blankets were all moth eaton and good fornot'g. I was advised not to take the blankets, but the blankets which I and my People then had being all torn by the briars in our passage thro' the wilderness, we were under the necessity of taking them to keep ourselves warm; and what most surprised me, was that after I had received the goods they extinguished the fire and swept away the ashes, and having no interpreter there I would talk with no one upon the subject.— Feeling myself much hurt upon the occasion, I wrote a letter to you Fathers of the Quaker State, complaining of the injury, but never received any answer. Having waited a considerable time, and having heard that my letter got lost, I wrote a second time to you Fathers of the Quaker State and then I received an answer.

I am very thankfull to have received this answer, and as the answer intreated me to come and speak for myself, I thank God that I have this opportunity, I therefore, speak to you as follows. I hope that you, Fathers of the Quaker State, will fix some person at Fort Pitt to take care of me and my People. I wish, and it is the wish of my People if agreeable to you that my present interpreter Joseph Nicholson, may be the person, as I and my People have a confi dence in him, and are satisfied that he will always exert himself to preserve peace and harmony between you and us. My reasons for wishing an interpreter to be placed there, are that often times when my hunters and People come there, their canoes and other things are stolen, and they can obtain no redress, not having any person there on whom they can rely to interpret for them and see justice done to them..

Fathers of the Quaker State:-About a year ago a young man one of my Tribe who lived among the Shawanese, was one of a party who had committed some outrages and stolen a quantity of skins the property of David Duncan, being at Fort Pitt, was seized by the White People there who would have put him into confinement and perhaps to death had not some of the Chiefs of the Seneca Nation, interfered and bound themselves to the said David Duncan, who insisted upon satisfaction, for payment of the sum of five hundred and thirty dollars for the said skins so stolen, upon which the young man aforesaid was released an i delivered up to them.

There

Fathers of the Quaker State:-I wish now to acquaint you with what happened to one of my people about four years ago, four miles above Fort Pitt: A young man who was married to my wife's sister, when he was hunting, was murdered by a white man. were three reasons for his being killed: In the first place he had a very fine riding horse; secondly, he was very richly drest, and had about him a good deal of silver; and thirdly, he had with him a very fine rifle. The white man invited him to his house, to light from his horse, and as he was getting off his horse, his head being rather down, the white man struck him with a tomahawk on the head and killed him, and having plundered him dragged him into the river. Upon the discovery of the murder, my people, with Mr.

Nicholson and Mr. Duncan, had a great deal of trouble, and took a great deal of pains to find out the person who had committed the murder, and after three days' searching, they discovered him.

Fathers of the Quaker State :-About five years ago, one of my Cheifs, named Half Town, was sent to Fort Pitt to deliver up into your hands your own flesh and blood who were taken in the war, and before he returned two horses were stolen from him by the white people. Now, Fathers, I will inform you of another accident which happened to my people last winter, fifteen miles below Fort Pitt. My nephew, with a hunting party, being there, was shot thro' the head in Mr. Nicholson's camp, the particulars of which Mr. Nicholson, who is here present can inform you of.

Well, Fathers, I beg of you once more not to let such bad people be 'longside of me. And, Fathers, you must not think I or any of my people are bad or wish evil to you or yours, nor must you blame us for mischiefs that have been committed by the other nations. Fathers, consider me and my people, and the many injuries we have sustained by the repeated robberies, and in the murders & depredations committed by the whites against us.

It is my wish and the wishes of my people to live peaceably and quietly with you and yours, but the losses we have sustained require some compensation. I have, with the consent of my people, agreed to receive from you eight hundred and thirty dollars, as a satisfaction for all losses and injuries I and my people have sustained, and this being paid me by you, to enable me to satisfy such of my people as have sustained those losses and suffered those inju ries, we shall, I hope, in future live peaceable together, and bury in the earth all ill will and enmity to each other.

Fathers of the Quaker State :—I have now had the pleasure to meet you with six of my people. We have come a great way, by your desire, to talk with you and to shew to you the many injuries my nation has sustained. It now remains with you to do with me and my people what you please, on account of the present trouble which I and my people have taken for your satisfaction, and in compliance with your request.

Fathers, having come this great way at your request, and as it is necessary for some of us to remain here to talk with the Thirteen Fires when they meet, I have concluded to send back four of my people, and to remain here myself with Half Town and my interpreter, Mr. Nicholson, untill that time, which I hope you will approve of. But should you not approve of it, I must be under the necessity of returning with the whole of my people, which will be attended with a considerable expence.

Fathers of the Quaker State :--You have now got the most of our lands, and have taken the game upon the same. We have only the privilege of hunting and fishing thereon. I, therefore, would make this further request, that a store may be established at Fort Pitt for the accommodation of my people and the other ns ons when they go out to hunt; and where they may purchase goods at

a reasonable price. For, believe me, Fathers, you yourselves would be frightened were you to know the extravagent prices we are obliged to pay for the goods we purchase.

There is a man (Esquire Wilkie,) in Pittsburg, who has taken a great deal of pains to serve my people, and has pitied them; my people, when there, are very kindly treated by him, and give him a great deal of trouble, but he thinks nothing of it; he is the man my people wish should have the charge of the store.

