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CHAP. on the Twenty-fourth of that Month, Swerife, III. when he delivered them to the Commandant át Al☛ bany, and the Commiffioners for Indian Affairs, said,

"Brethren,

"We are come to this Place with much Trouble, "as we did laft Winter, and renew the Request "we then made, that fix Indians be delivered to <6 us in the Room of thefe fix Chriftians, in Cafe "our People, who are Prifoners, be dead. "None of us have gone out against the Chrifti"ans fince we were laft here; but we told you "then that fome were then out, who knew nothing "of the Governor's Orders, and we defired, that "if any Thing happened it might not be taken "ill. Now thirteen of our People, who went out "against our Indian Enemies, met eighteen Men on

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Horseback, as far from any of the English Plan"tations as Cabnuaga is from Albany, they fired upon our People; our Men, being Soldiers, re"turned their Fire, and killed two Men and two Horfes, and brought away their Scalps.

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"It would be convenient that the Governor "tell the People of Virginia, not to fend their Men "fo far from Home; for if they fhould meet our "Parties in their Way against our Enemies, the "Cabnowas, whom the English call Arogisti, we can"not anfwer for the Confequences.

"We have now observed the Governor's Orders, "in bringing the three other Christian Prisoners; and we truft the Affair of our Prisoners wholly "to the Governor.

"We have now performed our Promises: But "where are our Prifoners; or, if they be dead, "the others in their Room, now when it is fo late "in the Spring? However, we will still truft this to the Governor."

Then delivering the Prifoners one by one, faid, "We have, we fay, now performed our Promises,

" and

" and are not afhamed. We hope Corlaer, who CHA P. governs the whole Country, will likewife do that, III. "of which he need not be ashamed.

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"Corlaer governs the whole Land, from New"York to Albany, and from thence to the Sene"kas Land; we, who are his Inferiors, fhall faithfully keep the Chain: Let him perform his Pro"mife, as we have ours, that the Chain be not "broken on his Side, who governs the whole Coun"try."

Then the Commiffioners gave them Presents for their kind Usage of the Prisoners.

"Let

After which Swerife ftood up again and faid; "Corlaer take Care, that the Indian Woman, that "is wanting, be reftored, and, for thofe that are "killed, others in their Room. If Corlaer will not "give Ear to us in this Affair, we will not hereaf"ter give Ear to him in any Thing."

Hearing afterwards, that these laft Words were ill taken, Swerife, with two more of the chief Oneydoe Sachems, excufed it, faying; "What we faid, of "not hearkening any more to Corlaer, did not pro"ceed from the Heart, but was fpoken by Way of "Argument, to make Corlaer more careful to re"leafe our People that are Prifoners; and you may "be convinced it was fo, when you confider that it "was faid after your Anfwer, and without laying "down either Bever, or any Belt or Wampum, as "we always do, when we make Propofitions *; "therefore we defire, that, if it be noted, it may "be blotted out, and not made known to Corlaer, " for we hold firmly to our Covenant, as we said in "our Propofitions."

* The Word Propofition has been always ufed by the Commiffioners for Indian Affairs at Albany, to fignify Propofals or Articles in the Treaties or Agreements made with the Indians.

They,

CHAP. They, at the fame Time, told them, That the SinonIII. dowans came to them with eight Belts, defiring

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them no longer to profecute the War with the Vir ginia Indians, but to go to War against the Dewaganas t, a Nation lying to the North-westward and that the Sennekas did defire them to fet these Chriftians at Liberty, and to carry them to Albany; all which we promised to do.

