USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. IV > Part 60
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81
The Governor then enquired into the State & Condition of the Nations to the Westward of the Great Lakes, and whether they had any Warriors then in those Countries, whether they had con- cluded Peace with the Southern Indians, and whether they had heard what their Deputies had done at Albany.
They made Answer that they had always abundance of their Men out amongst the Nations to the Westward. That they had kindled a fire with a Vast many Nations, some whereof were their Tribu- taries, and they had a good understanding with all. They set from their own Country in Company with two Setts of Deputies, One going to hold a Treaty with the Southern Indians, and they believed a Peace would be concluded, and the other going to meet the Gover- nor of New York at Albany, but they could not tell what had been done at either Place. On their Return they were to hold a general Council, and would inform their Brethren of these parti- culars.
Then the Governor put an End to the Conference by telling the Indians the Goods would be delivered to them at a Council to be held to-morrow afternoon at the Meeting House.
De in to se
e e n re
t d
d. u, at Ve ay bis at ba- hot Na- eir an lies ted hat uld ich un- hey
566
MINUTES OF THE
At a Council held in the Meeting House at Philada., July 6º-, 1742.
PRESENT :
The Honourable GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov- ernor.
James Logan,
Samuel Preston,
Clement Plumsted,
Ralph Assheton, Esqrs.
Abraham Taylor,
Robert Strettell,
Upwards of two hundred Indians.
Canassatego, Speaker.
Conrad Weiser, Interpreter.
The Governer Commanding Silence spoke as follows:
" ffriends and Brethren of the six Nations-
"Six Years a ago, a Number of Your Chiefs obliged Us with a Visit, when they agreed on behalf of your Nations to the release of Certain Lands on both Sides the River Sasquehannah to the South- ward of the Endless Mountains, and within the Limits & Bounds of the King's Grant of this Province. In Consideration of which a certain Quantity of Goods was agreed on, and delivered as a full satisfaction for the said Lands lying on the Eastern side of the said River, And for the Land on the Western side of the said River You desired the payment should be deferred till another Opportu- nity; these goods, which are Exactly the same in Quality as those You received the last Time the Chiefs of your Nations were here, have been ready a considerable Time, and kept in Expectation of your coming for them, and now You are come down, fully impowered by your respective Councils to receive them, We are well pleased to deliver them, Leaving it to you to make a fair and equal Division of them amongst yourselves.
"We are sorry for the Absence of our Brethren the Senekas, and much more so that it should be owing to their Distress at home by a ffamine which Rages in their Country; A ffamine so great that you tell Us a father has been Obliged to Sacrifice one part of his ffamily, even his own Children, for the Support and Preservation of himself and the other part. We heartily Commiserate their Condi- tion, and do not doubt but you will do them fair and ample Justice in the disposal of their part of the Goods in such manner as they have Instructed you. Here the List of Goods was read over, which is as follows, Viz“:
" 5001b. Powder, " 6001b. Lead,
60 Kettles, 100 Tobacco Tongs, 100 Scissars,
" 45 Guns,
"60 Stroud Match Coats,
500 Awl Blades,
" 100 Blankets,
120 Combs,
b to la
H
t f
0 a i 0
567
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
"100 Duffil Match Coats,
2,000 Needles,
" 200 Yards of Half thick,
1,000 Flints,
" 100 Shirts,
24 Looking Glasses,
2ªb. Vermilion,
" 40 Pair of Shoes & Buckles,
" 40 Pair of Stockings,
1,000 Tobacco Pipes,
" 100 Hatchets,
24 Doz™ of Gartering,
" 500 Knives,
2001b· of Tobacco, and
" 100 Hoes,
25 Gallons of Rum.
" And then the Governor told them that the Goods of which the Particulars had been just read to them were in the Meeting House, and would be sent to whatever place they would direct.
" You have often heard of the Care that your great and good ffriend & Brother, William Penn, took at all Times to Cultivate a perfect good Harmony with all the Indians; Of this your Nations have ever been fully Sensible, but more especially a Number of Your Chiefs, about Ten Years ago, when on the arrival of a Son of your said Great ffriend William Penn, large and Valuable Presents were Exchanged by Us with You. A new Road was made and clear'd, a new ffire kindled, and the Chain of ffriendship made stronger, so as to last while the Sun & Moon endure.
