Part 10
The _Conoy Indians_ have informed us, that they sent you a Message, some Time ago, to advise you, that they were ill used by the white People in the Place where they had lived, and that they had come to a Resolution of removing to _Shamokin_, and requested some small Satisfaction for their Land; and as they never have received any Answer from you, they have desired us to speak for them; we heartily recommend their Case to your Generosity. And, to give Weight to our Recommendation, we present you with this String of Wampum.
_Which was received with the usual Ceremony_.
_The Governor having conferred a little Time with the honourable Commissioners of_ Virginia _and_ Maryland, _made the following Reply_:
_Brethren_,
I am glad to find that you agree with me in the Necessity of keeping the Road between us clear and open, and the Concern you have expressed on account of the barbarous Murders mentioned to you, is a Proof of your Brotherly Affection for us. If Crimes of this Nature be not strictly enquired into, and the Criminals severely punished, there will be an End of all Commerce between us and the _Indians_, and then you will be altogether in the Power of the _French_. They will set what Price they please on their own Goods, and give you what they think fit for your Skins; so it is for your own Interest that our Traders should be safe in their Persons and Goods when they travel to your Towns.
_Brethren_,
I considered this Matter well before I came from _Philadelphia_, and I advised with the Council there upon it, as I have done here with the honourable the Commissioners of _Virginia_ and _Maryland_. I never heard before of the Murder of the three _Indians_ at _Ohio_; had Complaint been made to me of it, and it had appeared to have been committed by any of the People under my Government, they should have been put to Death, as two of them were, some Years ago, for killing two _Indians_. You are not to take your own Satisfaction, but to apply to me, and I will see that Justice be done you; and should any of the _Indians_ rob or murder any of our People, I do expect that you will deliver them up to be tried and punished in the same Manner as white People are. This is the Way to preserve Friendship between us, and will be for your Benefit as well as ours. I am well pleased with the Steps you have already taken, and the Reproofs you have given to your Cousins the _Delawares_, and do expect you will lay your Commands upon some of their Chiefs to bring down the two young Men that were present at the Murders; if they are not brought down, I shall look upon it as a Proof of their Guilt.
If, upon Examination, they shall be found not to have been concerned in the bloody Action, they shall be well used, and sent home in Safety: I will take it upon myself to see that they have no Injustice done them. An Inventory is taken of the Goods already restored, and I expect Satisfaction will be made for such as cannot be found, in Skins, according to Promise.
I well remember the coming down of one of the _Conoy Indians_ with a Paper, setting forth, That the _Conoys_ had come to a Resolution to leave the Land reserved for them by the Proprietors, but he made no Complaint to me of ill Usage from the white People. The Reason he gave for their Removal was, That the settling of the white People all round them had made Deer scarce, and that therefore they chose to remove to _Juniata_ for the Benefit of Hunting. I ordered what they said to be entered in the Council-Book. The old Man's Expences were born, and a Blanket given him at his Return home. I have not yet heard from the Proprietors on this Head; but you may be assured, from the Favour and Justice they have always shewn to the _Indians_, that they will do every thing that may be reasonably expected of them in this Case.
* * * * *
In the C o u r t-H o u s e Chamber at _Lancaster_, _July_ 2, 1744, _P. M._
P R E S E N T,
The Honourable the Commissioners of _Virginia_. The Deputies of the _Six Nations_. _Conrad Weiser_, Interpreter.
_The_ Indians _being told, by the Interpreter, that their Brother_ Assaragoa _was going to speak to them, the Commissioners spoke as follows_:
_Sachems and Warriors, our Friends and Brethren_,
As we have already said enough to you on the Subject of the Title to the Lands you claim from _Virginia_, we have no Occasion to say any thing more to you on that head, but come directly to the Point.
We have opened the Chest, and the Goods are now here before you; they cost Two Hundred Pounds _Pensylvania_ Money, and were bought by a Person recommended to us by the Governor of _Pensylvania_ with ready Cash. We ordered them to be good in their Kinds, and we believe they are so. These Goods, and Two Hundred Pounds in Gold, which lie on the Table, we will give you, our Brethren of the _Six Nations_, upon Condition that you immediately make a Deed recognizing the King's Right to all the Lands that are, or shall be, by his Majesty's Appointment in the Colony of _Virginia_.
