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After the arrival of William Penn, the Propri. etor of Pennsylvania, he purchased of the Delaware Indians the country along that River below the Blue Mountains, supposing those tribes the only legitimate owners; but having been informed of the claim and powers of the Six Nations, he also negociated a purchase of them. Some difficulty arising between the Proprietaries and the Delawares respecting the limits of these purchases, the Delawares refused to give up possession; and as no accommodation appeared likely to take place, a messenger was sent from the Governor to the Six Nations, informing them of the circumstance and requesting them to send Deputies to meet in Council at Philadelphia with instructions upon all subjects in dispute.

Accordingly in the summer of 1742, the Chiefs and principal warriors of the Six Nations to the number of two hundred and thirty, repaired to Philadelphia where they met the Chiefs of the Delawares, and a General Council was opened in presence of the Officers of the Colonial Government and a large concourse of citizens, in the great Hall of the Council House.

The Governor by means of an interpreter opened the Conference on the part of the Proprietaries in a long talk, which set forth, that the Proprietaries 'of Pennsylvania had purchased the lands in the forks of Delaware several years before, of the Delaware tribes who then possessed them. That they had afterwards received information that the same lands were claimed by the Six Nations, and a pur- ·

chase was also made of them.-That in both these purchases the Proprietaries had paid the stipulated price; but the Delaware Indians had nevertheless refused to give up possession; and as the Six Nations claimed authority over their country, it had been thought proper to hold a Council of all parties that justice might be done. The Chiefs of the Six Nations were then informed that as they had on all occasions required the Government of Pennsylvania to remove any whites that settled upon their lands, so now the Government of Pennsylvania expected that the Six Nations would cause these Indians to remove from the lands which it had purchased. The Deeds from the Indians, and Drafts of the disputed lands were then produced, and the whole submitted to the consideration of the Council. After some deliberation among the different Chiefs, Connossalego, a venerable chieftain, arose in the name of all the Deputies and informed the Governor, "That they

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saw the Delawares had been an unruly peo"ple and were altogether in the wrong, and that "they had concluded to remove them." And addressing himself to the Delawares in a violent manner, he said, "You deserve to be taken by "the hair of your heads and shaken 'till you re66 cover your senses and become sober. We have

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seen a Deed signed by nine of your Chiefs above "fifty years ago for this very land. But how 46 came you to take upon yourselves to sell lands "at all? We conquered you-we made women "of you; you know you are women, and can no B*

more sell lands than women. Nor is it fit "that you should have the power of selling lands, "since you would abuse it. You have been fur"nished with clothes, meat and drink by the goods

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paid you for it, and now you want it again like "children as you are. But what makes you sell "lands in the dark? Did you ever tell us that 'you had sold this land? Did we ever receive "any part, even the value of a pipe-shank for it? "You have told us a blind story that you sent a

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messenger to us to inform us of the sale, but he 66 never came amongst us, nor have we ever heard "anything about it. But we find you are none of

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our blood, you act a dishonest part not only in "this, but in other matters. Your ears are ever to slanderous reports about your brethren. For all these reasons we charge you to remove instantly; we don't give you liberty to think • about it. You are women; take the advice of a wise man and remove instantly. You may re"turn to the other side of the Delaware where you

came from, but we do not know whether, con"sidering how you have demeaned yourselves, you will be permitted to live there, or whether you have not swallowed that land down your throats as well as the lands on this side. We therefore assign you two places to go to, either to Wyoming or Shamokin. You may go to either of these places, and then we shall have you more under our eye, and shall see how you behave. Dont deliberate, but remove away and take this belt of Wampum.77

He then commanded them to leave the Council as he had business to do with the English.

The influence of the Six Nations was too powerful to be disregarded, and the speech of Connassatego had its full effect; the Delawares immediately left the disputed country; some removed to Shamokin and some to Wyoming.

On their arrival at Wyoming the Delawares found the valley in possession of the Shawanese ; but as these Indians acknowledged the authority of the Six Nations, and knew that the removal of the Delawares was in consequence of their order, resistance was thought to be inexpedient; and the Delawares having taken quiet possession of a part of the Valley, built their Town of Maughwauwame on the east bank of the River upon the lower flat below the mouth of a small stream, and nearly opposite the first Island above the mouth of Toby's · Creek.* Such was the origin of the Indian Town of Wyoming. Soon after the arrival of the Delawares, and during the same season, (the summer of the year 1742,) a distinguished foreigner, Count - Zinzendorf, of Saxony, arrived in the Valley on a religious mission to the Indians. This nobleman is believed to have been the first white person that ever visited Wyoming. He was the Revivor of the ancient Church of the United Brethren, and had given protection in his dominions to the persecuted Protestants who had emigrated from Moravia, thence taking the name of Moravians, and

*Just below the present Town of Wilkesbarre.

who two years before had made their first settlement in Pennsylvania.

Upon his arrival in America, Count Zinzendorf manifested a great anxiety to have the Gospel preached to the Indians; and although he had heard much of the ferocity of the Shawanese, formed a resolution to visit them. With this view he repaired to Tulpehocken the residence of Conrad Weiser, a celebrated Indian interpreter, and Indian agent for the Government, whom he wished to engage in the cause and to accompany him to the Shawanese Town. Weiser was too much occupied in business to go immediately to Wyoming, but he furnished the Count with letters to a Missionary of the name of Mack, and the latter, accompanied by his wife who could speak the Indian language, proceeded immediately with Zinzendorf on the projected mission.

The Shawanese appeared to be alarmed on the arrival of the strangers who pitched their tents on the banks of the River a little below the Town, and a Council of the Chiefs having assembled, the declared purpose of Zinzendorf was deliberately considered. To these unlettered children of the wilderness it appeared altogether improbable that a stranger should brave the dangers of a boisterous ocean three thousand miles broad, for the sole purpose of instructing them in the means of obtaining happiness after death, and that too without requiring any compensation for his trouble and expense; and as they had observed the anxiety of the white people to purchase lands of the Indians, they nat

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