USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. IV > Part 74
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"But I hope, Honourable Gentlemen Commmissioners, it will not be taken amiss if I go a little further, and Briefly represent to you how especially necessary it is at this Juncture, for His Ma- jesty's Service and the Good of all His Colonies in this Part of His Dominions, that Peace and Friendship be established between Your Government and the Indians of the Six Nations.
"These Indians by their Situation are a Frontier to some of them, and from thence, If Friends, are Capable of Defending their Settlements ; If Enemies, of making Cruel Ravages upon them ; If Neuters, they may deny the French a Passage through their Coun- try, and give us timely Notice of their Designs. These are but some of the Motives for cultivating a good Understanding with them, but from hence the Disadvantages of a Rupture are abund- antly evident. Every advantage you gain over them in War will be a Weakning of the Barrier of those Colonies, and Consequently will be in Effect Victories over yourselves and your Fellow-Sub- jects. Some allowances for their Prejudices and Passions, and a Present now and then for the Relief of their Necessities, which have in some measure been brought upon them by their Intercourse with Us, and by our yearly extending our Settlements, will proba- bly tye them more closely to the British Interest. This has been the Method of Newyork and Pennsylvania, and will not put you to so much Expence in Twenty Years as the carrying on a War against
* This was allow'd at a Conference had by the Governor with the Com- missioners to be a just state of the Transactions preceeding the Treaty.
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them will do in One. The French very well know the Importance of these Nations to Us, and will not fail by Presents and their other usual Arts to take advantage of any Misunderstandings we may have with them .*
" But I will detain You, Gentlemen, no longer. Your own Supe- rior knowledge will suggest to You more than I can say on this Subject.
" Friends and Brethren Sachims or Chiefs of the Indians of the Six Nations :
" These, Your Brethren of Virginia and Maryland, are come to enlarge the Fire, which was almost gone out, and to make it burn clearer to brighten the Chain which had contracted some rust, and to renew their Friendship with you which it is their desire may last so long as the Sun, the Moon, and the Starrs shall give light. Their Powers are derived from the Great King of England your Father, and whatever conclusions they shall come to with you will be as firm and Binding as if the Governors of these Provinces were themselves here. I am your Brother, and which is more, I am your true Friend. As you know from Experience that I am so, I will now give you a few words of Advice : Receive these your Brethren with open Arms; Unite yourselves to them in the Cove- nant Chain, and be you with them as one Body and one Soul. I I make no doubt but the Governor of Canada has been taking pains to widen the Breache between these your Brethren of Virginia and you ; but as you cannot have forgot the Hatred the French have always borne to your Nations, and how kindly on the contrary you have been treated, and how Faithfully you have been protected by the Great King of England and his Subjects, you will not be at a loss to see into the Designs of that Governor. He wants to divide you from Us, in order the more easily to destroy you, which he will most certainly do if you suffer yourselves to be deluded by him.
" As to what relates to the Friendship establish'd between the Government of Pennsylvania and your Nations, I will take another day to speak to you upon it.
"To enforce what has been said, the Governor laid down a Belt of Wampum, upon which the Indians gave the fJo-hah.
" After a Short Pause, the Governor ordered the Interpreter to tell the Indians that as they had greatly exceeded their appointed
* The two preceeding Paragraphs were allow'd by the Commissioners of Virginia, whilst they were at Philadelphia, to be very Proper to be spoken by the Governor of Pennsylvania at the opening of the Treaty, but taking up an Opinion from what passed at the first Friendly Interview with the Indians, that they would not make any Claim upon Lands within the Gov- ernment of Virginia, the Governor consented to decline speaking to them in the Presence of the Indians.
t The Jo-hah denotes Approbation, being a loud shout or Cry, consisting of a few Notes pronounced by all the Indians in a very Musical manner in the nature of Our Huzza's.
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time for meeting the Commissioners, he recommended to them to Use all the Expedition possible in giving their Answer to what had been said, that they might forthwith proceed to treat with the re- speetive Commissioners on the Business they came about.