As to the Road, we agree you shall have one, and the Regulation is in Paper, which the Interpreter now has in his Custody to shew you. The People of _Virginia_ shall perform their Part, if you and your _Indians_ perform theirs; we are your Brethren, and will do no Hardships to you, but, on the contrary, all the Kindness we can.
The _Indians_ agreed to what was said, and _Canassatego_ desired they would represent their Case to the King, in order to have a further Consideration when the Settlement increased much further back. To which the Commissioners agreed, and promised they would make such a Representation faithfully and honestly; and, for their further Security that they would do so, they would give them a Writing, under their Hands and Seals, to that Purpose.
They desired that some Rum might be given them to drink on their Way home, which the Commissioners agreed to, and paid them in Gold for that Purpose, and the Carriage of their Goods from _Philadelphia_, Nine Pounds Thirteen Shillings, and Three-pence, _Pensylvania_ Money.
_Canassatego_ further said, That as their Brother _Tocarry-hogan_ sent them provision on the Road here, which kept them from starving, he hoped their Brother _Assaragoa_ would do the same for them back, and have the Goods he gave them carried to the usual Place; which the Commissioners agreed to, and ordered Provisions and Carriages to be provided accordingly.
After this Conference the Deed was produced, and the Interpreter explained it to them; and they, according to their Rank and Quality, put their Marks and Seals to it in the Presence of several Gentlemen of _Maryland, Pensylvania_ and _Virginia_; and when they delivered the Deed, _Canassatego_ delivered it for the Use of their Father, the Great King, and hoped he would consider them; on which the Gentlemen and _Indians_ then present gave three Shouts.
* * * * *
In the C o u r t-H o u s e at _Lancaster, Tuesday_, _July_ 3, 1744, _A. M._
P R E S E N T,
The Honourable _G E O R G E T H O M A S_, Esq; Governor, &c. The Honourable the Commissioners of _Virginia_. The Honourable the Commissioners of _Maryland_. The Deputies of the _Six Nations_. _Conrad Weiser_, Interpreter.
_The_ Governor _spoke as follows_:
_Friends and Brethren of the_ Six Nations,
At a Treaty held with many of the Chiefs of your Nations Two Years ago, the Road between us was made clearer and wider; our Fire was enlarged, and our Friendship confirmed by an Exchange of Presents, and many other mutual good Offices.
We think ourselves happy in having been instrumental to your meeting with our Brethren of _Virginia_ and _Maryland_; and we persuade ourselves, that you, on your Parts, will always remember it as an instance of our Good-will and Affection for you. This has given us an Opportunity of seeing you sooner than perhaps we should otherwise have done; and, as we are under mutual Obligations by Treaties, we to hear with our Ears for you, and you to hear with your Ears for us, we take this Opportunity to inform you of what very nearly concerns us both.
The _great King of_ England and the _French_ King have declared War against each other. Two Battles have been fought, one by Land, and the other by Sea. The _great King of_ England commanded the Land-Army in Person, and gained a compleat Victory. Numbers of the _French_ were killed and taken Prisoners, and the rest were forced to pass a River with Precipitation to save their Lives. The Great God covered the King's Head in that Battle, so that he did not receive the least Hurt; for which you, as well as we, have Reason to be very thankful.
The Engagement at Sea was likewise to the Advantage of the _English_. The _French_ and _Spaniards_ joined their Ships together, and came out to fight us. The brave _English_ Admiral burnt one of their largest Ships, and many others were so shattered, that they were glad to take the Opportunity of a very high Wind, and a dark Night, to run away, and to hide themselves again in their own Harbours. Had the Weather proved fair, he would, in all Probability, have taken or destroyed them all.