" And now We cannot but congratulate our Selves that your com- ing should happen at a Time when we are in Daily Expectation of a War being declared between the King of England & the ffrench King, well knowing that should such Warr happen it must very sensibly Affect you, considering your situation in the neighbourhood of Canada.
" Your coming at this Juncture is particularly fortunate, since it gives us an Opportunity of mentioning several Things that may be necessary to be settled between People so strictly and closely united as we are-An Union not to be Expressed by any thing less than the Affectionate Regards which Children of the same Parents bear for each other, as conceiving our selves to be one flesh and one Peo- ple. The utmost care therefore ought mutually to be taken by Us on both sides, that the Road between Us be kept perfectly clear and open, and no Letts not the least Obstruction be suffered to lye in the Way, or if any should by accident be found that may hinder our free Intercourse & Correspondence, it must forthwith be re- moved.
" To inforce this we lay down a String of Wampum.
" In the next place, we on our part shall enlarge our ffire that burns between Us, we shall provide more fewel to increase it and to make it burn brighter and clearer, and give a stronger and more lasting Light & Warmth.
"In Evidence of our Sincere Intentions we lay down this Belt of Wampum.
"40 Hats,
100 Tin Potts,
568
MINUTES OF THE
" In the Last place considering the Obligations we are mutually under by our several Treaties that We should hear with our Ears for You and you hear with Your Ears for Us, We shall at all Times very willingly give you the Earliest and best Intelligence of any designs that may be found to your Disadvantage ; And if you discover any preperations that can hurt Us we desire you will im- mediately dispatch some suitable Person in whom we can place a Confidence to give Us a proper Information.
" To inforce this Request as well as to brighten the Chain, we lay down this other Belt of Wampum.
" On the Governor's concluding the Speech, the Solemn Cry by way of Approbation was repeated by the Indians as many times as there were Nations present, and then Canassatego rose up and spoke :
" Brethren :
We thank you for your kind speech. What you have said is very agreeable to Us, and to-morrow, when we have deliberated on the several Matters recommended to Us, will give you our Answer. We desire, as our Time will be wholly taken up in Council, you will Order the Goods to be carried back to the Proprietaries, to prevent their being Lost, and that they may continue there till we call for them.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, July the 7th, 1742.
PRESENT :
The Honble GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieut. Governor. Thomas Laurence, Samuel Hasell, ( Ralph Assheton, Abraham Taylor,
Robert Strettell,
Bigs.
The Ship Constantine, Henry Elwes, Master, arriving in this Port Yesterday, and it being reported that her Crew and Passen- gers were very sickly, the Governor thereupon imediately order'd the Ship to be removed a Mile at least from the Town, and that she should be visited by Doctors. And accordingly Doctors Bond & Zachary visited the said Ship, & reported that those on Board had generally recovered of a putrid infectious ffever, many of whom had still the Eruptions, and a few but lately well, wherefore they are of Opinion it would be necessary for the safety of the Inhabitants of the City to prevent their immediate Landing.
And the Governor being informed that notwithstanding his Order to the Master to remove the Ship and not Suffer any Passengers to Land, five or six Passengers were Landed into the Town, some whereof had the Disease Strong upon them, He thereupon sent to the several Houses where they were Lodged to order the sick to be removed into the Country or back on board the Ship.
569
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
The Board taking into Consideration the Danger which may at- tend the Master's Landing sick Passengers into the Town, contrary to Law, were of Opinion that the Attorney General should be or- der'd to prosecute the said Master for this his Transgression.
And it is recommended to Mr. Laurence and Mr. Hasell to take care that such of the Passengers as are sick in Town be removed into the Country.
And Mr. Laurence undertakes that the German Passengers shall all be Landed at ffisher's Island, where care shall be taken for them, And that the Ship shall be well cleaned.
At a Council held in the Meeting House, July the 7th, P. M. , PRESENT :
The Honble GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieut Governor.
James Logan,
Samuel Preston,
Samuel Hasell,
Thomas Laurence, Esqrs.
Robert Strettell, Abraham Taylor,
Canassatego's Speech on behalf of the six Nations.
