We passed a large and beautifully green island, formerly called Snake
Island, from the immense number of rattlesnakes which infested it. These
were destroyed by turning large herds of swine upon it, and it is now,
in compliment to its last conquerors and possessors, the swinish
multitude, called Hog Island. This was the scene of some most horrid
Indian atrocities during the Pontiac war. A large party of British
prisoners, surprised while they were coming up to relieve Detroit, were
brought over here, and, almost within sight of their friends in the
fort, put to death with all the unutterable accompaniments of savage
ferocity.
I have been told that since this war the custom of torturing persons to
death has fallen gradually into disuse among the Indian tribes of these
regions, and even along the whole frontier of the States an instance
has not been known within these forty years.