CHAP. venge fatiated, while the Quatogbies had a Being, I. foon convinced them, that no Extent of Country could fet bounds to that Paffion, when it rages in the Hearts of the Five Nations, for they foon after attack'd them in their new Settlement. The Quatoghies had the good Fortune to difcover the Five. Nations Time enough to make their Efcape, and fled to the Putewatemies, who lived a Day's Journey further, where they, and all the Neighbouring Nations, fecured themselves in a large Fort. The Five Nations followed, but, being in Want of Provifion, they could not attempt a Siege, and therefore propofed a Treaty with the Putewatemies, which was accepted. The Putewatemies acknowledged the Five Nations as Mafters of all the Nations round them, applauded their Valour, and promised them their Friendship, and to fupply them with Provifions; they would not however truft themselves out of their Fort, but fent out a Supply; and even this they did, only withDefign to do that by Treachery, which they durft not attempt by Force; for the Provifions were poisoned. The Treachery was discovered however to the Five Nations, by an old Quatoghie, who had a Son Prifoner among them; his Affection for his Son overcoming even his Hatred to his Country's Enemies. This Treachery highly enraged the Five Nations against the Putewatemies, and the neighbouring People; but Famine obliging them to retire at this Time, they divided their Armies into Parties, the better to provide for their Subfiftence, by Hunting; one of thefe Parties in their Chace fell in with a Village of the Chicktaghicks (called by the French Hinois) and furprized the old Men, Women and Children, when the young Men were abroad hunting; but the young Men, upon their Return, gathering together all the reft of the Villages, purfued this Party of the Five Nations, and recovered the Prifoners.

.I.

This was the first Time that the Five Nations had CHAP. been seen in thofe Parts, but their Name was become fo terrible, that the Chigtaghcicks, notwithstanding this Advantage, left their Country, and fled to the Nations that lived weftward, till the General Peace was fettled by the French, and not till on that Occafion returned to their own Country.

CHA P. II.

The Wars and Treaties of Peace of the Indians of the Five Nations with the French, from 1665 to 1683, and their Affairs with New-York in that Time.

N June 1665 Monfieur De Trafi appointed ViceRoy of America by the French King, arrived at Quebeck, after he had vifited the French Islands in the West Indies, and brought with him four Companies of Foot; and in September of the fame Year, Mr. Courfel arrived Governor General of Canada; he brought with him a Regiment and feveral Families, with all Things neceffary for establishing of a Colony. Their Force being now thus confiderably augmented, the French Governor refolved to chaftife the Infolence of the Five Nations; and for that Purpose, in the Winter, fent out a Party against the Mohawks, but these by the Cold, and their not knowing the Ufe of Snow Shoes, fuffered very much, without doing any Thing against the Enemy.

This Party however fell in with * Skenectady, a fmall Town which Corlear (a confiderable Man among the Dutch) had then newly fettled. When they appeared near Shenectady, they were almoft dead with Cold and Hunger; and the Indians, who were

*The French call this Town Corlear, from the Perfons Name who firft fettled there. It is fituate on the Mohawks River fixteen Miles from Albany,

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then

II.

CHA P. then in that Village, had intirely deftroyed them, if Corlear,(inCompaffion to his fellow Chriftians) had not contriv'd their Escape. He had a mighty Influence over the Indians; and it is from him, and in Remembrance of his Merit, that all Governors of NewYork are called Corlear by the Indians to this Day, tho' he himself was never Governor. He perfuaded the Indians, that this was a small Party of the French Army come to amuse them, that the great Body was gone directly towards their Caftles, and that it was neceffary for them immediately to go in Defence of their Wives and Children. This they believed, and readily obeyed; and as foon as the Indians were gone, he fent to the French, and supplied them with Provifions and other Neceffaries to carry them back. The French Governor, in Order to reward fo fignal a Service, invited Corlear to Canada; but as he went through the great Lake, which lies to the Northward of Albany, his Canoe was overfet, and he was drowned; and from this Accident that Lake has ever fince been called Corlear's Lake, by the People of New-York. There is a Rock in this Lake, on which the Waves dafh and fly up to a great Height; when the Wind blows hard, the Indians believe, that an old Indian lives under this Rock, who has the Power of the Winds; and therefore, as they pass it in their Voyages over, they always throw a Pipe, or fome other fmall Prefent to this old Indian, and pray a favourable Wind. The English that pafs with them fometimes laugh at them, but they are fure to be told of Corlear's Death. Your great Countryman Corlear (fay they) as he paffed by this Rock, jefted at our Fathers making Prefents to this Old Indian, and in Derifion turned up his Backfide, but this Affront coft him his Life.

