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III.

CHA P." make it ftronger. (Then pointing to the three "other Nations, faid,) But they are Chain-break"ers. I lay down this as a Token, that we Mobawks have preferved the Chain intire on our "Parts. Gives two Bevers and a Racoon.

"The Covenant must be kept; for the Fire of "Love of Virginia and Maryland burns in this Place, "as well as ours, and this Houfe of Peace must be "kept clean. Gives two Bevers.

"We now plant a Tree *, whofe Top will reach "the Sun, and its Branches fpread far abroad, fo "that it fhall be seen afar off; and we shall shelter "ourselves under it, and live in Peace without Mo"leftation. Here he gave two Bevers.

"You propofed Yesterday, that if we were de"firous to fee the Indians of Virginia, you are will❝ing to fend fome of their Sachems next Summer, "about this Time, to this Place. This Propofal "pleases me very much, the fooner they come the "better, that we may fpeak with them in this

Houfe, which is appointed for our fpeaking with "our Friends; and give two Belts to confirm it.

"You have now heard what Exhortation we have "made to the other three Nations; we have taken "the Hatchet out of their Hands; we now there"fore pray, that both your Hatchets may likewise "be buried in a deep Pit. Giving two Bevers. "Affarigoa, fome of us Mohawks are out against "our Enemies, that lie afar off, they will do you "no Harm, nor plunder, as the others do. Be "kind to them, if they fhall happen to come to

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any of your Plantations; give them fome To"bacco and fome Victuals; for they will neither "rob nor fteal, as the Oneydoes, Onnondagas, and Cayugas have done.

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*The Five Nations always exprefs Peace by the Metaphor of a Tree.

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"The Oneydoes particularly thank you, great Sa- CHAP. "chem of Virginia, for confenting to lay down the III. "Axe. The Hatchet is taken out of all their "Hands. Gives a Belt.

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"We again thank Affarigoa, that he has made a new Chain. Let it be kept bright and clean, and "held faft on all Sides; let not any one pull his "Arm from it. We include all the four Nations, "in giving this Belt.

"We again pray Affarigoa, to take the Oneydoes "into his Favour, and keep the Chain ftrong "with them; for they are our Children. Gives a "Belt.

"The Oneydoes give twenty Bevers, as a Satisfac"tion for what they promifed the Lord Baltimore, "and defire that they may be discharged of that "Debt."

The two Governors told them, that they would ufe their Endeavours with the Lord Baltimore, to perfuade him to forgive what remained.

Then the Indians defired that the Hole might be dug, to bury the Axes, viz. one in Behalf of Virginia and their Indians, another in Behalf of MaAryland and theirs, and three for the Onnondagas, Oneydoes, and Cayugas. The Mohawks faid, there was no Need of burying any on their Account, for the firft Chain had never been broke by them.

Then the three Nations fpoke by an Onnondaga, called Thanobjanihta, who faid:

"We thank the great Sachem of Virginia, that he "has fo readily forgiven and forgot the Injuries "that have been done; and we, for our Parts, glad"ly catch at, and lay hold of the new Chain. "Then each of them delivered an Axe to be buri"ed, and gave a Belt.

"I fpeak in the Name of all three Nations, and "include them in this Chain, which we defire may 66 may be kept clean and bright like Silver. Gives a "Belt.

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CHAP.

II.

"We defire that the Path may be open for the "Indians under Affarigoa's Protection, to come fafely and freely to this Place, in order to confirm "the Peace. Gives fix Fathom of Wampum.

Then the Axes were buried in the fouth-eaft End of the Court-yard, and the Indians threw the Earth upon them; after which the Lord Howard told them, fince now a firm Peace is concluded, we fhall hereafter remain Friends, and Virginia and Maryland will fend once in two or three Years to renew it, and fome of our Sachems fhall come, according to your Defire, to confirm it.

Laft of all the Oneydoes, the Onnondagas, and Cayugas, jointly fang the Peace-fong, with Demonftrations of much Joy; and thanked the Governor of New-York for his effectual Mediation with the Governor of Virginia in their Favour.

