1768.THE Indians having taken their S [...]e, in Order, Mr. Cr [...]ghan opened the Co [...] ferences as follows, viz.

Brethren of the Six Nations, Delawares, Shawanese, Munsies, and Mohickons.

I am glad to see so many of your different Nations assembled at this Council [...] and with this String of Wampum I clear your Eyes, and wipe away your To [...] that you may see and look on your Brethren the English, with Pleasure.

A String.

Brethren,

With this String I clean the Sweat off your Bodies, and remove all evil Though [...] from your Minds, and clean the Passage to your Hearts, that every Thing which ma [...] be said to you, from your Brethren the English, may rest easy there.

A String.

Brethren,

With this String I clear your Ears, that you may hear and consider well what going to be said to you at this general Meeting of your several Tribes.

A String.

[Page 5] Brethren,

I take this first Opportunity of our Meeting in Council, 176 [...] to introduce to you the Commissioners of Pennsylvania, appointed by your Brother Onas, and the wise Men of that Government, and desire you will give particular Attention to the several Mes­sages those Gentlemen are charged with, to deliver to your several Nations.

A Belt.

After the above Speeches were explained to the different Nations, Mr. M'Kee de­livered to them the Message which Go [...]rnor Penn sent to his Care in February last, having had no Opportunity, till now, of meeting with the Chiefs of the several Tribes together, though he had dispatched Messengers to inform them of his having such a Message to communicate to them

The Message follows in these Words, viz.

[Page 6] 1768.WENESDAY, 27th APRIL, Mr. Croghan, and the Commissioners of Pennsylvania, had a Meeting with the Chiefs of the several Tribes, and explained to them the Heads of the several Speeches to be delivered to them from the Governor of Pennsylvania. After the above Chiefs had considered what had been told them, the Delawares and Shawanese on a Belt and String of Wampum expressed their Satisfaction at seeing Com­missioners from Pennsylvania, at their Council Fire; and returned Mr. Croghan Thanks for introducing them to their several Nations, assuring him they would pay due Attention to what those Gentlemen should say to them from their Brother Onas and their Brethren of that Province.

A Belt and String.

At a CONFERENCE held with the Indians at Fort Pitt, on Friday the 29th Day of April, 1768.
PRESENT the same as before.

MR. Croghan addressed himself to all the different Tribes, and spoke as follows viz.

Brethren,

The other Day I introduced you to the Commissioners from Pennsylvania, and informed you they had several Messages to you from the Governor and good Peopl [...] of that Province They are now going to speak to you, and I desire you will pay du [...] Attention to what they shall say.

The Commissioners then in the Name of the Governor of Pennsylvania, delivere [...] the following Messages to the Indians.

The Commissioners having delivered the Governor's Messages in Council, M [...] Croghan addressed the Indians as follows.

Brethren,

You have now heard what the Governor of Pennsylvania hath said to you by his Com­missioners; and you see that he and the wise Men of that Province have not forgo [...] the former Friendship which subsisted between your Forefathers and theirs. Th [...] have now condoled with you for your lost Friends, agreeable to your antient Custom [...] and spoke their Minds freely on every Subject that has caused their meeting you at thi [...] Time, and have called upon you to do the same on your Parts.—They have brigh­tened the Chain of Friendship, and have done every Thing in their Power to preserv [...] that Friendship which was made between your Forefathers and the first Settlers o [...] that Province, who came over with your antient Brother Onas.

Brethren,

I now desire you will assemble all the wise Men of your several Tribes together and call to Mind your former Treaties with the good People of Pennsylvania, and con­sider what has been said to you, and speak your Minds freely and openly to the Governor's Commissioners, that every Thing which gives you Uneasiness, or Discontent may be fully known to your Brother Onas, as he has desired.

A Belt.

After the above Speeches were interpreted to the different Nations, one of the Chief spoke, and said they would take them into Consideration, and let us know when they should be ready to answer them.

Then a Deputy sent from the Six Nation Country got up, and delivered the fol­lowing Message to the several Nations present.

Brethren,

I am sent from the Six Nation Council with this Speech, to inform you, that they have considered well the past Conduct of their Warriors in going through this Country to and from War, who have made a Practice of stealing Horses, and behaving other­wise very ill to their Brethren the English, and have forbid their doing any Mischie [...] for the future; and do now desire you the Shawanese, Delawares, and Wyandotts to d [...] [Page 9] the same, and to throw all evil Thoughts cut of your Minds and Hearts; 17 [...] and to think of nothing but promoting a lasting Friendship with your Brethren the English, as we your elder Brothers, the Six Nations, have determined to do.

A Belt.

After the Six Nation Deputy had finished the foregoing Speech, and it was inter­preted to the Indians, Mr. Croghan informed them of the Congress Sir William John­son lately held with the Six Nations, Canada Indians, and other northern Tribes, of the Business transacted with them, and the Peace settled between those several Nations and the Cherokees, and that the Deputies of the latter, with a Number of the Six Nations, were to return home by the Way of Fort Pitt, and recommended it to the different Tribes present to behave in a friendly Manner to them, and see that they passed safe through their Country; on which Mr. Croghan gave them

A Belt.

At a CONFERENCE held with the Indians, at Fort Pitt, on Sunday the First Day of May, 1768. PRESENT, the same as before.

QUEQUEDAGAYTHO, Speaker for the Delawares, rose up and made the fol­lowing Answer to the Message from the Governor of Pennsylvania.