Fathers of the Quaker State :-I have heard that you have been pleased to present to me a tract of land, but as yet I have seen no writings for the same; well, Fathers, if it is true that you have given me this tract of land, I can only thank you for the same, but I hope you will also give me tools and materials for working the same.

Fathers of the Quaker State:--Five years ago, when I used to be with my present interpreter Joseph Nicholson, he took care of me and my people. Considering his services and the difficulties he underwent in his journey from Muskingum to. Fort Pitt, the Six Nations wished to have him seated upon a tract of land of six miles square, lying in the Forks of Allegany river, and Broken Straw creek, and accordingly patented the same to him, this being the place where a battle was fought between my people and yours, and where about thirty of my people were beaten by him and twenty-five of your people, and where he was shot thro' the thigh. Now, Fathers, it is my wish, and I tell you it is the wish of the whole six nations, in behalf of whom and myself, I request that you would grant and confirm to our brother and friend, the before named Joseph Nicholson, the aforesaid tract of land, as described in our patent or grant to him.

This, Fathers, is all I have to say to the Quaker State, and I hope you will consider well all I have mentioned.

Philadelphia, October.

his

CORNPLANTER,

mark.

his

HALF TOWN,

mark.

his

BIG TREE,

mark.

his

JAMES HUTCHINS.

mark.
his

SENECA BILLY,

mark.

his

JOHN DECKART,

mark.

The Council met.

PHILADELPHIA, Saturday, October 30th, 1790.

PRESENT:

His Excellency THOMAS MIFFLIN, Esquire, President.

Mr. Samuel Miles, Lord Butler,

Zebulun Potts,

Richard Willing,

James Martin,

Nathaniel Breading, and
Amos Gregg,

Esquires.

The Comptroller and Register General's reports upon the accounts of George Wall, Esquire, Agent for the sale of Confiscated Estates in Bucks county, for his commissions and the expences attending the sale of a tract of sixteen acres of land in Bensalem township, in the said county, forfeited by the attainder of Samuel Biles of high treason, which was read approved in Council on the thirtieth day of June last, was this day laid before the Board; and thereupon, an order was drawn upon the Treasurer for the sum of nine pounds eight shillings and one penny, in favor of the said George Wall, being due to him for the expences aforesaid.

And a certificate for the sum of £2 17 2,'was directed to issue to Mr. Wall for his commission upon the said sale.

A draft of a letter to the Cornplanter and the five Indians who accompanied him, in answer to the representation which they made to Council yesterday, was laid before the Board, read and adopted as follows, vizt:

In Council, Philadelphia, October 30th, 1790.

BROTHERS :-Council have seriously considered the several matters which you laid before them yesterday morning, and assure you that it is their sincere desire to have all your complaints examined into and satisfactorily and speedily removed..

But the change which has been made in the government of the State, puts it out of the power of this Council to give special answers to the most material parts of your speech.

On the first Tuesday of next December, the Legislature of Pennsylvania will meet under the new form of Government, and on the twenty-fourth of the same month the new Governor will commence his administration.

When those events take place, your speech, together with such further representation of a public nature, which you may think proper to make to us, shall be faithfully communicated to the new Government for their consideration and decision.

There are, however, two points on which we may with propriety now decide.

The first, the grant to the Cornplanter of one thousand five hundred acres of land by the General Assembly, on the twenty-fourth day of March, 1789.

We would long ago have ordered the survey of the land for the Cornplanter, but being willing to gratify him in his choice of a tract, we instructed General Butler to consult with him on that subject, and have waited to this time for his determination.

If he will inform us in what part of the unlocated lands of the State he wishes his survey to be made, we will order the Surveyor General to have the tract laid out without further delay.

The second point on which we shall decide, is the Cornplanter's request, that Half Town and Mr. Nicholson may remain with him in Philadelphia untill the meeting of the Legislature of the United States, or untill the President shall arrive here.

We cheerfully comply with that request, and approved of his sending back the other Chiefs and Warriors.

And in order to make the residence of the Cornplanter, Half Town and Mr. Nicholson in Philadelphia, as convenient and agreebly as possible, Council will instruct their Secretary to provide suitable lodgings for them in a private family.

Chiefs and Warriors who are to return to the Seneca Nation— We desire you to inform the Seneca Nation that the Government of Pennsylvania entertain sentiments of the most sincere friendship for them, and are anxious to prevent injuries being done by its citizens to their persons and property.

But as evil disposed men exist in every society, and as violence may sometimes be committed by such men upon the persons and property of the Indians, the Government will think it their duty upon complaint being made of such violence having been commited, to endeavour to have the offenders apprehended and brought to Justice.

In the instance of the Walkers and Doyle, this Council has done everything in their power to have them secured and brought to tryal, they have succeeded only with respect to Doyle, but will continue their exertions for the securing of the Walkers.

Doyle will be conveyed next week to Sunbury under a strong gaurd, to stand his trial; should he be convicted, there is little doubt of his being capitally punished.

We wish you may arrive at your own homes in good health, and find your families in the possession of the same blessings.

THOMAS MIFFLIN.