Thefe War-like Expeditions often prov'd Troublesom to the Colonies of Virginia and Maryland; for not only the Indians who were Friends to thofe Colonies, became Victims to the Fury of the Five Nations, but the Chriftian Inhabitants likewife were involv'd often in the fame Calamity.

For this reason about the year 1677. the Government of Maryland fent Coll. Courfey to Albany to make a League of Friendship between Virginia and Maryland on the one part, and the Five Nations on the other;" but this League was soon fhaken by fome Parties of the Oneydoes, Onondagas and Sennekas, who were out when this Covenant was made, and were ignorant of it. One of these Parties met with the Sufquehana Indians," who were in Friendship with Maryland, and fell upon them, kill'd four, and took fix Prifoners. Five of these Prisoners fell to the share of the Sennekas, who, as foon as they arriv'd in their Country, sent them back with Presents, to shew that they kept to their League with Maryland; but the Oneydoes detain❜d the Prisoner they had.

Another Party that went against the Canageffe Indians (Friends of Virginia) were furprized by a Troop of Virginia Horse, who kill'd one Man and took a Woman Prisoner. The Indians in Revenge kill'd four of the

Inhabi

Inhabitants, and carried away their Scalps, with fix Chriftian Prisoners."

The Mohawks all this while kept themselves ftrictly to their League, and fuffered none of their Indians to go towards Virginia and Maryland.

There is reason to think that the Dutch, who lived at Schenectady at that time, fpirited up the Indians against the English; For the Commander at Albany hearing that the Five Nations, (the Oneydoes efpecially) were in an Alarm from fome Jealousy that they had entertain'd of the English at New-York sent Arnout and Daniel, two Interpreters of the Indian Language, to perfwade them to come to Albany, in order to be affured of the English Friendship, and to have their Jealousy remov'd. Which the Interpreters having happily brought to pafs, Sweriffe, one of the chief Men or Sachims of the Oneydoes excus'd his Country-men at Albany, the 15th of February 1678,9. as follows,

"Father Corlaer ;

"VVE E are now come to fpea kto you of fome ftrange Occurences that have

"lately happened.

"Laft Harveft one of our Indians, call'd, "Treubtanendo, went to Schenectady to buy goods; he was told of the Mischief we had

"done

"done in Virginia; To which the People of "Schenectady added, That the English of this "Government were very Angry, and that "they would kill us.

"Soon afterwards another of our Indians, "call'd, Adagounwa, went to Schenectady, in "his way to Albany; He was told by the People there, That if he went forward to Albany he might fing to Morrow, for the "English there would bind and kill him; "Whereupon he and another Indian immediately returned, and brought this Report to "to our Caftle at Oneido.

"But we now see the Governors good heart, "notwithstanding of all this bad News.

"At laft the People of Schenectady told five "of our Indians, who intended for Albany, "That if they went forward they would all "be Dead Men; upon which one run im"mediately back, but the other four went

forward. This Man, (who is called Oun"wahrarihta) told us, That the other four "Men were taken by the English, and that two

or three hundred Men were upon their way "to fight us. Upon hearing of this, I ac"knowledge, that though I, Sweriffe, be a Sachem, I left the Affair wholly to our "Soldiers, feeing that they were Soldiers "who came against us; Whereupon our Men "immediately Refolv'd to Fortifie the Castle.

E

"While

"While this was doing the War-Shout was "raised. Our Men call'd out, That Horse-men 'came against us; Now we shall be put to it. "These prov'd to be the two Interpreters, "who being receiv'd into the Castle, our "young Soldiers, whofe Spirits had been vehemently raised, run round them with their "Hatchets in their hands, threatning to kill "them. But I, Sweriffe, did what I could to pacifie our Men, and told the Messengers, "That we would bear them to Morrow.

"Father Corlaer; We defire that your Anger << may be appeased, and that your Mind may "be quieted. We give no credit to the "ftories which our Indians brought us from

Schenectady, and we fhall not believe any "fuch Stories for the future Seeing all of us "to the Weftward, ev'n from New-York to the Sennekas, are under one Government, Why "is Schenectady the only bad place? for We "hold firmly to the Old Covenant.

Then he gave a Belt of Wampum (d)

He

(d) Wampum is the current Money among the Indians, it is made of the large Whelk Shell (Briccinum) and shaped like long Beads. With this, put upon ftrings, they make thefe Belts, which they give in all their Treaties, as figns of Confirmation, to remain with the other Party. The Wampum is of two forts, viz. White and Black; the Black is the rareft, and most valuable. By a regular mixing of the

He in the next place gave an account of what had happened in Virginia, And then faid,

"Father Corlaer;

"Have Pity on our Indian Prisoners, as "We have had on these Prisoners (viz. A Woman and her two Children) "which we now deliver to you, notwithstanding that they have been giv'n away, according to "our Cuftom. We pray therefore his Honour to take Pity on our People that a re "Prifoners, especially on the Indian Woman, "his Kins-Woman, whom he hath adopted as "a Grand-Child. Let them be Released, if alive, otherwise give us fome of the Canaftoga Indians in their room. As to the other "three Chriftian Prisoners, the Woman and "her two Children that are yet with us, We "defire firft to have our Indians Reftored, "or others in their room, before they be De"livered.

the Black and White they diftinguish their Belts with various Figures, which they often fuit to the Occafion of making use of them. Wompum is called Zewant by the Dutch in this Province.