Brother,

We return you Thanks for your Kindness in sending Commissioners to condole with us, on Account of the unhappy Accidents which have happened between us; as also for the friendly Messages they have delivered to us in your Name, and you may be as­sured we shall pay due Regard to every Thing you have therein said to us.

He then requested the several Nations present to attend to what he was about to say further to their Brother, the Governor of Pennsylvania; and proceded.

Brother,

The Grief and Concern which you have expressed to us, on Account of the late Mischiefs committed on our People, we believe to be very sincere, and that they were caused by the Evil Spirit. You have also mentioned, in a particular Manner, several Losses which you have sustained in the Indian Country; we are heartily sorry for them, but must acquaint you, that as to the Murder of the Ten Men in the Batteaus, down this River, we have heard of it as well as you, but it was committed by other Nations, and not by any of the Tribes here present, so that we have not had the least Concern in this unhappy Affair.—It is too true that one of your People was killed by the Shawanese, and we are also very sorry for that Accident.—As to the Man who, you say, was killed near Fort Pitt, by a Delaware Indian, we tell you that the Person who committed that Fact, was half a white Man, and the other half an Indian; so you see, Brother, that you are equally concerned with us in that Breach of Friendship; but I hope, Brother, all these Misfortunes are now buried in Oblivion, and that our Chil­dren may never think of them more, and that we may continue in the strictest Friend­ship.

A Belt.

Brother,

I shall, in the next Place, speak to you concerning the Friendship that subsists be­tween us; I hope we shall always be firm in it; and we shall endeavour, on our Parts to keep the Chain as bright and strong as our Forefathers did at their first Councils, which were held by wise Men.

A String.

He then repeated the same Ceremonies that we had used in the burying the Bones, the said,——

Brother,

I now gather all the Bones of your deceased Friends, and bury them in the Ground, in the same Place with ours, so deep that none of our young People may ever know [Page 10] that any Misfortunes have happened between us; 1768. and it gives us great Satisfaction that our Brother Onas has not forgot this ancient Custom of condoling with us for our Losses.

A Belt.

Brother,

By this Belt I also wipe away the Blood, as you have done, from the Earth, and make your Bodies quite clean, that you may appear to have as good Hearts as those of our wise Forefathers; and we hope what passes in this Council will never be forgotten.

A [...].

After repeating what had been said to them, relating to the Chain of Friendship, he concluded.—

Brethren,

We are much obliged to the Governor for speaking so freely and openly to us from his Heart, and as he has recommended to us to take fast hold of the Chain of Friend­ship, we assure him we shall take his Advice, and will do it; and that we shall like­wise speak to him from our Hearts, for we look upon this as the only Way to preserve our Friendship; and we shall take Care to guide and direct our young People to behave as they ought to do, in promoting the Peace, and cultivating the strictest Harmony between us.

A Belt.

The Beaver, a Chief of the Delawares, then rising up, desired all present [...] [...]y Attention to what he should say to his Brother, the Governor of Pennsylvania.

Brother,

We, the old Men of the different Nations present, are much rejoiced that the Chain of Friendship is now brightened by our Brother, the Governor of Pennselvania, and we return him Thanks for putting it into our Hands, in the kind Manner he has done, which convinces us of his good Intentions.

We, the Delawares, Shawanese, Munsies, Mohickons, Wyandotts and our Uncles the Six Nations, will keep fast hold of the Chain of Friendship, in the Manner you [...] us. We now desire the Governor will also take hold of the [...]nd of this Belt, wh [...] we stretch along the Road between him and us, in order to clear it of the Briars and Brush that have grown up in it, that we may all travel it in Peace and Safety.

Brother,

We make the Road smooth and pleasant for your Commissioners to travel Home, and make a Report to you, at our ancient Council Fire in Philadelphia, of what they now hear from us. And when you consider our Speeches, you will find that our Hearts are good, and that we are determined to preserve the Road of Peace free from any In­terruption on our Parts: We desire you will take the same Care on your Parts, for if any Logs shall be laid across it, by any of your People, it will be undoing every Thing that is now agreed on between our several Nations and you at this Meeting.

A Belt.

Then Quequedagaytho rose and said that they had spoken every Thing they had to say, at this Time, to their Brother Onas; and, addressing himself to Mr. Croghan, spoke as follows,

Brother,

We have been long acquainted with you, and are well pleased with your Behaviour towards us; and, at this Time, are the more obliged to you for introducing to us the Commissioners from the Government of Pennsylvania; as it has given us a good Op­portunity of renewing our Peace with the good People of that Province, with whom our Forefathers always lived in the most perfect Friendship. You spoke to us the other Day, and recommended to us to take into our most serious Consideration the several Matters we have heard from the Governor of Pennsylvania, by his Commissioners, and to weigh them well in our Minds before we give our Answers to them.

Brother,

We have taken your Advice, and you may be convinced of this by what we have just now said in Behalf of the Delawares, Munsies and Mohickons.

A Belt.

[Page 11]The Speaker of the Delawares then observed that they had finished what they had to say at this Time. 176 [...].

Then a Chief of the Six Nations rose up, and, addressing himself to the Commis­sioners of Pennsylvania, said,—

Brethren,

We have heard with Attention what the Delawares have now said to you, and we shall speak to you To-morrow; and so will our younger Brothers, the Shawanese.

