The History of the Five Indian Nations of Canada Part 16

_Brother_ Onas,

Yesterday you expressed your Satisfaction in having been instrumental to our meeting with our Brethren of _Virginia_ and _Maryland_, we, in return, a.s.sure 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 Grat.i.tude, 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 a.s.sist 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 a.s.sist you, and not to suffer the _French_ to march through our Country to disturb any of your Settlements.

In answer, we a.s.sure 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_, Cana.s.satego _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, _Cana.s.satego_ 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_ a.s.saragoa,

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_ a.s.saragoa,

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_ a.s.saragoa,

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,

You told us Yesterday, that since there was now nothing in Controversy between us, and the Affair of the Land was settled to your Satisfaction, you would now brighten the Chain of Friendship which hath subsisted between you and us ever since we became Brethren; we are well pleased with the Proposition, and we thank you for it; we also are inclined to renew all Treaties, and keep a good Correspondence with you. You told us further, if ever we should perceive the Chain had contracted any Rust, to let you know, and you would take care to take the Rust out, and preserve it bright. We agree with you in this, and shall, on our Parts, do every thing to preserve a good Understanding, and to live in the same Friendship with you as with our Brother _Onas_ and _a.s.saragoa_; in Confirmation whereof we give you this Belt of Wampum.

_On which the usual Cry of_ Yo-hah _was given_.

_Brethren_,

We have now finished our Answer to what you said to us Yesterday, and shall now proceed to _Indian_ Affairs, that are not of so general a Concern.

_Brother_ a.s.saragoa,

There lives a Nation of _Indians_ on the other Side of your Country, the _Tuscaroraes_, who are our Friends, and with whom we hold Correspondence; but the Road between us and them has been stopped for some Time, on account of the Misbehaviour of some of our Warriors. We have opened a new Road for our Warriors, and they shall keep to that; but as that would be inconvenient for Messengers going to the _Tuscaroraes_, we desire they may go the old Road. We frequently send Messengers to one another, and shall have more Occasion to do so now that we have concluded a Peace with the _Cherikees_. To enforce our Request, we give you this String of Wampum.

_Which was received with the usual Cry of Approbation_.

_Brother_ a.s.saragoa,

Among these _Tuscaroraes_ there live a few Families of the _Conoy Indians_, who are desirous to leave them, and to remove to the rest of their Nation among us, and the strait Road from them to us lies through the Middle of your Country. We desire you will give them free Pa.s.sage through _Virginia_, and furnish them with Pa.s.ses; and, to enforce our Request, we give you this String of Wampum.

_Which was received with the usual Cry of Approbation_.

_Brother_ Onas, a.s.saragoa, _and_ Tocarry-hogan,

At the Close of your respective Speeches Yesterday, you made us very handsome Presents, and we should return you something suitable to your Generosity; but, alas! we are poor, and shall ever remain so, as long as there are so many _Indian_ Traders among us. Theirs and the white Peoples Cattle have eat up all the Gra.s.s, and make Deer scarce. However, we have provided a small Present for you, and though some of you gave us more than others, yet, as you are all equally our Brethren, we shall leave it to you to divide it as you please.--And then presented three Bundles of Skins, which were received with the usual Ceremony from the three Governments.

We have one Thing further to say; and that is, We heartily recommend Union and a good Agreement between you our Brethren. Never disagree, but preserve a strict Friendship for one another, and thereby you, as well as we, will become the stronger.

Our wise Forefathers established Union and Amity between the _Five Nations_; this has made us formidable; this has given us great Weight and Authority with our neighbouring Nations.

We are a powerful Confederacy; and, by your observing the same Methods our wise Forefathers have taken, you will acquire fresh Strength and Power; therefore whatever befals you, never fall out one with another.

The Governor replied:

The honourable Commissioners of _Virginia_ and _Maryland_ have desired me to speak for them; therefore I, in Behalf of those Governments, as well as of the Province of _Pensylvania_, return you Thanks for the many Proofs you have given in your Speeches of your Zeal for the Service of your Brethren the _English_, and in particular for your having so early engaged in a Neutrality the several Tribes of _Indians_ in the _French_ Alliance. We do not doubt but you will faithfully discharge your Promises. As to your Presents, we never estimate these Things by their real Worth, but by the Disposition of the Giver. In this Light we accept them with great Pleasure, and put a high Value upon them. We are obliged to you for recommending Peace and good Agreement amongst ourselves. We are all Subjects, as well as you, of the great King beyond the Water; and, in Duty to his Majesty, and from the good Affection we bear to each other, as well as from a Regard to our own Interest, we shall always be inclined to live in Friendship.

Then the Commissioners of _Virginia_ presented the hundred Pounds in Gold, together with a Paper, containing a Promise to recommend the _Six Nations_ for further Favour to the King; which they received with _Yo-hah_, and the Paper was given by them to _Conrad Weiser_ to keep for them. The Commissioners likewise promised that their publick Messengers should not be molested in their Pa.s.sage through _Virginia_, and that they would prepare Pa.s.ses for such of the _Conoy Indians_ as were willing to remove to the Northward.

Then the Commissioners of _Maryland_ presented their hundred Pounds in Gold, which was likewise received with the _Yo-hah_.

_Cana.s.satego_ said, We mentioned to you Yesterday the Booty you had taken from the _French_, and asked you for some of the Rum which we supposed to be Part of it, and you gave us some; but it turned out unfortunately that you gave it in _French_ Gla.s.ses, we now desire you will give us some in _English_ Gla.s.ses.

The Governor made answer, We are glad to hear you have such a Dislike for what is _French_. They cheat you in your Gla.s.ses, as well as in every thing else. You must consider we are at a Distance from _Williamsburg, Annapolis_, and _Philadelphia_, where our Rum Stores are, and that although we brought up a good Quant.i.ty with us, you have almost drunk it out; but, notwithstanding this, we have enough left to fill our _English_ Gla.s.ses, and will shew the Difference between the Narrowness of the _French_, and the Generosity of your Brethren the _English_ towards you.

The _Indians_ gave, in their Order, five _Yo-hahs_; and the honourable Governor and Commissioners calling for some Rum, and some middle-sized Wine-Gla.s.ses, drank Health to the _great King of_ England, and the _Six Nations_, and put an end to the Treaty by three loud Huzza's, in which all the Company joined.

In the Evening the Governor went to take his Leave of the _Indians_, and, presenting them with a String of Wampum, he told them, that was in return for one he had received of them, with a Message to desire the Governor of _Virginia_ to suffer their Warriors to go through _Virginia_ unmolested, which was rendered unnecessary by the present Treaty.