[Footnote 3:  The famous place of call (the name means “Turtle Island”) in the narrow strait between Lakes Huron and Michigan, and near Lake Superior. (See p. 230.) But some authorities declare that Michili-makinak means “Island of the great wounded person".]

The Indians now gravely smoked their pipes, whilst Henry inwardly endured tortures of suspense.  At length, the pipes being finished, a long pause of silence followed.  Then Minavavana, taking a few strings of wampum in his hand, began a long speech, of which it is only necessary to give a few extracts:—­

“Englishman, it is to you that I speak, and I demand your attention!

“Englishman, although you have conquered the French, you have not yet conquered us!  We are not your slaves.  These lakes, these woods and mountains, were left to us by our ancestors.  They are our inheritance, and we will part with them to none.  Your nation supposes that we, like the white people, cannot live without bread—­and pork—­and beef!  But, you ought to know, that He, the Great Spirit and Master of Life, has provided food for us in these spacious lakes, and on these woody mountains.

“Englishman, our father, the King of France, employed our young men to make war upon your nation.  In this warfare many of them have been killed, and it is our custom to retaliate, until such time as the spirits of the slain are satisfied.  But the spirits of the slain are to be satisfied in either of two ways.  The first is by the spilling of the blood of the nation by which they fell; the other by covering the bodies of the dead, and thus allaying the resentment of their relations.  This is done by making presents.

“Englishman, your king has never sent us any presents, nor entered into any treaty with us, wherefore he and we are still at war; and, until he does these things, we must consider that we have no other father, nor friend, among the white men, than the King of France; but, for you, we have taken into consideration, that you have ventured your life among us in the expectation that we should not molest you.  You do not come armed with an intention to make war; you come in peace, to trade with us, and supply us with necessaries, of which we are in want.  We shall regard you, therefore, as a brother, and you may sleep tranquilly, without fear of the Chipeways....  As a token of our friendship, we present you with this pipe to smoke.”

When Minavavana had finished his harangue, an Indian presented Henry with a pipe, the which, after he had drawn smoke through it three times, was carried back to the chief, and after him to every person in the room.  This ceremony ended, the chief arose, and gave the Englishman his hand, in which he was followed by all the rest.

At the Sault Ste Marie, on the river connecting Lake Superior and Huron, Henry spent part of the spring of 1763-4, and engaged with a few French Canadians and Indians in making maple sugar, the season for which—­April—­was now at hand.