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Jacob Lindley's Account, 1793

SW_JL1793_Page_086

arrived from Michilimackinack, about three hun-dred miles north west of this post, near the west end of Lake Huron. To which place vessels can sail from Fort Erie, without interruption of carry-ing place or falls. These remote Indians were dress-ed, and painted with black, red, green, and blue; having turbans round their heads, with pikes and prongs of skins, feathers, hair, sticks, &;c. project-ing eighteen inches out from the sides of their heads — frightfully painted and cut — the Squaws andothers, with tails of wild beasts passing over the top of their heads, and hanging down their backs. But my genius, pen, and even imagination in its strong-est picturesques, must fall short of the shocking, striking, curious prospect of these northern inhabi-tants of the wilderness. They had drunk rum to excess, before we reached them. Several were much disguised. The more sober shook hands, and ap-peared friendly, to whom I gave a small present. Yet two very stout, grim, middle-aged men, were raised into rage and anger at us, loudly saying — shemochteman! shemochteman! I said no; not she-mochteman — brothers, from Philadelphia. At which they rose higher, and more clamorous. We found they could understand little or none of our conver-sation. Some of the young Indians, meanwhile, were singing the hair off a small animal over a fire, preparing for breakfast. We conjectured it to be a puppy. My heart felt exceeding sorrowful, and the lan-guage of my soul was, how much owest thou unto thy Lord! The picture of these poor degraded ani-mals in human shape, involved many serious consi-derations respecting their approaching Council; where