day, and the water was in perfect stillness in the straits. The Indians
saw the canoe coming towards the shore of the village, when suddenly a
puff of smoke was seen and a terrific clash of sound followed
immediately. All the inhabitants were panic stricken, and thought it
was something supernatural approaching the shore. But again and again
they witnessed the same thing, as it came nearer and nearer. At last
they recognized the great prophet Au-tche-a and his party coming back
from his long trip, having found his "Manitou" that he was looking
after. The reader may imagine how it was, when Au-tche-a landed and
exhibited his strange articles--his gun with its belongings, his axes,
his knives, his new mode of making fire, his cooking utensils, his
clothing and his blankets. It was no small curiosity to the aborigines.

The Ottawas gradually extended their settlements towards the south,
along the shore of Lake Michigan. The word Michigan is an Indian name,
which we pronounce Mi-chi-gum, and simply means "monstrous lake." My
own ancestors, the Undergrounds, settled at Detroit, and they
considered this was the extent of their possessions. But the greatest
part of the Ottawas settled at Arbor Croche, which I have already
related as being a continuous village some fifteen miles long. But in
the forest of this country were not many deer, and consequently when
the winter approached most of the Indians went south to hunt, returning
again in the spring loaded with dry meat.

The Mush-co-desh were not long in safety in the southern part of the
state. Intercourse had been opened between the French and the Ottawas
and Chippewas on the straits of Mackinac and being supplied with
firearms and axes by the French people, it occurred to the Ottawas that
these impliments would be effective in battle. Anxious to put them to
the test, they resolved to try them on their old enemies, the Mush-co-