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ceived fuch a Blow. They faid their Strength was quite broke, by the Continuance of the War; but they added, if all the English Colonies would join, they could ftill eafily take Canada: Their being fo ill armed, was the Reafon (they faid) that the French had now escaped.

The French, continued they, arm their Indians compleatly, and furnish them with every Thing neceffary for War, as we find every Time we meet with them.

The French had got a great Quantity of Furs, and other Peltry, at Miffilimakinak, by their Trade with the Indians; but the Five Nations had fo effectually blocked up the Paffage between that and Canada, that they had remained there useless to the French for feveral Years. The Count de Frontenac, after his Success against the Mohawks, was in Hopes the Five Nations would keep more at home in Defence of their own Caftles, and with thefe Hopes fent a Lieutenant, with eighteen Canadians, and twenty praying Indians, to open the Paffage to Miffilimakinak; but this Party fell in with another of the Five Nations, who entirely routed them, so that a few escaped only, to give an Account of their Miffortune; at laft 200 Canoes, loaded with Furs from Miffilimakinak, arrived at Montreal, which gave as univerfal a Joy to Canada, as the Atrival of the Galleons give in Spain.

CHAP. X.

The Treaties and Negotiations the Five Nations bad with the English and French, in the Years 1693 and 1694.

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S by this Time the Reader may be tired with the horrid Scenes of a barbarous War, it may be fome Relief to obferve the Indian Genius in the Arts of negotiating, and fee how a barbarous People, with

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out any of the Arts and Sciences in which we value CH A P. our felves, manage their Intereft with the most learn- IX. ed, moft polite, and artificial Nation in Europe. The Five Nations were informed, that the Governor of Canada had received from Europe a very confiderable Recruit of Soldiers, and of all Sorts of Ammunition. This, with the great Lofs the Mobawks had lately fuffered, while they had been amufed by the English with great Hopes, and very little real Affiftance, made the Oneydoes, at laft yield to the Solicitations of the Jefuit Milet, to fend a Meffage to the French for Peace. It is probable he had the Art to influence the People at Albany to favour his Defigns, by giving them Hopes of being included in the Peace, as may be conjectured, from what will appear in the Sequel.

Coll. Fletcher being informed, that the Oneydoes had fent a Meffenger to Canada, fent for the Five Nations to Albany. He fpoke to them the third of July 1693.

He first excufed his not meeting them as he had promised, at the Time the Sap begins to run in the Trees, by Reafon of his having received a Commiffion to be Governor of Penfilvania, to which Place he was obliged at that Time to go. He put them in Mind with what Speed he came to their Affiftance last Winter, and how effectual, in all Probability, it would have been, had they only retarded the Enemy's March till he could have reached them: He advised them to guard against being drunk, and fhewed them the ill Confequences of it in Time of War.

Then he faid, "I have received Information, "that fome of the Brethren are wavering, and "inclined to Peace with the Enemy; and am af"fured, that fuch Thoughts must arise from the "Inftigation of the Jefuit Milet, whom fome of "the Brethren have fuffered to live fo long among "them, and whofe only Practice is to delude and

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"betray

CHAP." betray them. Let me therefore advise you to "remove that ill Perfon from among you.

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In the End he condoled their Dead, and made them a very confiderable Prefent of ninety Guns, eight hundred and ten Pound of Powder, eight hundred Bars of Lead, a Thousand Flints, eighty feven Hatchets, four Grofs of Knives, befides a confiderable Quantity of Cloathing and Provifions. This Prefent, he told them, their King and Queen had fent them, and renewed the Covenant for all the English Colonies.

The King ufually fends them a confiderable Prefent with every new Governor fent to New-York, which is not always applied as it is defigned. If this Present had been made fooner, it had been of much more Ufe to the English, as well as to the Five Nations.

The Five Nations the next Day fpoke as follows.

Brother Cayenguirago,

"We are involved in a bloody War, which "makes us fit in Sorrow and Grief; and being "about to speak of Matters of Importance, we, in "the firft Place, clear the Mouth and Throat of "our Interpretefs, by giving her these three Bever

Skins.