" Brethren, the Governor, Council, & all present :
" According to our Promise, we now propose to return You an An- swer to the several Things mentioned to Us Yesterday, and shall beg Leave to speak to Public Affairs first, tho' they were what you spoke to Last. On this Head you Yesterday put Us in Mind, first, 'of William Penn's early and Constant Care to Cultivate ffriendship with all the Indians, Of the Treaty we held with one of his Sons about ten Years ago, And of the necessity there is at this Time of keeping the Roads between Us clear and free from all Ob- structions.' We are all very Sensible of the kind regard that good Man, William Penn, had for all the Indians, and cannot but be pleased to find that his Children have the same. We well remem- ber the Treaty you mention, held with his Son on his Arrival here, by which we Confirmed our League of friendship that is to last as long as the Sun & Moon endures. In Consequence of this we, on our part, shall preserve the Road free from all Incumbrances, in Confirmation whereof We lay down this String of Wampum.
" You, in the next Place, said You would enlarge the ffire and make it burn brighter, which we are pleased to hear You mention, And Assure You we shall do the same by adding to it more fewell, that it may still flame out more strongly than ever. In the last place You were pleased to say, that we are bound, by the Strictest Leagues, to watch for each other's Preservation ; That we should hear with our Ears for You, and You hear with Your Ears for Us ; this is equally agreeable to Us, and we shall not fail to give you
570
MINUTES OF THE
early Intelligence whenever any thing of Consequence comes to our Knowledge, and to Encourage You to do the same; and to nourish in Your Hearts what you have Spoke to Us with Your Tongues about the renewal of our Amity and the brightning of the Chain of ffriendship, We confirm what we have said with another Belt of Wampum.
" Brethren :
" We received from the Proprietors Yesterday some Goods, in Consideration of our Release of the Lands on the West side of Sas- quehannah. It is true we have the full Quantity according to Agreement, but if the Proprietor had been here himself, we think in regard of our Numbers and poverty he would have made an Addition to them. If the Goods were only to be divided amongst the Indians present, a single Person would have had but a small Portion, but if you consider what Numbers are left behind, equally intitled with Us to a Share, there will be extremely little. We therefore desire, if you have the Keys of the Proprietor's Chest, you will open it and take out a little more for us.
"We know our Lands are now become more Valuable ; the white People think we don't know their Value, but we are sensible that the Land is Everlasting, and the few Goods we receive for it are soon Worn out and Gone; for the future, we will sell no Lands but when Brother Onas is in the Country, and we will know before hand the Quantity of Goods we are to receive; Besides, we are not well Used with respect to the Lands still unsold by Us. Your People daily settle on these Lands and spoil our Hunting. We must insist on your removing them, as you know they have no right to the Northward of Kittochtinny Hills. In particular, we renew our Complaints against some People who are settled at Juniata, a Branch of Sasquehannah, and all along the Banks of that River as Mahaniay, and desire they may be forthwith made to go off the Land, for they do great Damage to our Cousins the Delawares.
" We have further to observe with respect to the Lands lying on the West side of the Sasquehanna, that tho' brother Onas (meaning the Prop".) has paid Us for what his People possess, Yet some parts of that country have been taken Up by persons whose place of resi- dence is to the South of this Province, from whom we have never received any Consideration. This affair was recomended to you by our Chiefs at our Last Treaty, and you then, at our earnest desire, promised to write a Letter to that person who has the authority over those People, and to procure Us his Answer. As we have never heard from you on this head, we want to know what you have done in it. If you have not done anything we now renew our Request, and desire You will inform the Person whose people are seated on our Lands, that that Country belongs to Us in right of Conquest- We having bought it with our Blood, and taken it from our Ene- mies in fair War; And we Expect as Owners of that Land to
571
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
receive such a Consideration for it as the Land is worth. We desire you will press him to send Us a positive Answer ; Let him say Yes or No; if he says Yes, we will treat with him; if No, we are able to do ourselves Justice, and we will do it by going to take pay- ment on ourselves.
" It is Customary with Us to make a Present of Skins whenever we renew our Treaties. We are ashamed to Offer our Brethren so few, but your Horses and Cows have eat the Grass our Deer used to feed on. This has made them Scarce, and will, We hope, plead in Excuse for our not bringing a larger Quantity ; if we could have spared more we would have given more; but we are really poor, and desire you'l not consider the Quantity, but few as they are accept them in Testimoney of our Regard."
Here they gave the Governor a Bundle of skins.
The Governor immediately replied :
" Brethren-
" We thank you for the many Declarations of Respect you have given Us in this solmen renewal of our Treatise. We receive and shall keep your string & Belts of Wampum as pledges of your sin- cerity, and desire those We gave you may be carefully preserved as Testimonials of ours.