"Then Canassatego repeated to the Interpreter the Substance of what the Governor had Spoke, in order to if he had understood him right [A Method generally made use of by the Indians], and when the Interpreter told him he had taken the true Sense, Canas- satego proceeded to return the Thanks of the Six Nations for the Governor's kind advice, promising to follow it as far as lay in their Power; but as it was their Custom when a Belt was given to return another, they would take time 'till the afternoon to provide one, and would then give their answer."
In the Court House at Lancaster, June 25th, 1744, P. M. PRESENT :
The Honourable GEORGE THOMAS, Esq"., Governor, &ca.,
The Honourable the Commissioners of Virginia.
The Honourable the Commissioners of Maryland. The Deputies of the Six Nations.
Conrad Weiser, Interpreter.
Canassatego's Answer to the Governor's Speech delivered in the Morning :
" Brother Onas-
" You spoke in the Presence of Assaraquoa and the Governor of Maryland to Us, advising Us to receive them as our Brethren, and Unite with them in the Covenant Chain as one Body and one Soul. We have always considered them as Our Brethren, and as such shall be willing to brighten the Chain of Friendship with them ; But since there are some disputes between Us respecting the Lands Pos- sessed by them which formerly belonged to Us, We, according to Our Custom, Propose to have those differences first adjusted, and then We shall Proceed to Confirm the Friendship subsisting between Us, which will meet with no Obstruction after these matters are Settled."
Here they presented the Governor with a Belt of Wampum, in return for the Belt given them in the Morning by the Governor, and the Interpreter was ordered to return the Jo-hah.
Then the Governor in Reply spoke as follows :
"I receive your Belt with Great kindness and affection, and as to what Relates to the Governments of Virginia and Maryland, the Honourable Commissioners now Present are ready to Treat with you. I shall only add that the Goods for the Hundred Pounds
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Sterling put into my Hands by the Governor of Virginia is a token of his Good Dispositions to Preserve friendship with you, are now in Town and ready to be delivered, in consequence of what was told you by Conrad Weiser when he was last at Onondago."
Then the Governor turning to the Commissioners of Virginia and Maryland, say'd : "Gentlemen-I have now finished what was in- cumbent upon me to say by way of Introduction to the Indians, and as you have full Authority from your respective Governments to Treat with them, I shall leave the rest entirely to you, and either stay or withdraw as you shall think it most for your Service."
The Commissioners say'd they were all of Opinion it would be for their Advantage that the Governor should stay with them, and, therefore, they unanimously desired they would favour them with the Continuance of his Presence whilst they should be in a Treaty with the Indians, which His Honour said He would at their Instance very readily do, believing it might expedite their Bussiness and pre- vent any Jealousy the Indians might conceive at his Withdrawing.
The Commissioners of Maryland order'd the Interpreter to ac- quaint the Indians that the Governor of Maryland was going to Speak to them, and then spoke as follows :
" Friends and Brethren of the United Six Nations-
" We who are deputed from the Government of Maryland by a Commission under the Great Seal of that Province, now in Our Hands (and which will be Interpreted to You), bid you welcome, and in token that We are very glad to see you here as Brethren, We give you this String of Wampum."
Upon which the Indians gave the Jo-hah.
" When the Governor of Maryland received the first Notice about Seven years ago of your Claim to some Lands in that Province, He thought our Good friends and Brethren of the Six Nations had little reason to complain of any Injury from Maryland, and that they would be so well convinced thereof on further Deliberation as he should hear no more of it; but you spoke of that matter again to the Governor of Pennsylvania about Two years since as if you designed to Terrify us.
"It was very inconsiderately sayd by you, that you would do yourselves Justice by going to take Payment yourselves ; such an attempt would have entirely dissolved the Chain of Friendship sub- sisting not only between us, but perhaps the other English and You.
" We assure you our People, who are numerous, courageous, and have arms ready in their Hands, will not suffer themselves to be hurt in their Lives and Estates.
