trading with the savages to take
pledges from them, for the payment of their debts, silver trinkets,
armclasps, medals, fuzees, etc. In the autumn of 1777 a Yankee
privateer from Machias, whose captain bore the singular name A. Greene
Crabtree, plundered Simonds & White's store at Portland Point and
carried off a trunk full of Indian pledges. This excited the
indignation of the Chiefs Pierre Thoma and Francis Xavier who sent the
following communication to Machias: "We desire you will return into
the hands of Mr. White at Menaguashe the pledges belonging to us which
were plundered last fall out of Mr. Hazen's store by A. Greene
Crabtree, captain of one of your privateers; for if you don't send
them we will come for them in a manner you won't like."

[67] Col. John Allan, of Machias, had a conference with the Indians
at Aukpaque in June, 1777, and writes in his journal: "The
Chiefs made a grand appearance, particularly Ambrose St.
Aubin, who was dressed in a blue Persian silk waistcoat four
inches deep, and scarlet knee breeches: also gold laced hat
with white cockade."

The goods kept in the store at Portland Point for the Indian trade
included powder and shot for hunting, provisions, blankets and other
"necessaries" and such articles as Indian needles, colored thread,
beads of various colors, a variety of buttons--brass buttons, silver
plated buttons, double-gilt buttons, scarlet buttons and blue mohair
buttons--scarlet blue and red cloth, crimson broadcloth, red and blue
stroud, silver and gold laced hats, gilt trunks, Highland garters,
silver crosses, round silver broaches, etc., etc.

The old account books bear evidence of being well thumbed, for Indian
debts were not easy to collect, and white men's debts were harder to
collect in ancient than in modern days. In point of fact the red man
and the white man of the River St. John ran a close race in their
respective ledgers. For in a statement of accounts rendered after the
operations of the company had lasted rather more than two years, the
debts due were as follows: From the English L607 11s. 9d. and from the
Indians L615 7s. 9d. Old and thumb-worn as the account books are,
written with ink that had often been frozen and with quill pens that
often needed mending, they are extremely interesting as relics of the
past, and are deserving of a better fate than that which awaited them
when by the merest accident they were rescu