In the following Spring the Vice-Roy and the Governor of Canada, with twenty eight Companies of Foot, and all the Militia of the Colony, marched into the Country of the Mohawks, with a Defign to

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deftroy

II.

deftroy this Nation, which by their Wars not only CHA P. prevented their Commerce with the western Indians, but likewise often put their Colony in Danger. It' certainly was a bold Attempt, to march above 700 Miles from Quebeck through vaft unknown Forefts. The Mohawks however, on their Approach, Men, Women, and Children, retired into the Woods, and all that the French were able to do, was to burn fome Villages, and to murder fome old Sachems that (like the old Roman Senators,) chofe rather to dye than to defert their Houses.

The French were fo conceited before, of their Superiority over the Indians in their Skill of War, and their Weapons, that they thought they could not escape, but the little Honour or Advantage they got by this Expedition leffened their Vanity, and made them defirous of Peace; and the Five Nations remaining fearful of the French fire Arms, it was without much Difficulty concluded in the Year 1667.

The Five Nations however being naturally very enterprizing and haughty, one of their Parties fome Time after met with fome French in their hunting, and quarrelled with them. The Indians had the Advantage, they killed several of the French, and carried one Prifoner into their own Country. Monfieur de Courfel fent on this to threaten the Five Nations with War, if they did not deliver up thefe Murderers; and the Five Nations, to fhew their publick Difpleasure at this Breach of Peace, fent Agariata, the Captain of the Company that did the Mischief, with forty others, to beg Pardon; but Monfieur Courfel was refolved to make an Example of Agariata, and ordered him to be hanged in Sight of his Countrymen; and the French think that this Severity was a great Means of preferving the Peace till the Year 1683.

The Dutch, who fettled in the New Netherlands, now called New-York, in 1609, entered into an Alliance with the Five Nations, which continued without any

II.

CHA P. Breach on either Side, till the English gained this Country. The Dutch gained the Hearts of the Five Nations by their kind Ufage, and were frequently ufeful to the French, in faving those of them that were prifoners from the Cruelty of the Indians.

In 1664, New-York being taken by the English, they likewise immediately entered into a Friendship with the Five Nations, which has continued without the leaft Breach to this Day; and Hiftory, I believe, cannot give an Inftance of the most Christian or moft Catholick Kings obferving a Treaty fo ftrictly, and for fo long a Time as these Barbarians, as they are called, have done.

The English and French (Peace being every where fettled) now endeavoured to extend their Commerce and Alliances among the Indian Nations, that live to the weftward of New-York. The French however, in their Measures, difcovered always a Defign of conquering and commanding; for with this View Mr. de Frontenac, who had fucceeded in the Government of Canada, in the Year 1672, perfuaded the Five Nations to allow him to build a Fort on the north Side of Cadarackui Lake, under Pretence of a Store for Merchandife, and the Security of his Traders, and under the fame Pretence built féveral other Forts at fome other confiderable Places far in the Country.

The English and Dutch, on the contrary, prosecuted their Measures only with the Arts of Peace, by fending People among the Indians to gain their Affections, and to perfuade them to come to Albany to trade; but the War with the Dutch, which happened about this Time, prevented even these honeft Defigns from having the Success they otherwise might have had; for in the Year 1673, New-York being furprised by the Dutch, and restored the next Year to the English, the Alterations of Government, and of Mafters, obftructed very much any Measures that could have been taken for the publick

Good.