CHAP. We are but a fmall People, and decline daily, by VIII. the Men we lofe in this War, we do our utmost to deftroy the Enemy; but how ftrange does it seem to us! How unaccountable ! that while our great King is fo inveterate against the French, and you are so earnest with us to carry on the War, that Powder is now fold dearer to us than ever? We are poor, and not able to buy while we neglect hunting; and we cannot hunt and carry on the War at the fame Time : We expect, that this Evil we fo juftly complain of be immediately remedied. Giving nine Bevers.

Brother Corlear, you defire us to keep the Enemy in perpetual Alarm, that they may have no Reft, till they are in their Graves; Is it not to fecure your own Frontiers? Why then not one Word of your People that are to join us? We affure you we fhall continue to carry on the War into the Heart of the Enemies Country. Giving eight Bevers.

We the Five Nations, Mohawks, Oneydoes, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senekas, renew the Silver Chain whereby we are linked faft with our Brethren of Alfarigoa (Virginia) and we promife to preferve it as long as the Sun fhall fhine in the Heavens. Giving ten Bevers.

But Brother Corlear, How comes it, that none of our Brethren faftened in the fame Chain with us, offer their helping Hand in this general War, in which our great King is engaged against the French? Pray Corlear, how come Maryland, Delaware River, and New-England, to be difengaged from this War? You have always told us, that they are our Brethren, Subjects of the fame great King. Has our King fold them? Or do they fail in their Obedience? Or do they draw their Arms out of our Chain? Or has the great King commanded, that the few Subjects he has in this Place, fhould make War against the French alone? Pray make plain to us this Myftery? How can they and we be Brethren, and make different Families? How can they and we be Subjects of the fame

1

fame great King, and not be engaged in the fame CHA P. War? How can they and we have the fame Heart, VIII. the fame Head, and the fame Intereft, as you tell us, and not have the fame Thoughts? How comes it, that the Enemy burns and deftroys the Towns in New-England, and they make no Refiftance? How comes our great King to make War, and not to deftroy his Enemies? When, if he would only command his Subjects on this Side the great Lake to joyn, the Destruction of the Enemy would not make one Summer's Work.

You need not warn us of the Deceit and Treachery of the French, who would probably infinuate 'Thoughts of Peace; but Brethren, you need not fear us, we will never hearken to them: Tho' at the fame Time, we must own, that we have not been without Thoughts of your being inclined to Peace, by Reafon of the Brethrens Backwardness in pushing on the War. The French fpread Reports among us to this Purpofe, and fay, that they had in a Manner concluded the Matter with you. We rejoice to be now affured of this Falfhood. We shall never defift fighting the French as long as we shall live. And gave a Belt of Wampum.

We now renew the old Chain, and here plant the Tree of Profperity and Peace. May it grow and thrive, and spread its Roots even beyond Canada. Giving a Belt.

We make the House clean, where all our Affairs' of Importance are tranfacted with thefe five Otters. We return you Thanks for the Powder and Lead given us; but what fhall we do with them without Guns, fhall we throw them at the Enemy? We doubt they will not hurt them fo. Before this we always had Guns given us. It is no Wonder the Governor of Canada gains upon us, for he fupplies his Indians with Guns as well as Powder; he fupplies them plentifully with every Thing that can hurt us. Giving five Otters.

As

As to the Dionondadas fetting two of our Nation at Liberty, we muft tell you, that it was not the Act of that Nation, but the private Act of one Perfon: We are defirous to make Peace with that Nation as foon as we can, upon honourable Terms. And gave a Belt.

The Mohawks, before they left the Place, defired a private Conference with the Governor, and told him, that they were all exceedingly diffatisfied, that the other English Colonies gave no Affistance, and that it might prove of ill Confequence. Captain Ingoldby promifed to write to them, and hoped it would have a good Effect.

CHAP.

IX.

CHAP. IX.

The French furprife and take three Mohawk Caftles.

