"We have a hundred and forty Men out-skulking "about Canada; it is impoffible for the French to at"tempt any Thing, without being discovered and ha"raffed by these Parties: If the French shall attempt 66 66 any Thing this Way, all the Five Nations will come "to your Affiftance, for our Brethren and we are but one, and we will live and dye together. We have "defired a hundred Men of our Brethren of Boston to "affift us here, because this Place is most exposed; but "if theGovernor of Canada is fo ftrong, as to overcome "us all united together, then he must be our Master, "and is not to be refifted; but we have Confidence in "a good and juft Caufe; for the great God of Heaven "knows how deceitfully the French have dealt with us, "their Arms can have no Succefs. The Great God "hath fent us Signs in the Sky to confirm this. We "have heard uncommon Noise in the Heavens, and "have feen Heads fall down upon Earth, which we "look upon as a certain Prefage of the Deftruction "of the French: Take Courage! On this they allim"mediately joined in finging and crying out, Cou"rage! Courage! " CHA P. III. An Account of a general Council of the Five Nations at ON N the 27th of December 1689, two Indians CHAP. came to Albany, being fent by the Onondaga III. and Oneydo Sachems, with feven Hands of Wampum from each Nation, to tell their Brethren in New-York and New-England, that three of their old Friends, who had been carried Prifoners to France, were come with Propofals from Canada; that there was a Council of the Sachems appointed to meet at Onondaga, and that they therefore defired the Mayor of Albany, Peter Scheyler, and fome others of their Brethren, to CHA P. to come thither, to be prefentand to advise on an AfIII. fair of fo great Confequence; for they were refolved to do nothing without the Knowledge and Confent of all thofe that were included in the Chain with them. The fame Meffenger told them, that fome Letters were fent to the Jefuit at Oneydo; and that they would neither burn, nor fuffer thofe Letters to be opened, till the Brethren fhould firft fee them. All that the Magiftrates of Albany did on this important Occafion, was to fend three Indians with Inftructions in their Name, to diffuade the Five Natious from entertaining any Thoughts of Peace, or yielding to a Ceffation of Arms. On the 4th of January one of the chief Mohawk Sachems came to Albany, to tell the Magiftrates, that he was to go to Onondaga, and defired the Brethren's Advice how to behave there; on which the Magiftrates thought it neceffary to fend likewife the publick Interpreter, and another Perfon to affift at the general Meeting, with written Inftructions; but no Perfon of Note, that had any Influence on the Indi ans, went. When the Meffengers arrived at Oneydo, they dif courfed privately with one of the Prisoners that had returned from France, and found that he had no Love for the French; but it is impoffible but that Indians, who had feen the French Court, and many of their Troops, must be surprised at their Grandeur: he complained however of the ill Ufage he had met with. The French chofe, on this Occafion, to fend firft to Oneydo, because of the Affiftance they expected the Jefuit, that refided there, would give to their Negotiation. I believe it will not be tedious to the Reader, that defires to know the Indian Genius, if I give a circumstantial Account of this general Council or Parliament of the Five Nations, that he may fee in what Manner a People that we call Savages behave on fuch important Occafions. On III: On the 22d of January the general Council was CHA P. opened at Onondaga, confifting of eighty Sachems in the first Place Sadekanaghtie, an Onondaga Sachem, rifing up, addreffed himself to the Meffenger of Albany, faying, Four Meffengers are come from the Governor of Canada, viz, three who had been carried Prisoners to France, and a Sachem of the Praying Indians that live at Montreal. The Governor of Canada notifies his Arrival to us, that he is the Count de Frontenac, who had been formerly Governor there; that he had brought back with him Tawerabet a Cayuga Sachem, and twelve Prifoners, that had been carried to France; then taking the Belt of Wampum in his Hand, and holding it by the Middle, he added, what I have faid relates only to one Half of the Belt, the other Half is to let us know, that he intends to kindle again his Fire at Cadarackui next Spring, and therefore invites his Children, and Dekanafora an Onondaga Captain