At a CONFERENCE held with the Indians, at Fort Pitt, on Monday the Se­cond of May, 1768.
PRESENT, the same as before.

TOHONISSAHGARAWA, a Chief of the Six Nations, got up, and, addressing himself to the several Nations present, said,—

Brethren,

The Great Giver of Life has brought us all together, at this Council [...] in order to promote the good Work of Peace; and we have heard what our Brother Onas hath said to us b [...] [...]he Commissioners; and you will now hearken attentively to what the Six Nations are about to say to him in Answer to his Messages.

A String.

Then, addressing himself to the Commissioners of Pennsylvania, he said,—

Brethren,

You have already heard what our Nephews, the Delawares, have said to you; they have spoken freely and openly to you from their Hearts; and we hope it has made a proper Impression on you; we are now in like Manner going to open our Hearts to you freely, and we also hope that what we shall deliver will be received by you in a friendly Manner.

A String.

Brother Onas,

In your several Speeches you have desired us to open our Minds freely, and to speak before you every Thing that gives us Uneasiness; we are obliged to you for this Ad­vice, which we shall follow, and are glad of an Opportunity to speak to you in Coun­cil.

Brother,

It is not without Grief that we see our Country settled by you, without our Know­ledge or Consent; and it is a long Time since we first complained to you of this Griev­ance; which we find has not as yet been redressed; but Settlements are still extending farther into our Country. Some of them are made directly on our War Path, leading to our Enemies Country, and we do not like it.

Brother,

You have Laws amongst you to govern your People by, and it will be the strongest Proof of the Sincerity of your Friendship to let us see that you remove the People from our Lands; as we look upon it, it will be Time enough for you to settle them when you have purchased them, and the Country becomes yours.

A Belt.

Brother,

We have heard with Pleasure what you have said to us; you have made our Hearts easy with Respect to the Losses we have suffered by you; and, therefore, we shall not take Notice of any past Misfortunes.—We are glad to find our Nephews, the Dela­wares, have taken fast hold of the Chain of Friendship with you, and by this Belt we join our Hands with you and them in holding it fast. We speak now in behalf of the Six Nations residing in this Country, as there are some of every Tribe present, and we wish, Brother, that you may be strong, and as well disposed to preserve that Friend­ship as we are.

A Belt.

[Page 12] 1768. Brother,

I have now done speaking, and have told you every Thing that remains in our Hearts, which gives us, and the several Nations in this Country, any U [...]a [...]ness.

At a CONFERENCE held with the Indians, at Fort Pitt, on Tuesday the Third of May, 1768.
PRESENT, the same as before.

NYMWHA, a Speaker for the Shawanese, addressing himself to all the Indians, de­sired they would attend to what he was going to say to the Commissioners of Pennsylvania, and all his Brethren the English, present, and spoke as follows;

Brethren,

When you talked of Peace to us, at the Time we were struggling in War, we did not hearken to you at first. You mentioned it a second Time to us, we still refused to attend to you; but after repeating it to us several Times, we consented to hear you. We then looked at you, and saw you holding Instruments of War in your Hands, which we took from you, and cast them into the Air out of our Sight. We afterwards desired you to destroy your Forts, as that would be the Way to make all Nations of Indians believe you were sincere in your Friendship; and we now repeat the same Re­quest to you again.—We also desire you not to go down this River, in the Way of the Warriors, belonging to the foolish Nations to the Westward; and told you that the Waters of this River, a great Way below this Place, were coloured with Blood; you did not pay any Regard to this, but asked us to accompany you in going down, which we did, and we felt the Smart of our Rashness, and with Difficulty returned to our Friends. We see you now about making Batteaus, and we make no Doubt you in­tend going down the River again, which we now tell you is disagreeable to all Nations of Indians, and now again desire you to sit still at this Place.

They are also uneasy to see that you think yourselves Masters of this Country, be­cause you have taken it from the French, who you know had no Right to it, as it is the Property of us Indians. We often hear that you intend to fight with the French again, if you do, we desire you will remove your Quarrel out of this Country, and carry it over the great Waters, where you used to fight, and where we shall neither see or know any Thing of it. All we desire is to enjoy a quiet Peace with you both▪ and that we should be strong in talking of Peace.

We have now spoken to you from our Hearts, and hope we shall exert ourselves in promoting a lasting Friendship. All we have to say to you now is to be strong, and let us agree to what we desire of each other. When you first talked of Peace to us, you desired us to sit over the River quietl [...] at our Fires; but our Women and Children were frightened away by the Noise you made in repairing your Fort; but if you do as we desired you, they will return without Fear.

A Belt.

Brethren,

You have heard what we have desired in our last Speech, and we hope you will comply with our Request, and not attempt to go down this River again, as the Na­tions who live that Way are surprized to see you make a Practice of this, at the same Time that you were making Professions of Friendship to us. We therefore desire you will put a Stop to your People going down this River, till we have spoke to the Nations living in that Country; which we intend to do with the Assistance of our Brothers the Six Nations, and our Grandfathers the Delawares.

A String.

Brethren,

The Reason of our mentioning this Matter, at this Time is, because we hope you will take Pity on us, and do as we have desired you.

Then Kissonaucththa, a Chief of the Shawanese, rose up and said,

[Page 13] Brethren, 176 [...]

