Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 2).djvu/223

1768-1782] waiting for a vessel to convey him to Niagara, to hold a council with the Indians: fortunately I procured an interview with him, and communicating to him my situation, he ordered me to be in readiness to assist as interpreter at his return. On the 18th of September, Sir John Johnson met us at the head of the bay of Kenty; the instant the Indians heard of his arrival, they saluted him with a discharge of small arms, and having received some rum, they danced and sung all night {178} their war songs; one of them I particularly noticed, which was to the following effect:—

"At last our good father is arrived, he has broken the small branches, and cleared his way to meet us. He has given us presents in abundance, and only demands this large bed (meaning a considerable tract of land which was described on a map)."

At twelve o'clock the next day a council was held, and Sir John laid his map before them, desiring a tract of land from Toronto to Lake Huron. This the Indians agreed to grant him, and the deed of gift being shewn them, it was signed by the chiefs' affixing the emblem, or figure of their respective totams, as their signatures.

Sir John Johnson then left them, and embarked for Cataraqui, the capital of the loyalist settlements.

Previous to his departure, I made him more fully acquainted with my distressed situation and procured from him a temporary supply, which enabled me to go down

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