in particular, to treat there with him about the old Chain. Then Adarabta the chief Sachem of the praying Indians stood up, and faid, with three Belts in his Hand, I advife you to meet the Governor of Canada as he defires; agree to this, if you would live, and gives one Belt of Wampum i Tawerabet fends you this other Belt, to inform you of the Miferics, that he and the reft of your Countrymen have fuffered in their Captivity; and to advise you to hearken to Fonondio, if you defire to live. This third Belt is from * Thurenfera, † Obgueffe, and Ertel, who fay by it, to their Brethren: We have interceded for you with Tonondio, and therefore ad Thurenfera fignifies the Dawning of the Day, and was the Name given by the Indians to the Jefuit Lamberville, who had formerly refided at Onondaga. † Monfr. le Marne, the Word fignifies a Partridge. Erfel fignifies a Rofe, the Name of fome other French Gentleman, for whom the Indians had an Esteem. vífe CHAP Vife you to meet him at Cadarackui in the Spring, beIII. caufe it will be for your Advantage. When this Sachem had done fpeaking, the Mohawk Meffenger fent from Albany delivered his Meffage Word for Word, as he had received it, without omitting the least Article. The Interpreter, while the Indian was fpeaking, read over a Paper, on which the Meffage was fet down, left any Thing fhould have been forgot. After this Canneboot a Seneka Sachem ftood up, and gave the general Council a particular Account of a Treaty made laft Summer, between the Senekas and the Wagunha Meffengers, (one of the Utawawa Nations) who had concluded a Peace for themselves, and seven other Nations, to which the other four Nations were defired to agree, and their Brethren of New-York to be included in it. He faid the Propofals made in feveral Propofitions were as follow. I. We are come to join two Bodies into one. Delivering up at the fame Time two Prisoners. 2. We are come to learn Wisdom of you Senekas, and of the other Five Nations, and of your Brethren of New-York. Giving a Belt. 3. We by this Belt wipe away the Tears from the Eyes of your Friends, whofe Relations have been killed in the War, and likewise *the Paint from your Soldiers Faces. Giving another Belt. 4. We now throw afide the Ax, which Tonondio put into our Hands, by this third Belt. 5. Let the Sun, as long as he fhall endure, always fhine upon us in Friendship. Here he gave a red Marble Sun as large as a Plate. 6. Let the Rain of Heaven wash away all Hatred, that we may again smoke together in Peace, giving a large Pipe of red Marble. *The Indians always paint their Faces when they go to War, to make them felves look more terrible to the Enemy. A Soldier in the Indian Language is expreffed by a Word, which fignifies a Fair-fighter. 7. Yonondio 7. Yonondio is drunk, but we wafh our Hands CHA P. clean from all his Actions. Giving a fourth Belt. 8. Now we are clean wafhed by the Water of Heaven. neither of us muft defile ourselves by hearkening to Yonondio. 9. We have twelve of your Nation Prisoners, who fhall be brought home in the Spring; there he gave a Belt, to confirm the Promise. 10. We will bring your Prisoners when the Strawberries fhall be in bloffom, * at which Time we intend to vifit Corlear, and fee the Place where the Wampum is made. (New-York.) The Speaker added, we will alfo tell our Friends the other Utawawa Nations, and the Dionondadies, who have eleven of your People Prifoners, what we have now done, and invite them to make Peace with you.' He faid further, we have fent three Meffengers back with the Wagunhas, in order to confirm this Peace with their Nation. After the Seneka Speaker had done, the Wagunha Prefents were hung up in the House, in the Sight of the whole Affembly, and afterwards diftributed among the feveral Nations, and their Acceptance was a Ratification of the Treaty. A large Belt was given alfo to the Albany Meffengers as their Share. The Belt of Wampum fent from Albany was in like Manner hanged up, and afterwards divided. New-England, which the Indians call Kinfhon (that is a Fish) fent likewife the Model of a Fish, as a token of their adhering to the general Covenant. This Fish was handed round among the Sachems, and then laid afide to be put up. After these Ceremonies were over, Sadekanabtie, an Onondaga Speaker, stood up, and faid, Brethren, *The Indians in this Manner diftinguish the Seasons of the Year, as the Time of planting Corn, or when it is ripe, when the Chefnuts blossom, &c. we III. |