We are glad to see you here, and that you are sent by the Governor of Pennsylvania to confer with us at this Council. It much rejoiced our Hearts to take you by the Hand on your Arrival, and we assure you that the several Nations now present are equally rejoiced with us on this Account.

A String.

Brethren,

You have informed us that you are sent by the Governor and wise Men of Pennsyl­vania, to hear whatever may pass at this Council. We are glad to hear you say you had made the Road clear and smooth, as you came along, and that you have brought to us the Chain of Friendship, in your Hands, from our Brethren the wise Men of Pennsylvania. This has dispersed the dark Clouds of Night which hung over our Heads, on Account of many late Misfortunes which have ha [...]ned, and brought to us the Light of the clear Day. You have, no Doubt, heard I many bad Reports of Mis­chief, which may have made an ill Impression on your Minds against us▪ we now remove them [...]ite away, and make your Hearts easy, like those of your wise Forefa­thers. We also clear the Road on our Parts, that, when you set off, you may travel it back with Pleasure to your Council House at Philadelphia, which I likewise sweep clean, that your wise Men, when you return, may sit down in it with Satisfaction and Comfort, and look back upon us, their Brethren, remembering that we have not forgot our antient Friendship.

Brethren,

We have now, on all Sides, cleared and made smooth the Road between you and us; and we desire you, on your Parts, to be strong, and not suffer any of your Soldiers to travel it, who carry sharp edged Weapons with them, as that may injure the Friend­ship subsisting between us.

A Belt.

Mr. Croghan then acquainted the Indians, that the Commissioners of Pennsylvania and he would take the above Speeches into Consideration, and answer them To-mor­row.

N. B. This Afternoon fourteen Canoes arrived here, containing thirty-eight Munsies and Mohickons, exclusive of Women and Children, who reside on the Heads of the West Branch of the Susquehanna.

At a CONFERENCE held with the Indians, at Fort Pitt, on Wednesday the Fourth of May, 1768, P. M.
PRESENT, the same as before.

THONISSAHGARAWA, a Chief of the Six Nations, rose up, and, addressing himself to the Gentlemen, and several Nations present, apologized for some Difference which happened this Morning among themselves, as it was the Means of preventing our meeting them in the Forenoon, and desired that their Brethren, the English, and the Tribes of Indians present, would take no Notice of it.

A String.

The same Chief then spoke as follows:

Brethren,

I am sorry to hear what our Brethren, the Shawanese, said to you Yesterday, as we did not expect that they would have made any Mention of your keeping Possession of the Forts you have taken from the French; for it was agreed upon by the Six Nations, as well as all other Indians, that the French should be driven out of this Country, and the Possession of all their Forts and Towns put into the Hands of our Brethren the English; and the Road of Peace was opened, from the Sun-rising to the Sun-setting, for all Nations to travel in.

A String.

Then Kayashuta, a Chief of the Senecas, got up, and laying down a Copy of the Treaty of Peace, made by Col. Broadstreet with the Indians, in the Year 1764, spoke as follows:

[Page 14] 1768. Brethren,

What our Chief has just now mentioned to you is very true, and you will see by this Paper, that, during the late unhappy Differences between us, we held a Treaty with Colonel Broadstreet, by which we agreed, that you had a Right to build Forts and trading Houses where you pleased, and to travel the Road of Peace, from the Sun-rising to the Sun-setting. At that Treaty the Shawanese and Delawares were with me, and know all this well; and I am much surprized that the Shawanese should speak to you in the Manner they did Yesterday.

The Commissioners then addressed themselves to the Six Nations, and spoke as fol­lows:

Brethren of the Six Nations,

It gave us great Pleasure to hear what you said the other Day to your Brother Onas and we thank you in his Name for the Readiness you discovered in brightening and making strong our antient Chain of Friendship. This will be very agreeable to him▪ as we know he is sincerely determined to continue to do the same on his Part.

Brethren,

We esteem it a strong Mark of the Sincerity and Goodness of your Hearts, that you have opened them to us so freely and fully, as your Brother Onas earnestly desired you, that he might know whatever lay still concealed within your Breasts, which gave you any Uneasiness.

Brethren,

You have candidly and publicly told us that you are now easy with Respect to al [...] former Losses you have suffered by our Means, and that you will take no farther No­tice of such Things. This intirely corresponds with your strong Professions of Friend­ship.

A String.

Brethren,

You have also freely, and without Reserve, informed us that the only Grievance which you now have Reason to complain of, is the Settlement made on your Lands We are glad, Brethren, we have now so good an Opportunity of acquainting you, as well as the several Nations present, with the Mind of your Brother Onas, and the Endeavours which have been used to do you Justice in this Respect.

Brethren,

We can assure you that nothing has given him more Concern than to find a Number of foolish People should dare to seat themselves on Lands in this Province, which your good Friends the Proprietors have not a [...] yet purchased from you. Governor Penn, therefore, as well from his own sincere and earnest Inclinations to remove this Inju­ry done you, as by the express Commands of our great King George, issued Proclama­tions, near two Years ago, ordering all Persons whatsoever, who had settled on your Lands, to remove without Delay, and forbidding others from taking the least Possession of any, under the severest Penalty of the Law.

