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IV.

CHA P. Duty: But you must take Care of the Indians below the Town, place them nearer the Town, fo as they may be of moft Service to you.

Here we see the Mohawks acting like hearty Friends, and if the Value of the Belts given at that Time be confidered, together with what they faid on that Occafion, they gave the ftrongest Proofs of their Sincerity. Each of thefe Belts amount to a large Sum in the Indian Account.

The English of New-York and the French of Canada were now entering into a War, in which the Part the Five Nations are to take is of the greatest Confequence to both; the very Being of the French Colony depended on it, as well as the Safety of the English. The Indians at this Time had the greatest Averfion to the French, and they defired nothing fo much, as that the English might join heartily in this War. We fhall fee by the Sequel how a publick Spirit, directed by wife Counfels, can overcome all Difficulties, while a felfifh Spirit lofes all, even natural Advantages. In the prefent Cafe, the Turn Things took feems to have been entirely owing to one Thing. The French in making the Count de Frontenac Governor of Canada, chofe the Man every Way the best qualified for this Service: The English feemed to have little Regard to the Qualification of the Person they fent, but to gratify a Relation or a Friend, by giving him an Opportunity to make a Fortune; and as he knew that he was recommended with this View, his Counfels were chiefly employed for this Purpose.

By this Means an English Governor generally wants the Efteem of the People; while they think that a Governor has not the Good of the People in View, but his own, they on all Occafions are jealous of him; fo that even a good Governor, with more Difficulty, purfues generous Purposes and publick Benefits, because the People fufpect them to be mere Pretences to cover a private Defign. It is for this Reafon, that any Man, oppofing a Governor, is

fure

fure to meet with the Favour of the People, almoft
in every Cafe.
On the other Hand, the Opinion
the French had of the Count de Frontenac's publick
Spirit, and of his Wisdom and Diligence, made them
enter into all his Measures without hefitating, and
chearfully obey all his Commands.

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The Five Nations continue the War with the
French; the Mohawks incline to Peace ;
their Conferences with the Governor of New-
York.

TH

V.

HE Governor of Canada received Hopes that CHAP. the Five Nations inclined to Peace, by their returning an Anfwer to Therawaet's Meffage, and thought he might now venture to fend fome French to them with further. Propofals. The Chevalier D'O, with an Interpreter called Collin, and fome others, went; but they had a much warmer Reception than they expected, being forced to run the Gauntlet through a long Lane of Indians, as they entered their Caftle, and were afterwards delivered up Prisoners to the English.

The Five Nations kept out at this Time small Parties, that continually haraffed the French. The Count de Frontenac fent Captain Louvigni to Mifflimakinak, to relieve the Garison, and he had Orders, by all Means, to prevent the Peace which the Utawawas and Quatoghies were upon the Point of concluding with the Five Nations. He carried with him one hundred forty three French, and fix Indians, and was likewife accompanied with a Lieutenant and thirty Men, till he got one hundred twenty Miles from Montreal. They were met in Cadarackui River,

at

V.

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CHA P. at a Place called the Cats, by a Party of the Five Nations, who fell vigorously on their Canoes, killed feveral of the French, and made them give Way; but Louvigni, by putting his Men afhore, at laft got the better, after a fmart Engagement, in which the Indians had feveral Men killed, and two Men, and as many Women, taken Prisoners. I am obliged to rely on the French Account of thefe Skirmishes they do not mention the Number of the Indians in this Rencounter, but I fufpect them to have been much fewer than the French; for when the Enemy are equal in Number, or greater, they feldom forget to tell it. One of the Indian Prifoners was carried by them to Miffilimackinak, to confirm this Victory, and was delivered to the Utawawas, who eat him. The Lieutenant carried the other back with him. He was given to Therawaet.

