were, in Jenkins's words, 'eternally telling lies to the
Indians,' leading them to believe that a great army would
soon arrive to recover the forts. Towards the end of May
ambassadors arrived at Ouiatanon, either from the Delawares
or from Pontiac, bringing war-belts and instructions to
the Weas to seize the fort. This, as usual, was achieved
by treachery. Jenkins was invited to one of their cabins
for a conference. Totally unaware of the Pontiac
conspiracy, or of the fall of St Joseph, Sandusky, or
Miami, he accepted the invitation. While passing out of
the fort he was seized and bound, and, when taken to the
cabin, he saw there several of his soldiers, prisoners
like himself. The remaining members of the garrison
surrendered, knowing how useless it would be to resist,
and under the threat that if one Indian were killed all
the British would be put to death. It had been the original
intention of the Indians to seize the fort and slaughter
the garrison, but, less blood-thirsty than Pontiac's
immediate followers, they were won to mercy by two traders,
Maisonville and Lorain, who gave them presents on the
condition that the garrison should be made prisoners
instead of being slain. Jenkins and his men were to have
been sent to the Mississippi, but their removal was
delayed, and they were quartered on the French inhabitants,
and kindly treated by both French and Indians until
restored to freedom.

The capture of Forts Miami and Ouiatanon gave the Indians
complete control of the route between the western end of
Lake Erie and the rivers Ohio and Mississippi. The French