Then they repeated his Excellency's Speech, in Answer to which they faid,

"Brother Cayenguirago, we rejoice, that the "great King and Queen of England take fuch Notice of us, as we find, by the large Present fent us; we return hearty Thanks for the Ammunition especially.

"We are glad that our Brother Cayenguirago renews the Chain, not only between us and this "Government, but likewife with New-England, "Virginia, Maryland and Penfilvania; it fhall be "kept inviolable by us the Five Nations, as long

as the Sun fhines. We pray our Brother Cayen

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"guirago to have a watchful Eye, that none CHA P.
of the other Colonies keep any Correfpondence
"with the Enemy, but use their Endeavours to de-

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ftroy them. We heard nothing of what you "told us of the Priest Milet, who lives at Oneydo, "till we came to this Town. We have enquired "the Truth of our Brethren the Oneydoes, who con"fefs, that the Prieft fent an Indian to Canada with "Letters, which has surprised us very much.

"Brother Cayenguirago, you are our great Tree,

whofe Roots extend to the utmoft Bounds of this "Government; we defire you may not be disturbed "when any of our Prisoners misbehave, for they "are not countenanced by us; and all proper Me"thods fhall be taken, to prevent the like for the "future. In like Manner we beg you to take "Care, that none of the Prifoners you have cor

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refpond with the Enemy, as we fufpect the "Chevalier D' O. did; and that he was fent "with Letters to Canada by fome of our Brethren. "(He made his Escape from Bofton.)

"Brother Cayenguirago, In former Times our "Propofitions to one another were only Difcourfes "of Peace and Friendship, and in giving Prefents; "but how much is the Cafe altered of late? Now "we talk of nothing but War, and are continually

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prompting one another to it. As to our Parts, "we will keep close to the War to the laft Drop " of our Blood; and tho' we be toffed to and fro "with Storms, we will remain ftedfaft to the last "Man, as it was refolved by both in the Beginning of the War.

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"Brother Cayenguirago, we were told in our own "Country, not only that the King had made you "Governor of Pensilvania, but likewife that you "were preparing a Fleet to take Canada. O! what joyful News this was to our young Men. Sadagarus, the great Seneka Captain, was to command them. Now they faid, we need only make one

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hearty

CHAP." hearty Pufh, while the Fleet is before Quebeck. "Now there will be an End to this bloody War, "and all our Troubles; But alas, now we are come "here, we hear not one Word of this Defign.

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"Brother Cayenguirago, you are that flourishing "Tree that covers us; you keep the Chain bright; "we have one Requeft to make to you, that you σε may ftay with us, and not return to England; for t you know our Ways and Manners. If you have "any Thing to tell the King and Queen, write it to "them, for the King knows you to be a wife Man, * and will therefore believe you.

"Brother Cayenguirago, we are very glad to hear "that Penfilvania is come under your Government, bring their young Men here, with their Bows and Arrows and Hatchets in their Hands, for this "is the Place of Action. We are pleased that "the Showonons or Satanas, who are our Enemies, "have applied to you for Protection; and that you * fent them to us to endeavour a Peace, and that "you fent Chriftians with them, to conduct them "back again. We wish they were come to affift us against the common Enemy.

"Brother Cayenguirago, now we have done, but "muft tell you again, that we roll and wallow "in Joy, by Reason of the great Favour the great

King and Queen has done us, in fending us Arms "and Ammunition, at a Time when we are in the "greateft Need of them; and because there is fuch Unity among the Brethren."

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They made the Governor a confiderable Present of Furs, to fhew their Refpect to his Perfon; but they did not give one Belt to confirm any one Article; fo that the whole of it is, according to their Stile, only argumentative.

Coll. Fletcher not being satisfied with their Answer, concerning the Jefuit Milet, made this further Propofal to them. "As to Milet the Prieft, whom "the Brethren of Oneydo still harbour among them,

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