Brethren,

As the People, who have settled your Lands, came chiefly from Virginia, the Go­vernor of that Province likewise issued Proclamations and Orders to the same Purpose. The King's General too (His Excellency General Gage) hath twice sent up Parties of Soldiers to the People living on Redstone Creek and the Monongabela, to warn them off your Lands, and threatened them with seizing their Persons and Effects, if they re­fused to move away. But, Brethren, we are sorry to tell you, that none of these Mea­sures have had the desired Effect; and, therefore, Governor Penn, and his Assembly, having still your Interest greatly at Heart, passed a Law, in February last, inflicting the Penalty of Death on all Persons who should continue on your Lands after the first Day of June next; and, in order that the People, who were settled on them, might have timely and proper Notice of that Law, Governor Penn, near two Months ago, sent to them four prudent and honest Men to distribute Copies of it among them, with a Number of Proclamations, commanding them to obey it strictly, under the Penalty of Death, and also to read and explain them fully to all those People.

Brethren,

Those four Men have lately returned home, and reported to the Governor of Penn­sylvania, that they had executed his Orders; but that they were told by the People [Page 15] settled at and near Redstone Creek, 17 [...] that they had been encouraged by the Indians them­selves to continue on those Lands; that, however, they are determined to obey the Law, and move off without Delay. But, Brethren, we are sorry to tell you, that as soon as the Men sent by the Governor had prevailed on the Settlers to consent to a Compliance with the Law, there came among them eight Indians, who live at the Mingo Town down this River, and desired the People not to leave their Settlements, but to sit quiet on them till the present Treaty at this Place should be concluded. The People, on receiving this Advice and Encouragement, suddenly changed their Minds, and determined not to quit their Places, till they should hear farther from the Indians.

The Indians then delivered to the Men sent by the Governor a String of Wampum, and a Speech, which they desired them to carry to the Governor. The Speech was this:— ‘You are sent here by your great Men to tell these People to go away from the Lands which you say is ours, and our great Men have sent us, and we are glad to meet here the same Day. We tell you the white People must stop, and we stop them till the Treaty; and when George Croghan and our great Men shall speak together, we will tell them what to do.’

Now, Brethren, we cannot help expressing to you our great Concern at this Beha­viour of those Indians, as it has absolutely frustrated the Steps the Governor was taking to do you Justice, by the immediate Removal of those People from your Lands. And we must tell you. Brethren, that the Conduct of those Indians appears to us very astonish­ing; and we are much at a Loss to account for the Reason of it at this Time, when the Six Nations are complaining of Encroachments being made on their Lands. You your­selves, Brethren, must be very sensible that, while any of the Indians encourage the People to stay on your Lands, it will inevitably defeat all our Measures to remove them. But, Brethren, all that we have now to desire of you is, that you will immedi­ately send off some of your prudent and wise Men with a Message to the People settled at Redstone, Youghoghainy, and Monongahela, to contradict the Advice of the eight Indians from the Mingo Town; and to acquaint them that you very much disapprove of their continuing any longer on their [...]ttlements; and that you expect they will quit them without Delay.

If you agree to this, we will [...]nd an honest and discreet white Man to accompany your Messengers. And, Brethren, if after receiving such Notice from you, they shall refuse to remove by the Time limited them, you may depend upon it, the Govern­ment will not fail to put the Law into immediate Execution against them.

A String.

The Commissioners then, addressing themselves to the Shawanese, spoke as follows:

Brethren,

In the first Part of your Speeches Yesterday, you acquainted us that it was very disa­greeable to you to see a Fort continued at this Place, contrary to your Expectations, and that you were very sorry to find a Number of Batteaus building here, in order to go down the River. With Regard to these Things we can only say, it is not a little sur­prizing to us that you should mention them at this Time, as we have always under­stood that this Matter was settled with the Six Nations, and all other Indians, several Years ago, and their full Consent obtained for keeping Forts in your Country, as well as for going down this River to trade. But, Brethren, as we came here to confer with you on Subjects which only relate to the Province of Pennsylvania, we have no Concern in this Business. It is an Affair of our great King of England, and as such we must refer you for a more particular Answer to Mr. Croghan, who, you know, is ap­pointed by his Majesty to transact his Affairs with the Indians in this Country.

The Commissioners then spoke to the Delawares, Shawanese, Munsies, Mohickons, and Wyandotts, as follows:

Brethren,

We now return you Thanks, in the Name of the Governor of Pennsylvania, and in Behalf of the good People of that Province, for the kind Manner in which you have received his Messages by us. We assure you it gave us great Satisfaction to hear you declare, in this public Council, your hearty Concurrence with him in keeping fast hold of the Chain of Friendship, and your Determination to preserve it bright, and not to suffer any little Accidents to make a Breach in it.

[Page 16] 1768. Brethren,

It is a strong Proof of the Sincerity of your Hearts, that you have resolved to forget intirely all the past Mischiefs and Injuries which have been committed by the Folly of our wicked and rash young Men, and we now hope these Things will never interrupt our future Peace and Happiness.

Brethren,

We also thank you for making the Road smooth between you and the People of Penn­sylvania, by removing all the Obstructions that were in it, in such a Manner that it may be travelled by all People with Ease and Safety.

Brethren,

It will give us much Pleasure, when we return to Philadelphia, to communicate to the Governor all that has passed between us in these Conferences; and to assure him of your friendly Dispositions and upright Intentions, which you may depend on we shall faithfully do.

A Belt.