I need not put you in mind how much _William Penn_ and his Sons have been your Friends, and the Friends of all the _Indians_. You have long and often experienced their Friendship for you; nor need I repeat to you how kindly you were treated, and what valuable Presents were made to you two Years ago by the Governor, the Council, and the Assembly of _Pensylvania_. The Sons of _William Penn_ are all now in _England_, and have left me in their Place, well knowing how much I regard you and all the _Indians_. As a fresh Proof of this, I have left my House, and am come thus far to see you, to renew our Treaties, to brighten the Covenant-Chain, and to confirm our Friendship with you. In Testimony whereof, I present you with this Belt of Wampum.
_Which was received with the_ Yo-hah.
As your Nations have engaged themselves by Treaty to assist us, your Brethren of _Pensylvania_, in case of a War with the _French_, we do not doubt but you will punctually perform an Engagement so solemnly entered into. A War is now declared, and we expect that you will not suffer the _French_, or any of the _Indians_ in Alliance with them, to march through your Country to disturb any of our Settlements; and that you will give us the earliest and best Intelligence of any Designs that may be formed by them to our Disadvantage, as we promise to do of any that may be to yours. To enforce what I have now said to you in the strongest Manner, I present you with this Belt of Wampum.
_Which was received with the_ Yo-hah.
_After a little Pause his Honour, the_ Governor, _spoke again_:
_Friends and Brethren of the_ Six Nations,
What I have now said to you is in Conformity to Treaties subsisting between the Province of which I am Governor and your Nations. I now proceed, with the Consent of the honourable Commissioners for _Virginia_ and _Maryland_, to tell you, that all Differences having been adjusted, and the Roads between us and you made quite clear and open, we are ready to confirm our Treaties with your Nations, and establish a Friendship that is not to end, but with the World itself. And, in Behalf of the Province of _Pensylvania_, I do, by this fine Belt of Wampum, and a Present of Goods, to the Value of three hundred Pounds, confirm and establish the said Treaties of Peace, Union and Friendship, you on your Parts doing the same.
_Which was received with a loud_ Yo-hah.
The Governor further added, The Goods bought with the one hundred Pounds Sterling, put into my Hands by the Governor of _Virginia_, are ready to be delivered when you please. The Goods bought and sent up by the People of the Province of _Pensylvania_, according to the List which the Interpreter will explain, are laid by themselves, and are likewise ready to be delivered to you at your own time.
_After a little Pause the Commissioners of_ Virginia _spoke as follows_:
_Sachems and Warriors of the_ Six Nations,
The Way between us being made smooth by what passed Yesterday, we desire now to confirm all former Treaties made between _Virginia_ and you, our Brethren of the _Six Nations_, and to make our Chain of Union and Friendship as bright as the Sun, that it may not contract any more Rust for ever; that our Childrens Children may rejoice at, and confirm what we have done; and that you and your Children may not forget it, we give you one hundred Pounds in Gold, and this Belt of Wampum.
_Which was received with the usual Ceremony_.
_Friends and Brethren_,
Altho' we have been disappointed in our Endeavours to bring about a Peace between you and the _Catawbas_, yet we desire to speak to you something more about them. We believe they have been unfaithful to you, and spoke of you with a foolish Contempt; but this may be only the Rashness of some of their young Men. In this Time of War with our common Enemies the _French_ and _Spaniards_, it will be the wisest way to be at Peace among ourselves. They, the _Catawbas_, are also Children of the great King, and therefore we desire you will agree, that we may endeavour to make a Peace between you and them, that we may be all united by one common Chain of Friendship. We give you this String of Wampum.
_Which was received with the usual Ceremony_.
_Brethren_,
Our Friend, _Conrad Weiser_, when he is old, will go into the other World, as our Fathers have done, our Children will then want such a Friend to go between them and your Children, to reconcile any Differences that may happen to arise between them, that, like him, may have the Ears and Tongues of our Children and yours.
The Way to have such a Friend, is for you to send three or four of your Boys to _Virginia_, where we have a fine House for them to live in, and a Man on purpose to teach the Children of you, our Friends, the Religion, Language and Customs of the white People. To this Place we kindly invite you to send some of your Children; and we promise you they shall have the same Care taken of them, and be instructed in the same Manner as our own Children, and be returned to you again when you please; and, to confirm this, we give you this String of Wampum.
