Governor Androfs, being acquainted by Letter with this laft Propofal of the Oneydoes, required the immediate Delivery of the Chriftian Prifoners, and promifed to write to Virginia to have the Indian Prifoners faved. Some prefents being given to to the Oneydoes, they answered,

"We Thank the Governor for his good "Inclination and Affection. Our Heart is "good, and we see his Heart is likewise good; "if it was otherwife we could not live: We "thank the Governor for the Present now giv'n "us: It is his wellcome from England.

"Father Corlaer, We are your Children, "and the Mohawks, your Brethren, are like"wife our Fathers. We rejoyce because your "Heartsare good. Since the Governor is "not fatisfied with thefe three Prisoners, we "have now unanimoufly Refolved to bring "the other three which are ftill with us, as "foon as poffible; but the Rivers are now fo "full of Water, that we cannot bring them this "Moon, but the next Moon, I, Sweriffe, pro"mife to come with them.

"We obey the Governor's Orders, that "we may not be afhamed, and therefore We "Release all the Prifoners. We hope the "Governor will likewife act fo as he need "not be ashamed.

"We do not now fay, that we will see our

Prisoners

"Prisoners before we deliver the other Chri"ftians, but refer this Affair wholly to the "Governor's Wifdom, which, we hope, will "tend to our good and continued Wellfair. "And fay again, That we will bring the three "Chriftian Prisoners by the first opportunity "of fair Weather.

"We likewife make known to our Father "Corlaer, That in our Fury and Anger (after "the People of the South had fallen upon us) "We took these fix Prisoners, and afterwards "four Scalps were brought by our People, "and no more.

"We speak as Oneydoes, for our felves. If "the Susquehana or Delaware Indians have "done any Mischief, let not that be impu"ted to us.

Eight of our People are now out against "the Chriftians, of which we told Aernout "and Daniel when they were at our Castle. 'They know nothing of what we have

now agree'd to, and therefore if they should "happen to do any harm, let it be paffed "by, for they are entirely Ignorant of the "Governor's Orders. If they fhall do any

thing, we shall not keep it fecret. If any "of the Christian Prisoners fhall dye before "we bring them, we should be forry; yet they are Mortal."

Accordingly in May following the Oneydoes

brought

brought the other three Prisoners to Albany. And on the 24th of that Month Sweriffe made the following Speech, when he deliver'd them to the Commander at Albany, and the Commiffioners for Indian Affairs.

"Bretheren;

“VVE

E 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 us in the room of "the fix Chriftians, in case those of our People "who are Prisoners in Virginia be dead. None "of our Indians have gone out against the English fince we were laft here; but we have "told you that fome of ours were then out, who were ignorant of the Governor's Orders, "and we defired that if they happen'd to "do any harm, it might not be ill taken. Now "thirteen of our People who went against "our Indian Enemies, met with eighteen.

English on Horfeback, as far from any of "the English Plantations as Cabnuaga (e) is "from Albany. They fir'd upon our People; ours being Soldiers, return'd their "Fire and kill'd two Men and two Horses, "and brought away their Scalps.

"It would be convenient that the Gover

(e) The first Mohawk Castle.

'nor

"nor acquaint the People of Virginia, not to "fend their Men fo far abroad, for if they "should happen to meet our Parties in their way against our Enemies, the Cabnowas, "whom the English call Arogisti, dangerous 'Confequences might follow.

43

"We have now fubmitted to the Gover"nor's Order, in bringing the three other "Chriftian Prisoners. When we were here "laft Winter, we left the Affair of our Pri"foners wholy to the Governor, and pro"mised to bring the three Chriftian Prifo"ners that remain'd with us. This we have now perform'd: But where are our Prifoners, or if they be dead, the others in "their room, tho' it be already fo late in "the Spring: However, we ftill refer this "to the Governor.

(Then taking the Chriftian Girl, who was a Prisoner, by the hand, faid) "This Girl was deliver'd to an Indian Squa (e) here prefent, who's Brother then was kill'd. "If we had been full of Wrath, and not "afraid of further Inconveniencies, we would "have burnt her.

(Taking the Boy, another of the three, by the hand, faid) "This Boy was giv'n to an "Indian here prefent, but he is now free.

(ƒ) A Woman.

"We

"We have now perform'd our Promises, "and are not afhamed. We hope Corlaer, "who Governs the whole Country, will "likewife do that of which he needeth not "be ashamed.

"Corlaer governs the whole Land, from "New-York to Albany, and from thence to "the Sennekas Land; We who are his Sub"jects fhall faithfully keep the Covenant "Chain: Let him perform his Promife, as "we have perform'd ours, that the Covenant "Chain be not broken on his fide, who go"verns the whole Country.

"Corlaers Limits, as we have said, stretch "fo far ev'n to Jacob my Friend, or Jacob "Young, and we have heard that Corl er is "in good Correspondence with Virginia and "Maryland; Why is it then that our Peo"ple, who are Prifoners, are not restored? "Let what we now fay be well obferved, "for we have obferved the Governor's Or"ders.

Laftly (taking the Woman Prifoner by the hand, faid) "This Woman was given "to that Indian, (pointing,) but is now free, "being the fixth. If thofe of our People "who are Prisoners be Dead, let us have fix "Indians in their room. It is not by my Authority that these Prisoners have been released, but by the good Will of them to

"whom