The Commissioners having finished what they had to say to the Indians, Mr. Crog­han made them the following Speeches:

Brethren the Shawanese,

When you spoke Yesterday to the Governor of Pennsylvania, you desired him to de­stroy this Fort, and not to pass down this River, as it was bloody; and said that our Warriors, passing through your Country, gave you and all other Nations great Unea­siness in your Minds.—You are the only Nation that has mentioned this Circum­stance, and I must tell you that this Fort was built by the King's Orders, and that your Brother, the Governor of Pennsylvania, has no Concern in this Matter.

Brethren,

I well remember that when the French first bui [...] a Fort here, and passed up and down this River, you did not desire them to destroy their Forts, and leave your Coun­try. We were at War with your old Fathers, the French, when we drove them away, and took Possession of this Fort; after that we conquered them, which you well know, and when we came here the Six Nations agreed to it, and came with us▪ and opened a Road of Peace through all this Country, from the Sun-rising to the Sun-setting, both by Land and Water, that we might talk in Peace with all Nations of Indians to the Westward; and we thought the Six Nations had a Right so to do, as we always understood that they were the original Proprietors of this Country.

Brethren,

When I was first going down this River, by Order of his Excellency General Gage▪ and the Honourable Sir William Johnson, all the Nations now present agreed to it, and sent Deputies with me to promote the good Works of Peace with all Nations o [...] Indians to the Westward; and to receive them into the Chain of Friendship subsisting between the King's Subjects, the Six Nations, and all others in Alliance with them▪ and to take them under his Majesty's most gracious Protection, which has been sinc [...] done. It is very true, when we first went down, we met with a Misfortune from som [...] of the Nations we were going to speak to, through the Instigation of the French, wh [...] then had an Influence with those People to persuade them to do Mischief, but eve [...] since that Time those Nations have behaved well to their Brethren, the English, and after that unhappy Accident, by which we were Sufferers, Captain Murray and Mr M'Kee condoled with your Nation for your Losses, agreeable to the antient Custom of our Forefathers, and buried the Bones of our deceased Friends, whose Loss gave me great Pain of Mind; and I did not expect to find their Bones raked out of the Ground, and brought into Council at this Time, especially as you must know that we were struck by the very Hatchet you yourselves put into their Hands to strike the English with.

Brethren,

By the late Treaty of Peace between the King of Great-Britain and the French King, the latter gave us Possession of all their Forts and Towns, as we had conquered them. You likewise took Notice, Yesterday, of our building Boats, and making Repairs to this Fort. I must tell you, that the King my Master never made War o [...] any Indian Nation in this Country; on the contrary, he has always promoted Peace [Page 17] among you; 176 [...] an Instance of which you see in the Peace brought about between the Six Nations and Cherokees. But you all well know that the French acted on different Principles, by setting one Nation at War against another. This Conduct of theirs was not pleasing to the Six Nations; they, therefore, requested the English to go with them and Sir William Johnson to drive the French from Niagara, and put it into the Possession of the English, which you all well know they did; and since that Time our Warriors have passed through this Country from Fort to Fort, and back again, and no Difference has happened between them and your People. I am therefore surprized, Brethren, to hear you want to stop the Road of Peace that hath been so long opened for all Nations, from the Sun-rising to the Sun-setting:

A Belt.

Brethren of the Six Nations, Shawanese, Delawares, Wyandotts, Munsies and Mohickons, give Attention to what I am going to say to you.

It gives me great [...]tisfaction to find that the Measures taken by the Governor of Pennsylvania, and the wise People of that Province, have proved so effectual and agree­able to your several Nations as to remove all Uneasiness from your Minds, on Account of the many Accidents that have happened between your People and the King's sub­jects in that Province; and that you have buried them so deep in the Earth that nei­ther you, nor your Children yet unborn, may ever call them to Remembrance.

Brethren,

Your Forefathers lived in the strictest Friendship with the worthy Founder of that Province, and the good People that came with him; and you have now renewed and brightened that antient Chain of Friendship with the Governors Commissioners, in Be­half of the King's Subjects in that Government. I now recommend it to your several Nations to hold fast by that Chain, and act on the same Principles your wife Forefa­thers formerly did.

A String.

Brethren,

You have all heard what the Six Nations said to you by their Deputies, that they heartily repented of their own past ill Conduct towards their Brethren, the English, in stealing Horses and committing other Abuses; and they have desired you, Brethren, to cast out all evil Thoughts from your Minds, and return any stolen Horses you may have amongst you, and think of nothing, for the future, but promoting the good Work of Peace between you and your good Brethren, the English.

Brethren,

The King of Great-Britain, your Father and my Master, takes Delight in promot­ing Peace among all Nations of Indians, in this Country, and his own Subjects, which you must be well acquainted with. You all daily experience his Love towards you, and his Pity for your Necessities, by the Favours you constantly receive from his Of­ficers here and elsewhere, and I am sorry to say that your past Conduct shews a Want of Gratitude in you to his Subjects.

Whenever the King makes Peace with any Nation, he never violates his Engage­ments, though he always has it in his Power to chastize any People that dare be so hardy as to disturb the Tranquillity of their Neighbours.—But I now trust, Brethren, that your future Conduct will be such as may merit his Majesty's Esteem and Protec­tion.

By this Belt I now clear the Road of Peace, and make it smooth and easy to travel, from the Sun-rising to the Sun-setting, that your Brethren the English, and all Nations of Indians, may travel it with Pleasure, as one People, united in the strongest Chain of Friendship, that our Women, and Children yet unborn, may mutually enjoy the Blessings of a lasting Peace.