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To revenge this Lofs, the Five Nations fent a Party against the Iland of Montreal, who fell on that Part called the Trembling Point; and though they were discovered before they gave their Blow, they attacked a Party of regular Troops, and killed the commanding Officer, and twelve of his Men: Another Party carried off fifteen or fixteen Prisoners from Riviere Puante, over against Trois Rivieres, This Party was pursued, and finding that they were like to be overpowered, murdered their Prifoners and made their Efcape. These Incurfions kept all the River, from Montreal to Quebeck, in continual Alarm, and obliged the Governor to fend all the Soldiers to guard the fouth Side of the River. Notwithstanding this, five Perfons were carried away in Sight of Sorel Fort, by a small skulking Party, but they were foon afterwards recovered by the Soldiers. About the fame Time another Party burnt the Plantations at St. Ours.

The Five Nations had conceived great Hopes from the Affiftance of the English, as the Magif

trates

V.

trates of Albany had promised the Mohawks, when CHA P. they came to condole, after the furprifing of Schenectady; but the English were fo far from performing these Promises, that many of the Inhabitants retired from Albany to New York; and they who had the Administration of Affairs, were fo intent on their party Quarrels, that they intirely neglected the Indian Affairs. Indeed the People of New-York have too often made large Promises, and have thereby put the Indians upon bold Enterprizes, when no Measures were concerted for fupporting them. This made the Indians think, that the Eng lifh were lavish of Indian Lives and too careful of their own. The Mohawks, who lived neareft the English, were moft fenfible of thefe Things, and foon entertained Notions prejudicial to the Opinion they ought to have had of the English Prudence and Conduct; it is even probable, these Indians began to entertain a mean Opinion of both the English Courage and Integrity. It is not ftrange then, that the Mohawks at laft gave Ear to the affiduous Application of their Countrymen, the praying Indians, who, with French Arguments, perfuaded them to make Peace as foon as poffible, without trufting longer to the English, who had fo often difappointed or deceived them.

The Mobarks fent one of their Sachems, Odigacege, to the praying Indians, who introduced him to the Count de Frontenac. The Count made him welcome, and told him, that he was forry for the Injuries his Predeceffors had done them; but that he would treat them like Friends, if their future Conduct did not prevent him, and gave him a Belt, with Proposals of Peace to his Nation.

Colonel Slaughter, who was then Governor of New-York, being informed that the Five Nations were like to make Peace with the French, by their having loft much of their Confidence in the English Affiftance, found it neceffary to meet them, which

he

CHAP. he did in the End of May 1691.

V.

There were present at that Time fix Oneydo, eleven Onondaga, four Cayuga, and ten Seneka Sachems. He renewed the Covenant with them, and gave them Presents. The Mohawks having entered into a Treaty with the French, did not join with the other four Nations in their Answer.

On the second of June the Speaker, in Name of the other four Nations, told him, they were glad to fee a Governor again in this Place; that they had learned from their Ancestors, that the firft Ship which arrived in this Country furprized them exceedingly; that they were curious to know what was in its huge Belly. They found Chriftians in it, and among them one Jacques, with whom they made a Chain of Friendship, which has been preferved to this Day. By that Chain it was agreed, that whatever Injury was done to the one, fhould be deemed, by both Sides, as likewife done to the other. Then they mentioned the Confufion that had lately been in the Government of New-York, which had like to have confounded all their Affairs, but hoped all would be reduced to their wonted Order and Quiet. They complained of feveral of the Brethren leaving Albany in Time of Danger, and praised thofe by Name who ftaid, and then faid: Our Tree of Peace, which grows in this Place, has of late been much fhaken, we must now secure and faften its Roots; we muft frequently manure and dress it, that its Roots may spread far.

They affured the Governor, that they were refolved to profecute the War against the French as long as they lived, and that they would never speak of Peace, but with the common Confent. They abhor those that do otherwife, and defired that the Brethren might not keep a Correspondence with Canada by Letters. You need not (faid they) press us to mind the War, we mind it above all Things; do you but your Parts, lay afide all other Thoughts

but

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