_Which was received with the usual Ceremony_.
_Then the Commissioners of_ Maryland _spoke as follows_:
_Friends and Brethren, the Chiefs or Sachems of the_ Six _united_ Nations,
The Governor of _Maryland_ invited you hither, we have treated you as Friends, and agreed with you as Brethren.
As the Treaty now made concerning the Lands in _Maryland_ will, we hope, prevent effectually every future Misunderstanding between us on that Account, we will now bind faster the Links of our Chain of Friendship, by a Renewal of all our former Treaties; and that they may still be the better secured, we shall present you with one hundred Pounds in Gold.
What we have further to say to you is, Let not our Chain contract any Rust; whenever you perceive the least Speck, tell us of it, and we will make it clean. This we also expect of you, that it may always continue so bright as our Generations may see their Faces in it; and, in Pledge of the Truth of what we have now spoken, and our Affection to you, we give you this Belt of Wampum.
_Which was received with the usual Ceremony._
_C A N A S S A T E G O, in return, spoke as follows_:
_Brother_ Onas, Assaragoa, _and_ Tocarry-hogan,
We return you Thanks for your several Speeches, which are very agreeable to us. They contain Matters of such great Moment, that we propose to give them a very serious Consideration, and to answer them suitably to their Worth and Excellence; and this will take till to-morrow Morning, and when we are ready we will give you due Notice.
You tell us you beat the _French_; if so, you must have taken a great deal of Rum from them, and can the better spare us some of that Liquor to make us rejoice with you in the Victory.
The Governor and Commissioners ordered a Dram of Rum to be given to each in a small Glass, calling it, _A French Glass_.
* * * * *
In the C o u r t-H o u s e at _Lancaster, July 4, 1744, A. M._
P R E S E N T,
The Honourable _G E O R G E T H O M A S_ Esq; Governor, &c. The Honourable the Commissioners of _Virginia_. The Honourable the Commissioners of _Maryland_. The Deputies of the _Six Nations_. _Conrad Weiser_, Interpreter.
_C A N A S S A T E G O Speaker._
_Brother_ Onas,
Yesterday you expressed your Satisfaction in having been instrumental to our meeting with our Brethren of _Virginia_ and _Maryland_, we, in return, assure you, that we have great Pleasure in this Meeting, and thank you for the Part you have had in bringing us together, in order to create a good Understanding, and to clear the Road; and, in Token of our Gratitude, we present you with this String of Wampum.
_Which was received with the usual Ceremony._
_Brother_ Onas,
You was pleased Yesterday to inform us, "That War had been declared between _the great King of_ England and the _French_ King; that two great Battles had been fought, one by Land, and the other at Sea; with many other Particulars." We are glad to hear the Arms of the King of _England_ were successful, and take part with you in your Joy on this Occasion. You then came nearer Home, and told us, "You had left your House, and were come thus far on Behalf of the whole People of _Pensylvania_ to see us; to renew your Treaties, to brighten the Covenant-Chain, and to confirm your Friendship with us." We approve this Proposition, we thank you for it. We own, with Pleasure, that the Covenant-Chain between us and _Pensylvania_ is of old Standing, and has never contracted any Rust; we wish it may always continue as bright as it has done hitherto; and, in Token of the Sincerity of our Wishes, we present you with this Belt of Wampum.
_Which was received with the_ Yo-hah.
_Brother Onas_,
You was pleased Yesterday to remind us of our mutual Obligation to assist each other in case of a War with the _French_, and to repeat the Substance of what we ought to do by our Treaties with you; and that as a War had been already entered into with the _French_, you called upon us to assist you, and not to suffer the _French_ to march through our Country to disturb any of your Settlements.
