Thus closely did the orators, who were in other words the statesmen of the Five Nations, investigate the conduct alike of their enemies and their allies, and thus freely and fearlessly did they in all cases express themselves as they felt Characters of every description came under their cognizance. Manoeuvres and machinations, political and personal, were brought to bear upon them on all sides. The French emissary plied them at one turn, and the English peddler at the next; and they talked and traded with either or both, as the case might be, with the same indolent imperturbable gravity. Each party went away, perhaps, chuckling over the ease with which he had imposed upon savage simplicity, and flattering himself that their opinion of his honesty was at least adequate to his own opinion of his shrewdness. But the event proved otherwise. Decanesora once said to Major Schuyler, in reply to the latter's suggestion of fraud on the part of a Jesuit messenger of the French,--"We know that the priest favors his own nation. But it is not in his power to alter our affection to our brethren. We wish you would bury all the misunderstandings you have conceived on _his_ account,--_and we likewise wish you gave less credit to the_ rum-carriers _than you do._" This was a palpable hit, truly, and a deserved one. And thus, generally, were the Barbarian Orators, after all, upon the safe side. Nothing daunted their spirit. Nothing deceived their sagacity. CHAPTER V. Account of the Ottawas--Their first Chief-Sachem known to the English, Pontiac--His interview with Major Rogers--Protects that officer and his troops--Saves Detroit from an army of Indians--Hostility of the northern tribes to the English, after the conquest of Canada--Adventures of Henry--Anecdotes of Minavavana--Supposed feelings of Pontiac towards the English--His great project of combination. Having arrived regularly, according to the order observed in this work, at the commencement of the eighteenth century, we shall now turn our attention to a section of the continent hitherto mostly unnoticed, but which at that period began to be the theatre of important events, and to be illustrated by at least one character comparable to any in the whole compass of Indian annals. We refer to the vicinity of the Northern Lakes, to the numerous and powerful tribes resident in that region, and particularly to Pontiac.