The tradition says this was the greatest slaughter or massacre the
Ottawas ever committed. The inhabitants of this village were probably
from forty to fifty thousand. There were many other villages of Mush-
co-desh of minor importance everywhere scattered through the northern
part of the southern peninsula of Michigan. Where this doomed village
was situated is yet to this day distinctly visible, as there are some
little openings and trails not overgrown by the forest.

Soon after this the Ottawas abandoned their island and came over and
took possession of the country of the Mush-co-desh. Most of them
settled at the place now called Magulpin's Point, where the present
lighthouse is situated, near old Mackinac. At the time the French
settled in Montreal, Au-tche-a, one of the Ottawa prophets, told his
people there were some strange persons living in this continent, who
were far superior to any other inhabitants upon the earth. So Au-tche-a
determined to search for these wonderful people and he persuaded five
of his neighbors to accompany him in his undertaking. They started out,
but they went a very roundabout way, and it was a long time before they
came to the Ottawa river; then floating down they came out on the St.
Lawrence. They were gone for more than a year. When they came where the
white men were, they first saw a vessel or ship anchored in the middle
of the St. Lawrence, which they thought was a monster waiting to devour
them as they came along. But as they neared it they saw some people on
the back of the monster. So Au-tche-a and his party were taken on
board, and his little frail canoe was hoisted into the ship. They found
some Stockbridge Indians there also, who spoke a dialect of their
language. After exchanging all they had, and learning how to handle
firearms, they started back again to the straits of Mackinac. The
tradition says, they arrived at their village on an exceedingly calm