In answer, we assure you we have all these Particulars in our Hearts, they are fresh in our Memory. We shall never forget that you and we have but one Heart, one Head, one Eye, one Ear, and one Hand. We shall have all your Country under our Eye, and take all the Care we can to prevent any Enemy from coming into it; and, in proof of our Care, we must inform you, that before we came here, we told _Onandio_[7], our Father, as he is called, that neither he, nor any of his People, should come through our Country, to hurt our Brethren the _English_, or any of the Settlements belonging to them; there was Room enough at Sea to fight, there he might do what he pleased, but he should not come upon our Land to do any Damage to our Brethren. And you may depend upon our using our utmost Care to see this effectually done; and, in Token of our Sincerity, we present you with this Belt of Wampum.
_Which was received with the usual Ceremony._
_After some little Time the Interpreter said_, Canassatego _had forgot something material, and desired to mend his Speech, and to do so as often as he should omit any thing of Moment, and thereupon he added:_
The _Six Nations_ have a great Authority and Influence over sundry Tribes of _Indians_ in Alliance with the _French_, and particularly over the _Praying Indians_, formerly a Part with ourselves, who stand in the very Gates of the _French_; and, to shew our further Care, we have engaged these very _Indians_, and other _Indian_ Allies of the _French_ for you. They will not join the _French_ against you. They have agreed with us before we set out. We have put the Spirit of Antipathy against the _French_ in those People. Our Interest is very considerable with them, and many other Nations, and as far as ever it extends, we shall use it for your Service.
The Governor said, _Canassatego_ did well to mend his Speech; he might always do it whenever his Memory should fail him in any Point of Consequence, and he thanked him for the very agreeable Addition.
_Brother_ Assaragoa,
You told us Yesterday, that all Disputes with you being now at an end, you desired to confirm all former Treaties between _Virginia_ and us, and to make our Chain of Union as bright as the Sun.
We agree very heartily with you in these Propositions; we thank you for your good Inclinations; we desire you will pay no Regard to any idle Stories that may be told to our Prejudice. And, as the Dispute about the Land is now intirely over, and we perfectly reconciled, we hope, for the future, we shall not act towards each other but as becomes Brethren and hearty Friends.
We are very willing to renew the Friendship with you, and to make it as firm as possible, for us and our Children with you and your Children to the latest Generation, and we desire you will imprint these Engagements on your Hearts in the strongest Manner; and, in Confirmation that we shall do the same, we give you this Belt of Wampum.
_Which was received with_ Yo-hah _from the Interpreter, and all the Nations_.
_Brother_ Assaragoa,
You did let us know Yesterday, that tho' you had been disappointed in your Endeavours to bring about a Peace between us and the _Catawbas_, yet you would still do the best to bring such a Thing about. We are well pleased with your Design, and the more so, as we hear you know what sort of People the _Catawbas_ are, that they are spiteful and offensive, and have treated us contemptuously. We are glad you know these Things of the _Catawbas_; we believe what you say to be true, that there are, notwithstanding, some amongst them who are wiser and better; and, as you say, they are your Brethren, and belong to the great King over the Water, we shall not be against a Peace on reasonable Terms, provided they will come to the Northward to treat about it. In Confirmation of what we say, and to encourage you in your Undertaking, we give you this String of Wampum.
_Which was received with the usual Ceremonies_.
_Brother_ Assaragoa,
You told us likewise, you had a great House provided for the Education of Youth, and that there were several white People and _Indians_ Children there to learn Languages, and to write and read, and invited us to send some of our Children amongst you, &c.
We must let you know we love our Children too well to send them so great a Way, and the _Indians_ are not inclined to give their Children Learning. We allow it to be good, and we thank you for your Invitation; but our Customs differing from yours, you will be so good as to excuse us.
We hope _Tarachawagon_[8] will be preserved by the good Spirit to a good old Age; when he is gone under Ground, it will be then time enough to look out for another; and no doubt but amongst so many Thousands as there are in the World, one such Man may be found, who will serve both Parties with the same Fidelity as _Tarachawagon_ does; while he lives there is no Room to complain. In Token of our Thankfulness for your Invitation, we give you this String of Wampum.
_Which was received with the usual Ceremony_.
_Brother_ Tocarry-hogan,