Colonel Dungan had gained the Affections of the Five Nations, and they esteemed him much.

They defired the Duke of York's Arms to put upon their Castles, which, from the Sequel of their Story, we may suppose they were told would fave them from the French. Colonel Dungan defired them to call Home thofe of their Nations that had fettled in Canada.* To which they anfwered, Corlear keeps a Correfpondence and Friendship with Canada, and therefore he can prevail more than we can.

*The French Priefs had, from Time to Time, perfuaded feveral of the Five Nations to leave their own Country, and to settle near Montreal; where the French are very industrious in encouraging them. Their Numbers have been likewise increased by the Prifoners the French have taken in War, and by others that have run from their own Country; because of fome Mifchief that they had done, or Debts which they owed the ChriftiThese Indians are all profess'd Papifts, and for that Reason are commonly called the praying Indians by their Countrymen, and they are called Cabnuagas by the People of Albany, from the Place where they live; the French value them on Ac count of the Intelligence they give in Time of War, and their Knowledge of the Countries.

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Let Corlear ufe his Endeavours to draw our Indians CHA P. Home to their own Country.

The Government of the Maffachufets Bay had appointed Colonel Stephanus Cortland, one of the Coun cil of New-York, their Agent at this Time, to rer new their Friendship likewife with the Five Nations, and to give them fome fmall Prefents; which was accordingly done.

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The Governor of New-York, Colonel Dungan, concluded with this Advice to them: Keep a good Understanding among yourselves; if any Difference happen, acquaint me with it, and I will compofe it.. Make no Agreement with the French, or any other Nation, without my Knowledge and Approbation. Then he gave the Duke's Arms to be put up at each of their Caftles, in Hopes it might deter the French from attacking them, (as they were threatened from Canada) by this fo manifeft a Declaration of their being under the Protection of the Crown of England, when the two Crowns were in the ftrictest Friendship; but it is probable the French chofe this very Time to attack them, to bring them off from that Confidence they feemed to have in the Englifb.

It may be proper, before I proceed, to infert here alfo a remarkable Speech made by the Onnondagas and Cayugas to the two Governors, on the fecond Day of Auguft, viz.

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"Brother Corlear,

"Your Sachem is a great Sachem, and we are but "a fmall People; but when the English came first "to Manhatan,* to Aragifket and to Tekokranagary, they were then but a fmall People, and we "were great. Then, because we found you a good People, we treated you kindly, and gave you Land, "we hope therefore, now that you are great, and

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Maryland.

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CHAP." we fmall, you will protect us from the French. If you do not, we fhall lofe all our Hunting and "Bevers: The French will get all the Bevers. The "Reason they are now angry with us is, because we 66 carry our Bever to our Brethren.

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"We have put our Lands and ourselves under "the Protection of the great Duke of York, the Bro"ther of your great Sachem, who is likewife a great "Sachem.

"We have annexed the Sufquebana River, which "we won with the Sword, to this Government; "and we defire it may be a Branch of the great "Tree that grows in this Place, the Top of which "reaches the Sun, and its Branches fhelter us from

the French, and all other Nations. Our Fire "burns in your Houses, and your Fire burns with us; "we defire it may be fo always. But we will not "that any of the great Penn's People fettle upon the Sufquebana River, for we have no other Land to ❝ leave to our Children.

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"Our young Men are Soldiers, and when they are provoked, they are like Wolves in the Woods, as you, Sachem of Virginia, very well know.

"We have put ourfelves under the great Sachem Charles, that lives on the other Side the great "Lake. We give you these two white dreffed "Deer-skins, to fend to the great Sachem, that he 66 may write on them, and put a great red Seal to "them, to confirm what we now do; and put the

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Sufquebana River above the Falls, and all the reft "of our Land under the great Duke of York, and "give that Land to none elfe. Our Brethren, his

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People, have been like Fathers to our Wives and "Children, and have given us Bread when we were "in Need of it; we will not therefore join our"felves, or our Land, to any other Government

but this. We defire Corlear, our Governor, may "fend this our Propofition to the great Sachem Charles, who dwells on the other Side the great

"Lake,

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