Yet his errand was no whit less
perilous. And here we may notice the contrast between the mission
settlements of the Moravians in Pennsylvania and those which the later
Jesuits and the Sulpitians had established at Caughnawaga, St. Francis,
La Presentation, and other places. The Moravians were apostles of peace,
and they succeeded to a surprising degree in weaning their converts from
their ferocious instincts and warlike habits; while the Mission Indians
of Canada retained all their native fierceness, and were systematically
impelled to use their tomahawks against the enemies of the Church. Their
wigwams were hung with scalps, male and female, adult and infant; and
these so-called missions were but nests of baptized savages, who wore
the crucifix instead of the medicine-bag, and were encouraged by the
Government for purposes of war.[655]

[Footnote 654: _Forbes to Bouquet, 18 Aug. 1758._]

[Footnote 655: Of the Hurons of the mission of Lorette, Bougainville
says: "Ils sont toujours sauvages autant que ceux qui sont les moins
apprivoises." And yet they had been converts under Jesuit control for
more than four generations. The case was no better at the other
missions; and at St Francis it seems to have been worse.]

The Moravian envoy made his way to the Delaware town of Kushkushkee, on
Beaver Creek, northwest of Fort Duquesne, where the three chiefs known
as King Beaver, Shingas, and Delaware George received him kindly, and
conducted him to another town on the same stream. Here his reception was
different. A crowd of warriors, their faces distorted with rage,
surrounded him, brandishing knives and threatening to kill him; but
others took his part, and, order being at last restored, he read them
his message from the Governor, which seemed to please them. They
insisted, however, that he should go with them to Fort Duquesne, in
order that the Indians assembled there might hear it also. Against this
dangerous proposal he protested in vain. On arriving near the fort, the
French demanded that he should be given up to them, and, being refused,
offered a great reward for his scalp; on which his friends advised him
to keep close by the camp-fire, as parties were out with intent to kill
him. "Accordingly," says Post, "I stuck to the fire as if I had been
chained there. On the next day the Indians, with a great many French
officers, came out to hear what I had to say. The officers brought with
them a table, pens, ink, and paper.