66

X.

vernor of Canada gave me. I brought Letters CHA P. "likewife for the Jefuit Milet, who was to read the "Paper to us." The Paper contained the Articles in French, in which the Governor of Canada was willing to make Peace.

But befides what Decanofora here tells, the French Accounts fay, that he brought two Belts underground (that is privately) from three Onondaga Ser chems, to affure the Governor of Canada of their particular Affection, which the Governor of Canada anfwered, by a private Belt to them.

As foon as Decanefora had done fpeaking, Colonel Fletcher rejected the Belt fent by the Governor of Canada, faying; If the Governor of Canada have any Thing to fay to me, let him fend fome of his People to Albany, and they fhall have Protecti

on.

Next Day Sadekanabtie, after he had fung a long Song, gave the following Account of their Negotiations with the Dewagunhas and Dionondadies, which they had undertaken by the Governor's Advice,

"We were afraid, fays he, to fend Meffengers "of our own People, and therefore we employed "two Prifoners we had of the Dionondadies with "the Governor's Belt. Some time after this, fome

of the Senekas hunting near the Dionondadies, two "of them were taken; but when they were carried to the Dionondadie Caftle, they were not "treated like Prifoners; they were ufed kindly, and fent back with the following Offers of "Peace.

"We are glad to fee you Face to Face to fpeak "to you, fince the Sun has been fo propitious to "fend home the Men that were Prifoners with you, "giving a few Strings of Wampum.

"We are glad of this Opportunity to tell you, that we have been both drunk in making War on

one

CHAP." one another; we now give you a Cordial to ease your Hearts, that there be no longer War between 66 us, by this Belt.

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"We are glad that you have fet the Doors open as far as Cayenguirago's Houfe, that we may free"ly go thither. Carry him this fecond Belt.

"Brethren, we thank you for having prepared a "Place for us at your General Council of Onondaga. "Our Country is every where free to you to treat "with us, by this third Belt.

"Brethren, our whole Country rejoiced when "you invited us into your Country, and from "thence to go where Cayenguirago dwells; be not "afraid to come to our Country, you fhall meet "with no Moleftation.

"Brethren, we thank you for putting us in "Mind of what was formerly agreed to, viz. that "when any ill Accident happens, we were to meet "together to compofe Matters, and not to revenge "it with War. We are now together to put "an End to all Mifunderstanding, by this fourth "Belt.

"Brethren, (we include all the Nations from the "Senekas Country to New-York in this Name) "hearken to us. We rend the Clouds afunder, " and drive away all Darkness from the Heavens, "that the Sun of Peace may fhine with Brightness over us all; giving a Sun of a round red polish

❝ed Stone.

"Brethren, we put the Hatchet into the Hands "of the Chightaghies, Twithtwies, and Odfirachies, "to war against you; but we fhall in three Days go to these Nations and take the Hatchet out of "their Hands; giving half a Stone Pipe.

"You Senekas are ftupid Creatures, we must "therefore warn you not to hunt fo far from your "Caftles, left you be hurt by any of thefe three "Nations

E

"Nations, and then blame us. They then gave CHA P. the other half of the Pipe.

"But Brother Cayenguirago, fays Sadakabnitie, do 66 not fuffer these Nations to come nearer than the "Senekas Country, left they difcover our Weak"nefs, and to what a low Condition the War has "reduced us. Thefe Nations have been fo long "in Friendship with the French, and are fo much "under their Influence, that we cannot trust them yet, or be too much upon our Guard against

''

"them."

Colonel Fletcher not being able to give the Five Nations any Affurance of a vigorous Affiftance, he called the principal Sachems to a private Conference on the twentieth. He asked them, whether they had made Peace with the Governor of Canada; they anfwered, that it only wanted his Approbation, and added, that they could no longer carry on the War without Affiftance. You have the whole Negoti ations before you, fay they, and we fubmit it to your Prudence.

He then allowed them to make Peace, provided they kept faithful in their Chain with the English; but told them, that as to his Part he could make no Peace with the Governor of Canada. They were under great Uneafinefs to leave their Friends in the War, they faid, and wished, fince neither the Governor of Canada nor he would receive Propofals by their Hands, that they might think of fome neutral Place to treat. The Governor answered, that he could neither receive nor fend any Meffage on that Head; and that Peace could be only made between them by the two Kings.

The Governor next asked them, whether they would permit the French to build again at Cadarackui; they answered, they would never permit it, and were refolved to infift on it, in all the ensuing Treaties, that he never fhall. Then the Governor

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CHAP. added, if you permit the French to build any where X. on that Lake, there will be an End to your Liber

ty, your Pofterity will become Slaves to the French: If ever you should permit them, I will look on it as an abfolute Breach of the Chain with us: If the French attempt it give me Notice, and I will march the whole Force of my Government to your Affiftance. We fhall find afterwards, however, that the Government of New-York was far from making good this Promife.

The Governor told them, that they had loft much of their Honour in creeping to the French, in fuch an abject Manner; for, fays he, the Governor of Canada's Paper, which you brought with you, fays, that you came in the most humble and penitent Manner, and begged Peace. To which they an fwered, the Governor of Canada has no Reafon to make fuch Reflexions, we have many of his Belts to fhew, by which he again and again fued to us for Peace, before we would hearken to him. But, replies the Governor, how came you to call him Father? For no other Reason, they replied, but because he calls us Children. Thefe Names fignify nothing.

They defired the Governor not to fay any Thing particularly of Cadarcakui, in his publick Speech that he was to make next Day, for they had, they faid, fome among them that would tell all to the Governor of Canada; and concluded, with wifhing that they had fome one, who could write and read all that the Governor had faid to them, that they might not forget any Part of it, when they come to confult and refolve on this weighty Affair, at their General Council at Onondaga.

Here we fee thefe Barbarians, thefe Savages, as we call them, acting with the greateft regard to the Treaties they had entered into with their Allies,

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and that at a Time when the Exigences of their own CHA P. Affairs, and when the faint feeble Affiftance, which their Allies had contributed in the common Caufe, would, among Chriftian Potentates, have been thought a fufficient Excufe for their taking Care of themselves feparately, in breach of the most folemn Confederacy they could enter into.

The Sachems of the Five Nations being met at Onondaga, to confult on the Terms offered by the French, they were divided in their Opinions; the Cayugas, and Part of the Senekas, were moft favorable to the French Propofals; but the major Part was abfolutely against allowing the French to rebuild a Fort at Cadarackui, nor would they confent to include all the French Allies in the Treaty, with fome of which they had particular Caufes of Animofity.

The Party that was most for Peace obtained Leave to go to Canada, to try whether they could obtain Terms lefs difagreeable. They accordingly went thither, within the Time prefixed by the Governor of Canada, for an Anfwer; and to make themselves more acceptable to the French, they carried thirteen Prisoners with them, and delivered them up. The Jefuit Milet was of this Number, who had been taken in the Year 1689, and one Jonfcaire, who had been long a Prisoner among the Senekas: He had been delivered up to a Family of the Senekas, that had loft fome confiderable Relation, and was by them adopted. He ingratiated himself fo much with that Nation, that he was advanced to the Rank of a Sachem, and preserved their Efteem to the Day of his Death; whereby he became, after the general Peace, very useful to the French in all Negotiations with the Five Nations, and to this Day they fhew their Regard to his Family and Children.