Brethren of the Six Nations, who are settled at the Two Creeks,

I am sorry to hear from some of your Brethren, the English, that whenever any of them pass by your Village, you take Rum and other Things from them. You must be sensible this Conduct is very wrong, and a Breach of your Engagements to us. I hope I shall hear no more of it. You have been desired three Years ago, by the Six Nation Council, to remove up this River nearer to their Country, and I now desire [Page 18] you will take that Message into your most serious Consideration, 1768. and do as they have directed you; which will be very agreeable to all your Brethren the English.

A String.

Mr. Croghan having finished what he had to say to the Indians, the Commissioners addressed themselves to all the Nations present, and said,

Brethren,

We are now to acquaint you, that, by order of the Government of Pennsylvania▪ we deliver to you a Present of Goods, to be distributed among the several Tribe [...] present, to clothe your Women and Children; and we desire you will receive them as a Testimony of the Affection and Regard which the Governor and good People o [...] this Province have for you.

The Commissioners then delivered the Presents to the different Tribes, amounting to One Thousand and Fifty Pounds, Pennsylvania Currency, including the several private Presents made to the Chiefs and principal Warriors.

This Evening arrived here Twenty-five Six Nation Warriors, on their Return from the Cherokee Country, and brought with them two Prisoners.

At a private CONFERENCE held at Fort Pitt, on Friday the Sixth of May 1768, with all the Chiefs and principal Warriors of the Delaware [...] Munsies and Mohickons.
PRESENT, Mr. CROGHAN and the Commissioners.

THE Beaver rose up and spoke as follows, in Behalf of the Delawares, Munsies and Mohickons,

Brethren,

It gives us great Pleasure that the Conferences are now ended, that the antien [...] Chain of Friendship is now renewed, and the Road made smooth between o [...] several Tribes and our Brother the Governor of Pennsylvania.—Every Thing you have said respecting the Folly of our young People, in stealing your Horses and committing other Abuses, we have laid to our Hearts, and will take Care to prevent and such Misconduct in them for the future; and we desire, Brethren, you will take Care tha [...] none of your young People steal any Horses from us, which they have frequently done

A Belt.

He then addressed himself to the Commissioners, and said,

Brethren,

We now speak to you on Account of Trade—The Traders, who supply us with Goods, come from your Province, and we do not take upon us to judge whether the Goods they sell to us are dear or not, as we are ignorant of what they cost them; but we are certain, from our own Knowledge, that they do not allow us the same Pri [...] for our Skins and Furs as they did formerly, and hope you will speak to them [...] allow us a sufficient Price for our Peltry.

A Belt.

Brethren,

The Country lying between this River and the Alleghenny Mountains, has always been our Hunting Ground; but the white People, who have scattered themselves over it, have, by their hunting, deprived us of the Game, which we look upon ourselves to have the only Right to; and we desire you will acquaint our Brother, the Governor, of this, and prevent their hunting there for the future.

A String.

Brethren,

We have now done speaking on Business, and every Thing has been settled at the Conference to our Satisfaction; and we have agreed, that two of our principal Warriors, [Page 19] named Quequedaguedo and Killbuck, shall accompany you to Philadelphia; 176 [...] in order to see the Governor, and bring as such Answers as he shall think proper to send us respecting our Trade and Hunting Country.

A Belt.

To which the Commissioners replied,

Brethren,

We have already communicated to you, and the other Nations, the several Steps taken by the Government to do you all Justice, with Respect to the Encroachments on your Lands; and we shall carefully report to the Governor every Thing you have now said to us on his Head, that he may take such Measures as may be judged most expedient to satisfy you; and you may expect to receive his Answer as soon as a con­venient Opportunity offers.

At a MEETING held at Fort Pitt, on Saturday the 7th of May, 1768, with the Chiefs and principal Warriors of the Shawanese.
PRESENT, Mr. CROGHAN and the Commissioners.

KISSINAUGHTHA, a Chief of the Shawanese, addressed himself to the Com­missioners, and said,

Brethren,

When you spoke to us from the Governor, you desired us to speak from our Hearts, and tell you what gave us any Uneasiness of Mind. We considered your Speeches, and did so, which we find by your Answer was not agreeable to you. You tell us, what we spoke to you did not belong to the Governor of Pennsylvania, but to the King.

Brethren,

We assure you that we are as well disposed to live in Friendship with our Brethren the English, as any other Nation in this Country, and will hold fast by the Chain of Friendship, now renewed and brightened by our Brother Onas, as long as the Grass grows, or Waters run, with all our Brethren the English.

A String.

The same Speaker addressed himself to Mr. Croghan, and spoke as follows:

Brother,

We are all very sorry that we should have said any Thing, the other Day, to our Brother Onas, that should give you, or his Commissioners, any Off [...]ce, or our Bre­thren the Six Nations. But as the Governor of Pennsylvania, in his Speeches, desired us to open our Minds, and to tell every Thing that gives us any Uneasiness, we were determined to do so.

Brother,

When you spoke to us the next Day, you told us every Thing that passed in the Time of War, as well as since, which is very true; and we acknowledge we were wrong, though we did not expect you would do as we requested. And, from what you have told us, we know that it is not in the Power of any other Person but the King our Father. And though you say, we are the only Nation that has mentioned this to you, we know that all other Nations of Indians wish, as well as we, that there were no Forts in this Country.