" In answer to what You say about the Proprietaries, They are all absent and have taken the Keys of their Chest with them, so that We cannot on their Behalf enlarge the Quantity of Goods ; were they here they might perhaps be more generous, but we can- not be liberal for them. The Government will, however, take your request into Consideration and in regard to your poverty may per- haps make you a present. I but just mention this now, intending to refer this part of your Speech to be answered at our next meeting.
The number of Guns as well as everything else answers exactly with the particulars specified in your Deed of Conveyance, which is more than was agreed to be given you. It was your own sentiments that the Lands on the West side of Sasque- hannah were not so valuable as those on the East, and an abate- ment was to be made proportionable to this Difference in Value ; but the Proprietor overlook'd this, and order'd the full Quantity to be delivered, which you will look on as a favour.
. "It is very true that Lands are of late become more Valuable, but what raises their Value ? Is it not intirely owing to the Indus- try & Labour used by the white people in their Cultivation and Im- provement ? Had not they come amongst You these Lands would have been of no Use to you any further than to maintain You, and is there not, now you have sold so much, enough left for all the Purposes of living? What you say of the Goods that they are soon worn out is applicable to every thing, but you know very well that
572
MINUTES OF THE
they cost a great deal of Money, and the Value of Land is no more than what it is worth in Money.
" On your former Complaints against people settling the Land on Juniata, and from thence all along on the River Sasquehannah as far as Mahaniahy, some Magistrates were sent expressly to remove them, and we thought no person would stay after that."
Here they interrupted the Governor, and said these persons who were sent did not do their Duty; so far from removing the people, they made Surveys for themselves, and they are in League with the Trespassers. We desire more effectual Methods may be used, and honester persons employ'd.
Which the Governor promised, and then proceeded :
" Brethren-
" According to the Promise made at our last Treaty with you, Mr. Logan, who was at that Time President, did write to the Gov- ernor of Maryland that he might make You Satisfaction for such of your Lands as his People had taken up, but did not receive one word from him upon that head. I will write to him again, and en- deavour to procure You a Satisfactory Answer. We do not doubt but he will do You Justice, but we exhort you to be careful not to Exercise any Acts of Violence towards his people, as they likewise are our Brethren, and Subjects of the same great King, and there- fore Violence towards them must be productive of very evil Conse- quences.
" I shall conclude what I have to say at this Time with acknow- ledgements for your present, which is very agreeable to Us from the Expressions of Regard Used by You in presenting it .- Gifts of this Nature receiving their Value from the Affection of the Giver, and not from the Quantity or price of the thing given.
At a Council held at Philada., July 8th, 1742.
PRESENT :
The Honble GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieuten" Governor.
James Logan,
Samuel Preston,
Clement Plumsted,
Thomas Laurence,
Samuel Hasel,
Ralph Assheton,
Esqrs.
Abraham Taylor, Robert Strettell, -
The Board taking into Consideration whether it be proper or not at this Time to make a Present to the Indians of the six Nations now in Town, in return for their Present to this Government at Yesterday's Treaty.
Resolved,
That it is highly fit and proper that a Present be made to the said In Indians at this Time.
573
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
And it is the Opinion of this Board that the said Present should be of the Value of £500, or at least £300.
And it is recommended to Mr. Logan, Mr. Preston, and Mr. Lau- rence, to Acquaint Mr. Kinsey, the Speaker of the Assembly, with the Opinion of this Board, and that they request him to confer with such other Members of Assembly as are in Town, and report their sentiments thereupon.
The Board taking into Consideration the Threats express'd by the Indians at the Treaty Yesterday against the Inhabitants of Mary- land settled on certain Lands on the West side of Sasquehannah, which the Indians claim, and for which they require Satisfaction, And considering that should those Threats in any sort be put in Execution, not only the Inhabitants of Maryland but of this Govern- ment, and all his Majestie's Subjects on the Northern Continent of America may thereby be involved in much Trouble, It is the Opinion of this Board that the Governor write to the Governor of Maryland without Delay, to inform him of the Indians Complaint & threats, and to request a Satisfactory Answer, And that his Let- ter be sent by a special Messenger at the publick Expence.
At a Council held July 9th, 1742.
PRESENT :
The Honble GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutent Governor.
James Logan,
Samuel Preston,
Clement Plumsted,
Ralph Assheton,
Samuel Hasell,
Thomas Laurence,
Esqrs.
