Original - North Central Michigan College Library

Jjjenrpa continued speech. The language of the GreatTurtle, like that which we had heard before,was wholly unintelligible to every ear, that ofhis priest excepted; and it was, therefore, thatnot till the latter gave us an interpretation,which did not commence before the spirit hadfinished, that we learned the purport of thisextraordinary communication.The spirit, as we were now informed by thepriest, had during his short absence crossedLake Huron and even proceeded as far asFort Niagara, which is at the head of LakeOntario, and thence to Montreal. At FortNiagara he had seen no great number ofsoldiers; but on descending the St. Lawrence aslowas Montreal, he had found the rivercovered with boats and the boats filled withsoldiers, in number like the leaves of the trees.He had met them on their way up the river,coming to make war upon the Indians.The chief had a third question to propose,and the spirit, without a fresh journey to FortNiagara, was able to give it an instant andmost favorable answer: "If," said the chief,"the Indians visit Sir William Johnson, willthey be received as friends?""Sir William Johnson," said the spirit(and after the spirit, the priest) "Sir WilliamJohnson will fill their canoes with presents;with blankets, kettles, guns, gunpowder andshot, and large barrels of rum such as thestoutest of the Indians will not be able to lift;164