[Footnote A:  Anthony Shane.]

Tecumseh was on the island of Bois Blanc, in the Detroit river, when commodore Perry made the first display of his fleet before Malden.  He appeared much pleased at the appearance of these vessels, and assured the Indians by whom he was surrounded, that the British fleet would soon destroy them.  The Indians hastened to the shore to witness the contest, but the harbour of Malden presented no evidence that commodore Barclay intended to meet the American commander.  Tecumseh launched his canoe, and crossed over to Malden to make enquiries on the subject.  He called on general Proctor, and adverting to the apparent unwillingness of commodore Barclay to attack the American fleet, he said “a few days since, you were boasting that you commanded the waters—­why do you not go out and meet the Americans?  See yonder, they are waiting for you, and daring you to meet them:  you must and shall send out your fleet and fight them.”  Upon his return to the island, he stated to the Indians, with apparent chagrin, that “the big canoes of their great father were not yet ready, and that the destruction of the Americans must be delayed for a few days."[A]

[Footnote A:  Ibid.]

When the battle was finally fought, it was witnessed by the Indians from the shore.  On the day succeeding the engagement, general Proctor said to Tecumseh, “my fleet has whipped the Americans, but the vessels being much injured, have gone into Put-in Bay to refit, and will be here in a few days.”  This deception, however, upon the Indians, was not of long duration.  The sagacious eye of Tecumseh soon perceived indications of a retreat from Malden, and he promptly enquired into the matter.  General Proctor informed him that he was only going to send their valuable property up the Thames, where it would meet a reinforcement, and be safe.  Tecumseh, however, was not to be deceived by this shallow device; and remonstrated most urgently against a retreat.  He finally demanded, in the name of all the Indians under his command, to be heard by the general, and, on the 18th of September, delivered to him, as the representative of their great father, the king, the following speech: 

“Father, listen to your children! you have them now all before you.

“The war before this, our British father gave the hatchet to his red children, when our old chiefs were alive.  They are now dead.  In that war our father was thrown on his back by the Americans; and our father took them by the hand without our knowledge; and we are afraid that our father will do so again at this time.

“Summer before last, when I came forward with my red brethren and was ready to take up the hatchet in favor of our British father, we were told not to be in a hurry, that he had not yet determined to fight the Americans.

“Listen! when war was declared, our father stood up and gave us the tomahawk, and told us that he was then ready to strike the Americans; that he wanted our assistance, and that he would certainly get our lands back, which the Americans had taken from us.