" But, however, the old and Wise People of Maryland imme- diately met in Council, and upon considering very cooly your rash
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Expressions, agreed to invite their Brethren, the Six Nations, to this place, that they might learn of them what Right they have to the land in Maryland; and if they had any, to make them some reasonable Compensation for it. Therefore the Governor of Mary- land hath sent us to meet and treat with you about this Affair, and the Brightening and Strengthning the Chain which hath long sub- sisted between us; and as an Earnest of Our Sincerity and Good will towards you, We present you with this Belt of Wampum."
On which the Indians gave the Jo-hah.
" Our Great King of England and his Subjects have alwise pos- sessed the Province of Maryland free and undisturbed from any Claim of the Six Nations for above One hundred Years past, and your not saying any thing to us before convinces us you thought you had no Pretence to any Lands in Maryland, nor can we yet find out to what Lands or under what Title you make your Claim. For the Sasquehannah Indians, by a Treaty above ninety years since (which is on the Table and will be Interpreted to you), Give and Yield to the English Nation, their heirs and assigns for ever, the Greatest part (if not all) of the Lands We possess from Patuxent River on the Western, as well as from Choptahk River on the East- ern side of the Great Bay of Chesapeak, and near Sixty Years ago you acknowledged to the Governor of new York at Albany, 'That you had given your Lands and Submitted yourselves to the King of England.'
"We are that Great King's Subjects, and we Possess and enjoy the Province of Maryland by virtue of His Right and Soverignty thereto. Why, then, will you stir up any Quarrel between you and ourselves, who are as one man under the Protection of that Great King ?
" We need not put you in mind of the Treaty (which we suppose you have had from Your Fathers) made with the Province of Mary- land near Seventy Years ago, and renew'd and Confirmed twice since that time.
" By these Treaties we became Brethren ; we have alwise lived as such, and hope alwise to continue so.
"We have this further to say, that altho' We are not satisfied of the Justice of your Claim to any Lands in Maryland, yet we are desirous in shewing Our Brotherly kindness and affection, and to prevent (by any reasonable way) every misunderstanding between the Province of Maryland and you our Brethren of the Six Na- tions.
" For this Purpose we have brought hither a quantity of Goods for Our Brethren of the Six Nations, and which will be delivered you as soon as we shall have received your Answer and made so bright and large a Fire as may burn Pure and clear whilst the Sun and Moon shall Shine. We have now freely and openly laid our
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Bosoms bare to you, and that you may be the better confirmed of the Truth of our Hearts, We give you this Belt of Wampum."
Which was received with the Jo-hah.
After a little time Canassatego spoke as follows :
" Brother, the Governor of Maryland :
" We have heard what you have sayd to us, and as you have gone back to Old Times, We cannot give you an answer now, but shall take what you have sayd into consideration, and return you our an- swer sometime to-morrow." He then sat down, and after sometime We spoke again :
"Brother, the Governor of Maryland :
" If you have made any Enquiry into Indian Affairs, you will know that we have always had Our Guns, Hatchets, and Kettles mended when we came to see our Brethren. Brother Onas and the Governor of New york always do this for us, and We give you this Early notice that we may not thereby be delayed, being desirous as well as you to give all Possible Dispatch to the Business to be Transacted between us."
The Commissioners of Virginia and Maryland sayd, since it was customary they would give Orders to have everything belonging to them mended that it should want it.
In the Court House at Lancaster, June 26th, 1744. PRESENT :
The Honourable GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov- ernor, &ca.
The Honourable Commissioners of Virginia.
The Honourable Commissioners of Maryland.
The Deputies of the Six Nations.
Conrad Weiser, Interpreter.
