d made them smoke the pipe of peace with their offended
allies--he met and answered all the arguments suggested by the British
agents--and after fifteen days of constant and unremitting effort won
over the chiefs of the Mississinewa and gained the day.

The official account of the proceedings as made by Peter Jones,
secretary to the Governor, and now reposing in the archives of the
United States government, shows that instead of attempting to make any
purchase of Indian lands when only a small number of representatives of
the tribes were present, that the Governor on the eighteenth of
September, dispatched messengers to Detroit to summon certain Delawares
and Potawatomi who were absent; that on the same day he also directed
Joseph Barron to go to the Miami villages along the Wabash to call in
Richardville, one of the principal chiefs of that tribe. The records
also show that while the Governor had some private conferences with some
of the principal chiefs for the purpose of urging their support to his
plans, that he addressed all his principal remarks to the tribes in open
council of all the warriors, and at a time when four interpreters were
present, to-wit: William Wells, Joseph Barron, John Conner and Abraham
Ash, to translate his observations.

The first of these great councils was on September 22. The arguments of
the Governor, so interesting at this day, are set forth: "He urged the
vast benefit which they (the Indians) derived from their annuities,
without which they would not be able to clothe their women and children.
The great advance in the price of goods and the depression in the value
of their peltries from the trouble in Europe, to which there was no
probability of a speedy determination. The little game which remained in
their country, particularly that part of it which he proposed to
purchase. The usurpation of it by a banditti of Muscoes and other
tribes; that the sale of it would not prevent their hunting upon it as
long as any game remained. But that it was absolutely necessary that
they should adopt some other plan for their support. That the raising of
cattle and hogs required little labor, and would be the surest resources
as a substitute for the wild animals which they had so unfortunately
destroyed for the sake of their skins. Their fondness for hunting might
still be gratified if they would prevent their young men from hunting at
improper seasons of the year. But to do this effectually, it would