TH

HE Praying Indians promifed their Endeavours to reconcile their Brethren the Mobawks to the French, on whom the French expected they would have much Influence; but their Endeavours proving ineffectual, their Correfpondence began to be fufpected. The French thought they did more Hurt than Good, by the Intelligence the Enemy by their Means received. The French in Canada began to lose their Spirits, by being obliged to remain fo long upon the defenfive, as the Five Nations gained more Courage by it. The Count de Frontenac thought it therefore abfolutely neceffary to undertake fome bold Enterprize, to fhew the Five Nations, that they had to do with an Enemy ftill able to act offenfively: An Attack on the Mohawks he thought would be most effectual for this Purpose, because it would fhew, at the fame Time,

that

that the English would not protect their nearest CHAP, Neighbours. As this was defigned to be done by IX. Surprize, the Winter Seafon was chofen for this Purpose, as leaft to be fufpected at fuch a Time; and when the Enemy could not, without great Hardship, keep Scouts abroad, to difcover them or the English give any Affiftance.

The Body of the French defigned for this Expe dition was put under three Captains of the regular Troops, and thirty Subalterns, and confifted of picked Men of the regular Troops of the common Militia of the Country of the Praying Indians, the Quatoghies of Loretto, Adirondacks, and Sobokies, who live to the eastward of Bofton, making in all about fix or seven hundred Men, fo that a great Part of the Force of Canada was employed in it. They were well supplied with all Sorts of Ammunition, Provifion, Snow-Shoes, and fuch Conveniencies for Carriage, as were practicable upon the Snow, and through fuch great Forefts as they had to país. The French at Canada have a Kind of light Sledges made with Skins, and are drawn by large Dogs on the frozen Snow.

They fet out from la Prairie de Magdaleine the 15th of January 1692-3, after having endured what might have been thought unfurmountable Hardships; they paffed by Schenectady at fome Distance from it, on the 8th of February, at which Time one that had been taken Prifoner, when that Place was facked, made his Efcape from them, and gave the People of Schenectady Intelligence of the French, who by an Express, immediately informed the Commandant of Albany. The Millitia was expeditiously raised, and a Lieutenant with fifty five Horfe was immediately dispatched to Schenectady; but no Care was taken to give the Mohawks Notice, which might have been done without much Danger, by fending up the South Side of the River, whilt the French marched on the North. The French, on

the

XI.

CHAP. the 8th at Night, reached the first Mohawk Castle, where there were only five Men, and fome Women and Children in great Security, their other Men being all abroad, thefe were all taken without Oppofition. The next Fort not far from it was in like Manner furprized, without any Oppofition, both of them were very small, and being next the English, not fortified.

Schenectady being the nearest English Settlement to the Mohawks, and but a little Way from their nearest Castle, many of them are always there. The Mohawks then in the Town were exceedingly enraged, that none went out to affift their Nation; fome were sent therefore out the next Day, to gain Information of the Enemy, and to give the Mohawks Notice; but they returned without doing their Duty.

The French went on to the next Mohawk Fort, which was the largeft; and coming to that in the Night, they heard fome Noife, and fufpected they were discovered: But this Noife was only occafioned by a War Dance, forty of the Indians defigning to go next Day upon fome Enterprize. The French approached the Caftle filently, and finding the Indians no way on their Guard, opened the Gate, and entered before they were discovered; but notwithtftanding this, and the Confufion the Indians must be in, this Conqueft was not without Lofs of Blood, the French having loft thirty Men, before the Indians entirely submitted: The French defigned to have put them all to the Sword, but their own Indians would not fuffer it, and gave Quarter: They took three hundred Prifoners, of whom one hundred were fighting Men. I have no Account of the Number of Mohawks killed, but no Doubt it was very confiderable.

When the Account came to Albany, how much the Mohawks, who were at Schenectady, were enraged, that no Affiftance was fent to their Countrymen

I

Peter