Canassatego Spoke as follows :
" Brother, the Governor of Maryland-
" When you invited us to kindle a Council Fire with you, Cone- dogwainet was the place agreed upon, but afterwards you by Brother Onas, upon second thoughts, considering that it would be difficult to get Provisions and other accommodations where there were but few houses or Inhabitants, desired we should meet Our Brother at Lancaster, and at his instance we very readily agreed to meet you here, and are glad of the Change, for we have found plenty of every thing, and as yesterday you bid us Welcome, and told us you were glad to see us, we likewise assure you we are as glad to see you, and VOL. IV .- 45.
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in token of our Satisfaction we present you with this String of Wampum."
Which was received with the usual Ceremony.
" Brother, the Governor of Maryland :
" You tell us that when about seven years ago you heard by Our Brother Onas of our Claim to some Lands in your Province, you took no notice of it, believing, as you say, that when we should come to reconsider that matter we should find that we had no Right to make any Complaint of the Governor of Maryland, and would drop our demand. And that when about two years ago we mentioned it again to our Brother Onas, you say We did it in such Terms as looked like a design to Terrify you; and you tell us further, that we must be beside ourselves in using such a rash expression as to tell you we know how to do ourselves Justice if you should still refuse. It is true we did say so, but without any ill design-for we must inform you that when we first desired Our Brother Onas to use his influence with you to procure us satisfaction for Our Lands, We at the same time desired him, in case you should disregard our De- mand, to write to the Great King beyond the Seas, who would own Us for his Children as well as you, to compel you to do us Justice. And two years ago, when we found that you paid no regaird to Our Just demand, nor that Brother Onas had convey'd our Complaint to the Great King over the Seas, we were resolved to use such Ex- pressions as would make the greatest Impressions on your minds, and we find it had its effect, for you tell us 'That your Wise men held a Council together and agreed to Invite us, and to enquire of Our Right to any of your Lands; and if it should be found that we had a Right we were to have a Compensation made for them ;' and, likewise, you tell us that our Brother, the Governor of Mary- land, by the Advice of these wise men has sent you to brighten the Chain, and to assure us of his willingness to remove whatsoever im- pedes a good understanding between us. This shews that your wise men understand our Expressions in their true Sense. We had no design to Terrify you, but to put you on doing us the Justice you had so long delayed. Your wise men have done well; and as there is no obstacle to a Good understanding between us, except this affair of the Land, we on our Parts do give you the Strongest assu- rances of our Good Dispositions towards you, and that we are as desirous as you to Brighten the Chain and to put away all hind- rances to a perfect good understanding ; and in token of our sincerity we give you this Belt of Wampum."
Which was received, & the Interpre ordered to give the Jo-hah.
" Brother, the Governor of Maryland :
" When you mentioned the affair of the Land Yesterday, you went back to old Times, and told us you had been in posession of the Province of Maryland above One hundred Years; but what is
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one hundred years in comparison to the length of Time since our Claim began ?- Since we came out of this Ground ? For we must tell you that long before One hundred years Our ancestors came out of this very Ground, and their Children have remained here ever since. You came out of the Ground in a Country that lyes beyond Seas, there you may have a just Claim, but here you must allow Us to be your elder Brethren, and the Lands to belong to us long before you know anything of them. It is true that above One. hundred years ago the Dutch came here in a Ship and brought with them several Goods, such as Awls, Knives, Hatchets, Guns, and many other particulars, which they gave us, and when they had taught us how to use their things, and we saw what sort of People they were, we were so well pleased with them that we tyed their Ship to the Bushes on the Shoar, and afterwards liking them still better the longer they stayed with us, and thinking the Bushes to slender, we removed the Rope and tyed it to the trees, and as the Trees were lyable to be blown down by high Winds, or to decay of themselves, We, from the affection We bore them, again removed the Rope, and tyed it to a Strong and big Rock [Here the Inter- preter said they mean the Oneida Country ], and not content with this, for its further security We removed the Rope to the Big- Mountain [Here the Interpreter says they mean the Onondaga Country], and there we tyed it very fast and rowled Wampum about it, and to make it still more Secure we stood upon the Wam- pum, and sat down upon it to defend it, and did our Best endea- vours that it might remain uninjured for ever During all this Time; the Newcomers, the Dutch, acknowledged Our Rights to the Lands, and solicited us from time to time to grant them Parts of Our Country, and to enter into League and Covenant with us, and to become one People with us.