Robert Strettell,
& Mr. Peters.
The Governor informed the Board that the Indian Chiefs dining with him Yesterday, after Dinner delivered their Answer to two affairs of Consequence. The first related to the Violent Battery committed on William Webb in the fforks of Delaware, whereby his Jaw Bone was broke and his Life greatly indangered by an un- known Indian. Cannassatego repeating the Message delivered to the six Nations by Shick Calamy, in the Year 1740, with a String of Wampum, said in Answer : The six Nations had made diligent Enquiry into the affair, and had found out the Indian who had com- mitted the ffact. He lived near Osopus, and had been examined and severly reproved; And they hoped, as William Webb was re- covered, they hoped the Governor would not Expect any further Punishment, And therefore they returned the String of Wampum received from their Brethren by the Hand of Shick Calamy, in token that they had fully complied with their request.
I thanked them for their Care, but reminded them that tho'
574
MINUTES OF THE
the Man did not Dye, yet he lay a long Time in Extreme Misery, and would never recover the free Use of his Speech, and was render'd less able to get his Livelihood; and in such Cases the English Laws obliged the Assailant to make good all Damages, besides paying for the Pain Endured; But as the Indian in all Probability was poor and unable to make Satisfaction, I told them that for their Sakes I would forgive him, Adding had Webb dyed I make no Doubt but you would have put the Indian to Death, Just as we did two of our People who had killed an Indian. We caused them to be hung upon a Gallows in the presence of many hundreds of our People, to deter all others from doing the like. Canassatego made me this Reply : The Indians know no punishment but Death; they have no such thing as pecuniary Mulcts; if a man be guilty of a Crime he is either put to Death or the fault is over look'd. We have often heard of your hanging up those two persons, but as none of Our Indians saw the Men Dye, many believe they were not hanged but transported to some other Colony; and it would be satisfactory to the Indians if for the future that some of them be sent for to be Witnesses of such Executions. I assured them that whoever gave them such Information abuse them, for the Persons certainly suffered Death, and in the presence of all the People.
Canassatego then proceeded to give an Answer to what was said to them the 2d Instant relating to Le Tort's Letter, That they had in Council considered in what Manner the matter recommended to them ought to be conducted, And they were of Opinion That as the Shawonese, not the Twightwys (for they knew so much of it that the People were of the Twightwys Nation in whose Bags the Scalps were found), had sent me a Present of Skins. I should in return send them a Blanket or a Kettle, and with it a very Sharp Message that though they had done well in sweeping the Road from Blood, yet that was but a small part of their Duty; they ought not to have suffer'd the Twightwys', after their Lie and Discovery of the Scalps, to have left them till they had given a full & true Ac- count how they came by them, whose Scalps they were, and in what place and for what reason the Men were kill'd, and when they had been fully Satisfy'd of all these Particulars then it was their Duty to have given Information to the Government where the white people lived, that the Murderers might be complained against and punished by the Nation they belong'd to; And as the Shawonese had omitted to perform the part of Brethren, that I should reprove them for it, and charge them to make amends for their Neglect, by using all possible Expedition to come at the Knowledge of these things and to Aid their Brethren, the white People, in obtaining Justice."
The Minutes of the preceeding Council being read, Mr. Logan, in Pursuance of the Board's Direction yesterday, Reported on behalf of himself and the other Gentlemen, to whom it was recommended that they had conferr'd with Mr. Kinsey, and requested him to consult
575
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
the other Members of the Assembly concerning the making a Pre- sent to the Indians; And that Mr. Kinsey having collected the Sentiments of several Members of the Assembly in Town whom he had conferr'd with on that Subject, found them generally of Opinion that a Present should at this Time be made, but that they had de- clined nominating any Sum; However, that Mr. Kinsey had given it as his own Opinion that the Governor & Council might go as far as three hundred Pounds.
And accordingly it is referr'd to Mr. Logan, Mr. Preston, and Mr. Laurence, to consider of and prepare a Proper List of the Goods whereof the present should be Composed to the Value of £300 as aforesaid, advising with the Interpreter as to the Quantity & Quality.
-
At a Council held at the Proprietor's, 9th July, P. M. PRESENT :
The Honble GEORGE THOMAS Esqr., Lieutent Governor. James Logan, Robert Strettel, Samuel Preston, Abraham Taylor, S Esqrs.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.