As to what we said about the Boats going down the River, we did not mean that they should not go, but desired you would not send them till we had Time to go and counsel with the Nations in that Country, as we have heard bad News from thence. And as to what we said about our People that were killed, when you were taken Prisoner, we only mentioned it to shew you what a foolish People the Indians there are. It is very true, Brother, we did send a Hatchet to those Na­tions in Time of War; but it was sent to us from the Senecas, to carry to them.

[Page 20] Brother,

1768.We now desire that you may forget what we first spoke to you about those Things; and help us to some Council Wampum, as we are very poor; and we will immediately set out to talk to all the Nations in that Country, and take back from them all the Belts we sent them, and do every Thing in our Power to make the Road smooth and easy to travel, and convince you that we are as much disposed to hold fast the Chain of Friendship, as any Nation in this Country.

A Belt.

At a MEETING held at Fort Pitt, on Monday the Ninth of May, 1768, with the Chiefs and principal Warriors of the Six Nations.
PRESENT, Mr. CROGHAN, and the Commissioners.

IT was agreed upon by them to comply with the Request of the Commissioners in sending Messengers to the People settled at Redstone, Youghiogany and Mononge­hela, to signify to them the great Displeasure of the Six Nations at their taking Possession of the Lands there; and making Settlements on them; and also that it is expected they will, with their Families, remove without further Notice. They ac­cordingly appointed the White Mingo and the three Deputies sent from the Six Na­tion Country, to carry a Message to that Effect; and the Commissioners agreed to send Mr. John Frazer and Mr. William Thompson, to accompany them with writte [...] Instructions, in Behalf of the Government of Pennsylvania.

Monday, Ninth of May, 1768. P. M.

THE Indian Messengers having agreed to set out for Redstone Creek To-morrow the Commissioners, as an Encouragement to them for the Trouble of their Journey, made them a Present of some black Wampum.

They then desired Mr. Frazer and Capt. Thompson to hold themselves prepared for accompanying the Indian Messengers in the Morning, and wrote them a Letter of Instructions, which follows in these Words, viz.

Messrs. Frazer and Thompson being in Readiness with their Horses and Provisions, for their Journey to Redstone Creek, the Commissioners sent several Times for the Indian Messengers, who at last came to them to the Fort, and acquainted them that they had been seriously considering the Business they were going to be sent on, and it now appeared to them so disagreeable, that they could by no means consent to undertake it, and immediately returned the Wampum which had been given them. Upon being interrogated, as to the Reasons of their declining to perform what they had consented to, they answered, that three of them were sent as Deputies by the Six Nation Coun­cil to attend the Treaty here; and having received no Directions from them to pro­ceed any further, they chose to return Home, in order to make Report of what they had seen and heard at this Place. They further added, that the driving white People away from their Settlements was a Matter which no Indians could, with any Satis­faction, be concerned in, and they thought it most proper for the English themselves to compel their own People to remove from the Indian Lands.

After this Refusal of the Indians, who had been appointed to carry the Message from the Six Nations, the Commissioners in vain attempted to persuade or procure others to execute the Business, though they used great Endeavours for that Purpose; and they thought it both useless and imprudent to continue to press a Matter on the In­dians, which they found they were generally much averse to; and therefore con­cluded to set out on their Return to Philadelphia, without further Delay. But in a short Time afterwards Kayashuta came with Arroas (a principal Warrior of the Six [Page 22] Nations) to the Commissioners at their Lodgings; 1768. where the former addressed himself to them in Effect as follows, viz.

Brethren,

I am very sorry to find that you have been disappointed in your Expectations of the [...] Indian Messengers going to Redstone, according to your Desire, and our Agreement; and I am much afraid that you are now going away from us with a discontented Mind, on this Account. Believe me, Brethren, this Thought fills my Heart with the deepest Grief, and I could not suffer you to leave us without speaking to you on this Subject, and endeavouring to make your Minds easy. We were all of us much disposed to com­ply with your Request, and expected it could have been done without Difficulty, but I now find that not only the Indians appointed by us, but all our other young Men▪ are very unwilling to carry a Message from us to the white People, ordering them to remove from our Lands. They say they would not choose to incur the ill Will o [...] those People, for, if they should be now removed, they will hereafter return to thei [...] Settlements, when the English have purchased the Country from us. And we shall be very unhappy, if, by our Conduct towards them at this Time, we shall give them Reason to dislike us, and treat us in an unkind Manner when they again become our Neighbours. We therefore hope, Brethren, you will not be displeased with us for not performing our Agreement with you, for you may be assured that we have good Hearts towards all our Brethren the English.

The Commissioners returned Kayashuta many Thanks for his friendly Behaviour on this Occasion; and assured him that they greatly approved of the Conduct of all the Indians, during the Treaty, and were now returning home with very easy and con­tented Minds. They further acquainted him that their Reason for urging them to send a Message to the Redstone Settlers proceeded intirely from the great Anxiety they had of contributing every Thing in their Power, that might expedite the Measures taken by the Government to do them Justice, and to redress every Injury they com­plained of. Yet, as they found the Compliance of their Request was disagreeable to the Indians, they should not press the Matter on them any further, though it appeared to be a Step very necessary to be taken at this Time.

They then took Leave of the Indians, in the most friendly Manner, and sat out on their Return to Philadelphia.