinted on the disk of the moon, warnedthe New England Puritans of impending war. Theapparitions passed away, and Philip of Mount Hopeburst from the forest with his Narragansett warriors.In October, 1762, thick clouds of inky blacknessgathered above the fort and settlement of Detroit.The river darkened beneath the awful shadows, andthe forest was wrapped hi double gloom. Drops ofrain began to fall, of strong, sulphurous odor, and sodeeply colored that the people, it is said, collected andused them for the purpose of writing.1 A prominentliterary and philosophical journal seeks to explain thisstrange phenomenon on some principle of physicalscience; but the simple Canadians held a differentfaith. Throughout the winter, the shower of blackrain was the foremost topic of their fireside talk; anddreary forebodi

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