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"Lake, with this Belt of Wampum, and this other CH A P. "fmaller Belt to the Duke of York his Brother: And III. "we give you, Corlear, this Bever, that you may "fend over this Propofition.

"You great Man of Virginia, we let you know, "that great Penn did fpeak to us here in Corlear's "Houfe by his Agents, and defired to buy the Sufquebana River of us, but we would not heark"en to him, for we had faftened it to this Govern❝ment.

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"We defire you therefore to bear witness of what cc we now do, and that we now confirm what we "have done before. Let your Friend, that lives on the other Side the great Lake, know this, "that we being a free People, though united to the "English, may give our Lands, and be joined to "the Sachem we like beft. We give this Bever to "remember what we fay."

The Senekas arrived foon after, and, on the fifth of August, fpoke to the Lord Howard in the following Manner:

"We have heard and understood what Mischief "hath been done in Virginia; we have it as perfect "as if it were upon our Fingers Ends. O Corlear! "we thank you for having been our Interceffor, fo "that the Axe has not fallen upon us.

"And you Affarigoa, great Sachem of Virginia, "we thank you for burying all Evil in the Pit. We "are informed, that the Mohawks, Oneydoes, On"nondagas, and Cayugas, have buried the Axe al"ready; now we that live remoteft off, are come "to do the fame, and to include in this Chain the "Cahnawaas, your Friends. We defire therefore, "that an Axe, on our Part, may be buried with one "of Affarigoa's. O Corlear! Corlear! we thank you "for laying hold of one End of the Axe; and we "thank you, great Governor of Virginia, not only "for throwing afide the Axe, but more especially "for your putting all Evil from your Heart. Now

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CHAP." we have a new Chain, a ftrong and a ftraight III. "Chain, that cannot be broken. The Tree of "Peace is planted fo firmly, that it cannot be "moved, let us on both Sides hold the Chain "faft.

"We understand what you faid of the great "Sachem, that lives on the other Side the great Water..

"You tell us, that the Cahnawaas will come "hither, to ftrengthen the Chain. Let them not "make any Excufe, that they are old and feeble, or that their Feet are fore. If the old Sachems can"not, let the young Men come. We fhall not fail ❝ to come hither, tho' we live fartheft off, and then "the new Chain will be ftronger and brighter.

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"We understand, that because of the Mischief "that has been done to the People and Caftles of "Virginia and Maryland, we must not come near "the Heads of your Rivers, nor near your Planta"tions, but keep at the Foot of the Mountains "for tho' we lay down our Arms, as Friends, we "fhall not be trufted for the future, but looked on "as Robbers. We agree however to this Propofition, "and fhall wholly ftay away from Virginia: And "this we do in Gratitude to Corlear, who has been "at fo great Pains to perfuade you, great Governor "of Virginia, to forget what is paft. You are wife "in giving Ear to Corlear's good Advice, for we "fhall now go a Path which was never trod be"fore.

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"We have now done fpeaking to Corlear, and "the Governor of Virginia; let the Chain be for "ever kept clean and bright by him, and we shall "do the fame.

"The other Nations from the Mohawks Country "to the Cayugas, have delivered up the Susquehana "River, and all that Country, to Corlear's Go"vernment. We confirm what they have done by "giving this Belt. "

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Coll.

II.

Coll. Bird, one of the Council of Virginia, and CHA P: Edmond Jennings Efq; Attorney General of that Pro vince, came with four Indian Sachems, (according to the Lord Howard's Promife) to renew and confirm the Peace, and met the Five Nations at Albany in September 1685.

Coll. Bird accufed them of having again broke their Promise, by taking an Indian Girl from an English Man's House, and four Indian Boys Prisoners.

They excused this, by its being done by the Parties that were out when the Peace was concluded, who knew nothing of it; which Accident they had provided against in their Articles. They faid, the four Boys were given to the Relations of thofe Men that were loft; and it would be difficult to obtain their Restoration: But they at laft promised to deliver them up.

The Senakas and Mohawks declared themselves free of any Blame, and chid the other Nations.

So that we may still obferve the Influence which the French Priefts had obtained over those other Nations, and to what Chriftian like Purpose they used

it.

*

The Mohawks Speaker faid, "Where fhall I seek "the Chain of Peace? Where fhall I find it but "upon our Path? And whither doth our Path "lead us, but into this Houfe? This is a House of "Peace;" after this he fang all the Links of the Chain over. He afterwards fang by Way of Admonition to the Onondagas, Oneydoes, and Cayugas, and concluded all with a Song to the Virginia Indians.

The French Priefts however ftill employed their Influence over the Onnondagas, Cayugas, and Oneydoes; and it was easy for them to spirit up the Indians (natural

* The Mohawks Country is fituated between the other Nations and Albany.

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CHAP.ly revengeful) against their old Enemies. A ParIII. ty of the Oneydoes went out two Years after this against the Wayanoak Indians, Friends of Virginia, and killed fome of the People of Virginia, who affifted those Indians. They took fix Prisoners, but reftored them at Albany, with an Excufe, that they did not know they were Friends of Virginia. But Coll. Dungan on this Occafion told them, That he only had kept all the English in North-America from joining together to deftroy them; that if ever he fhould hear of the like Complaint, he would dig up the Hatchet, and join with the reft of the English to cut them off Root and Branch; for there were many Complaints made of him to the King by the English, as well as by the Governor of Canada, for his favouring of them.

We have now gone through the material Transactions which the Five Nations had with the English, in which we find the English purfuing nothing but peaceable and Chriftian-like Measures; and the Five Nations (tho' Barbarians) living with the People of New-York, like good Neighbours and faithful Friends, and generally with all the English alfo, except when they were influenced by the Jefuites; at the fame Time, one cannot but admire the Zeal, Courage, and Refolution of these Jefuites, that would adventure to live among Indians at War with their Nation; and the better to carry their Purposes, to comply with all the Humours and Manners of fuch a wild People, fo as not to be diftinguished by Strangers from meer Indians. One of them, named Milet, remained with the Oneydoes till after the Year 1694; he was advanced to the Degree of a Sachem, and had fo great an Influence over them, that the other Nations could not prevail with them to part with him. While he lived with them, the Oneydoes were frequently turned against the Southern Indians (Friends of the Englih fouthern Colonies)

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and were always wavering in their Refolutions against the French at Canada.

We shall now see what Effect the Policy of the French had, who purfued very different Measures from the English.

CHA P. IV.

Mr. De la Barre's Expedition, and fome remarkable
Transactions in 1684.

T

HE French, in the Time they were at Peace CHA P. with the Five Nations, built their Forts at IV. Taidonderaghi and Miffilimakinak, and made a Settlement there. They carried on their Commerce among the numerous Nations that live on the Banks of the great Lakes, and the Banks of the Miffiffipi; they not only profecuted their Trade among these Nations, but did all they could to fecure their Obedience, and to make them abfolutely fubject to the Crown of France, by building Forts at the confiderable Paffes, and placing fmall Garifons in them. They took in fhort all the Precautions in their Power, not only to restrain the Indians by Force, but likewise to gain their Affections, by fending Miffionaries among them. them. The only Obftruction they met with was from the Five Nations, who introduced the English of New-York into the Lakes to trade with the Indians that lived round them. This gave the French much Uneafinefs, because they forefaw, that the English would not only prove dangerous Rivals, but that the Advantages which they had in Trade, beyond what it was poffible for the Inhabitants of Canada to have, would enable the People of New-York fo far to underfel them, that their Trade would foon be ruined, and all the Intereft loft which they had gained with fo much Labour and Expence. The Five Nations likewife continued in

War

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