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Early Western Travels

[Vol. i

6^th.—At seven o'Clock we set sail in Company with the Indians arrived at a pretty large Creek called Onchuago or fire Creek^[1] about twelve Leagues from Crooked Creek, where we went ashore and incamped, a fine Harbour; here we met seven familys of Ottawa Indians Hunting.

7^th.—We loaded our Boats, sent of[f] the Battoes with the Provisions and some Whale Boats to attend them, but before they had got two Miles they were obliged to return the Wind springing up so high that no Boat could live on the Lake. Continued our encampment here the whole day.

8^th 9^th & 10^th.—We continued here the Wind so high could not put out of the Harbour here the Indians gave us great quantitys of Bears & Elks Meat, very fat.

11^th.—About One o'Clock P.M. set sail, a great swell in the Lake, at Eight o'Clock got into a little Cove went ashore & encamped on a fine strand, about six Leagues
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London (1765), when the exploits of Pontiac were causing much attention, Rogers represents himself as having encountered that chief on his way to Detroit, and that the latter asked him how he dared to enter that country without his (Pontiac's) leave. This was probably a flight of the imagination, consequent upon his representing the Indian chief as the hero of the tragedy in the verses he was then preparing, known as Ponteach, or the Savages of America (London, 1766). See Parkman, Conspiracy of Pontiac, i, p. 165, ii, appendix B. The plain, unadorned account of Croghan, and the begging attitude of the Ottawa chief, are probably more in accordance with historical verity than Parkman's and Rogers's more romantic accounts.—Ed.

↑ The creek which Croghan calls "Onchuago" was Grand River, whose Indian name was "Chaeaga" (Sheauga), and which is thus designated on Evans's map of 1755, and Hutchins's map of 1778. Whittlesey, Early History of Cleveland (Cleveland, 1867), thus identifies this stream. Baldwin, in his "Early Maps of Ohio and the West," Western Reserve Historical Society Tracts, No. 25, thinks it is the Conneaut Creek; but that would be too far east to correspond with this description, and the present Geauga County takes its title from the Indian name of Grand River.—Ed.

[2] The creek which Croghan calls "Onchuago" was Grand River, whose Indian name was "Chaeaga" (Sheauga), and which is thus designated on Evans's map of 1755, and Hutchins's map of 1778. Whittlesey, Early History of Cleveland (Cleveland, 1867), thus identifies this stream. Baldwin, in his "Early Maps of Ohio and the West," Western Reserve Historical Society Tracts, No. 25, thinks it is the Conneaut Creek; but that would be too far east to correspond with this description, and the present Geauga County takes its title from the Indian name of Grand River.—Ed.

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