The Five Nations continuing however still to be troublesome to Virginia, that Government, in September following, fent Colonel William Kendall, and Colonel Southley Littleton, to Albany, to renew and confirm the Friendship between Virginia and the Five Nations. Colonel Littleton died at Albany, before the Indians arrived; and Colonel Kendall spoke firft to the Oneydoes, and told them in a fet Speech," That "their People had taken away and destroyed their "Goods and People, and brought some of the Wo"men and Children of Virginia Captives into their "Caftles, contrary to that Faith and Promise, and in Breach of the Peace made with Colonel Courfey, without any the leaft Provocation, or Injury done, by the People of Virginia. However, "through the great Refpect Virginia has to their

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Nations, and by the Perfuafions of the Governor ❝ of New-York, and the Information he has given "the Government of Virginia, that they had qui"etly and peaceably delivered to him the Prifoners "taken from Virginia, who were returned fafely; "and their excufing the fame, and Inclination to "live peaceably, without injuring Virginia for the "future; the Government of Virginia did forgive "all the Damages the Five Nations have done to "the People of Virginia, though very great; pro"vided that they, or any living among them, for

* A Castle of the Sennekar, from whence the French call the Sennekas Tonontouan.

+ Comprehended under the general Name of Utawawas.

"the

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III.

"the future, do not offend, or moleft the Peo-CH A P. ple of Virginia, or Indians living among them." He spoke to the Mohawks and Sennekas, feparately from the Oneydoes, because they had not done any Mischief, and promised them kind and neighbourly Ulage when they came to Virginia, and gave them Prefents; they returned the Compliment, with an Affurance of their Friendship, and condoled Colonel A Littleton's Death, after the Indian Manner, by a Prefent of a Belt of black Wampum, befides the I Belt given, on renewal of the Friendship.

The Onnondagas did not come till November; on the fifth of which Month the Virginia Agent spoke to them, in the fame Words he did to the Oneydoes. It does not appear, by the Register of Indian Affairs, what Anfwer the Oneydoes and Onnondagas made, but it is certain they did not observe Friendfhip with Virginia, but molefted them with reiterated Incurfions of their Parties. It is obfervable, however, that these two Nations, and the Cayugas, I only had French Priefts among them at that Time, and that none of the reft ever molefted the English; for which Reason, Colonel Dongan, notwithstanding the Orders he had received from his Mafter, and that he himself was a Papift, complained of the ill Offices these Priefts did to the English Intereft, and forbid the Five Nations to entertain any of them; though the English and French Crowns, while he was Governor of New-York, feemed to be more than ever in ftri&t Friendship.

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The French had no Hopes of perfuading the Five Nations to break with New-York directly, but they were in Hopes, that, by the Indian Parties doing frequent Mischief in Virginia, the Government of New-York would be forced to join, in refenting the Injury, and thereby that Union, between the Government of New-York and the Five Nations, would be broke, which always obftructed, and often defeated, the Defign the French had, of fubjecting all

2.

North

4

CHA P. North America to the Crown of France.
III.

For this Reason, the Governors of New-York have always, with the greatest Caution, avoided a Breach with thefe Nations, on Account of the little Differences they had with the neighbouring Colonies. Thefe new Incurfions of these two Nations were so troublesome to the People of Virginia, that their Governor, the Lord Howard of Effingham, thought it neceffary, for their Security, to undertake a Journey to New-York.

I fhall give a particular Account of this Affair, which was thought of fuch Confequence, that a Peer of England left his Government, and travelled four-hundred Miles, to treat with the Five Nations; and fhall take this Opportunity of defcribing fome Ceremonies they ufe, in making Peace.

The Sachems of the Five Nations being called to Albany, eight Mohawks, three Oneydoes, three Onnondagas, and three Cayuga Sachems, met his Lordfhip there; and, on the thirteenth of July, 1684, he, accompanied by two of the Council of Virginia, fpoke to the Sachems as follows, in the Prefence of Colonel Thomas Dongan, Governor of New-York, and the Magiftrates of Albany. The Senekas being far off, were not then arrived.

Proposals made by the Right Honourable Francis Lord Howard of Effingham, Governor-general of his Majesty's Dominion of Virginia.

To

The Mohawks, Oneydoes, Onnondagas, and Cayugas.

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T is now about feven Years, faid he, fince you (unprovoked) came into Virginia, a Country belonging to the great King of England, and com"mitted feveral Murders and Robberies, carrying away our Chriftian Women and Children Prifo"ners into your Caftles. All which Injuries we

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