n at once issued an order to the Indians not to hold any
intercourse with unwelcome visitors, but, he adds, "Pierre Tomma the
chief of St. John, always considered a Tory, and Lewis Neptune of
Penobscot went on board and received presents." They were told that
Col. Franklin and Father Bourg were at Fort Howe with presents and
supplies and desired a conference with them. Soon after three special
messengers arrived from Father Bourg desiring the Indians to attend
him immediately on business of the church. The result of these
invitations we shall presently see, but in the meantime an important
conference was being held at the River St. John.

There are many references to this conference but we shall first
consider a letter which Col. Franklin wrote from Windsor to Sir Henry
Clinton, 21st August, 1780. In this letter Franklin states, "A meeting
was held the 24th June about ninety miles above Fort Howe attended by
upwards of 900 Indians. Deputies from the Ottawas, Hurons, Algonkins,
Montanagais, Abenakies and Canabas attended and made the speech
inclosed."

This speech was addressed to the Malecete, Passamaquoddie and Mickmack
Indians and was in substance as follows:

"Our dear Brothers, We come to warn you that the Boston people,
having destroyed several of our villages, killed our wives and
children and carried off our young women by force, we to revenge
ourselves for these outrages have declared war against them. If
there are yet remaining among them [i. e. the Americans] any of
your people, let them withdraw immediately, for they will be
treated like the enemy if they remain with them. Therefore our
dear Brothers we tell you to remain quiet and in peace. We have
13,000 men assembled, who are allied against the Boston people and
they have already taken twenty-seven villages larger than Three
Rivers in Canada, and to burn their villages they sent more than
300 lighted arrows which instantly destroyed their houses, great
part of the Inhabitants were burnt and those who attempted to
escape were put to death. Now we demand your answer."

The Micmacs and Maliseets presented belts of wampum and replied that
so long as the King of England should continue to leave them free
liberty of hunting and fishing and to allow them priests sufficient
for the exercise of their religion they promised to keep quiet and
peaceable.

This grand Indian pow-wow seems to have been brought about largely by
Franklin'