" After this the English came into the Country, and, as we were told, became one People with the Dutch; about two years after the Arrival of the English, an English Governor came to Albany, and finding what great friendship subsisted between us and the Dutch, he approved it mightly, and desired to make as Strong a league and to be upon as good Terms with us as the Dutch were, with whom he was united, and to become one People with Us, and by his further care in looking what had passed between us he found that the Rope which tyed the Ship to the Great mountain was only fastened with Wampum, which was liable to break and rot, and to perish in a course of years, he therefore told us that he would give us a silver Chain, which would be much stronger and last for Ever. This we accepted, and fastened the Ship with it, and it has lasted ever since. Indeed, we have had some small Differences with the English, and during these misunderstandings some of their young men would, by way of Reproach, be every now and then telling us that we should have perished if they had not come into the Country and furnished us with Strowds and Hatchets
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1.
and Guns and other things necessary for the Support of Life. But we always gave them to understand that they were mistaken, that we lived before they came amongst us, and as well or better, if we may believe what our Forefathers have told Us. We had then room enough and Plenty of Deer, which was easily caught, and tho' we had not Knives, Hatchets, or Guns, such as we have now, yet we had Knives of Stone and Hatchets of Stone, and Bows and Arrows, and these Served Our Uses as well then as the English ones do now. We are now Straitned and sometimes in want of Deer, and lyable to many other Inconveniences since the English came among Us, and particularly from that Pen and Ink work that is going on at the Table [pointing to the Secretarys], and we will give you an Instance of this. Our Brother Onas, a great while ago, came to Albany to Buy the Sasquehannah Lands of Us, but our Brother, the Governor of New York, who, as we suppose, had not a Good understanding with Our Brother Onas, advised us not to Sell him any Lands, for he would make an ill use of it, and Pre- tending to be Our Good friend, he advised us, in order to prevent Onas's or any other persons imposing upon us, and that we might always have Our Land when we should want it, to put it into his Hands, and told us he would keep it for Our use, and never open his Hands, but keep them close shut, and not part with any of it but at Our request. Accordingly we Trusted him, and put Our Land into his Hands, and Charged him to keep it safe for Our Use; but some time after he went away to England and carryed Our Land with him, and there Sold it to Our Brother Onas for a Large Sum of money ; and when, at the Instance of Our Brother . Onas, we were minded to sell him some Lands, He told us that we had sold the Sasquehannah Lands already to the Governor of New York, and that he had bought them from him in England, tho' when he came to Understand how the Governor of New York had deceived Us, he very generously paid Us for our Lands over again.
"Tho' we mention this Instance of an Imposition put upon us by the Governor of New York, yet we must do the English the Justice to say, we have had their hearty Assistances in Our Wars with the French, who were no sooner arrived amongst us than they began to render us uneasy and to provoke us to War, and we have had several Wars with them, during all which we constantly received assistance from the English, and by their Means we have alwise been able to keep up Our Heads against their Attacks.
" We now come nearer home. We have had your Deeds Inter- preted to Us, and we acknowledge them to be good and valid, and that the Conestogoe or Sasquehannah Indians had a Right to sell those Lands unto you, for they were then their's; but since that time We have Conquered them, and their Country now belongs to Us, and the Lands we demanded satisfaction for are no part of the Lands comprized in those Decds-they are the *Cohongoroutas
* Cohongoroutas, Potomack.
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Lands. Those we are sure you have not possessed One hundred Years; No, nor above Ten years. And we made our Demand so soon as we knew your People were Settled in those Parts. These have never been sold, but remain still to be disposed of ; And we are well pleased to hear you are Provided with Goods, and do assure you of Our Willingness to Treat with You for those unpurchased Lands, In confirmation whereof We present you with this Belt of Wampum."
Which was received with the usual Ceremony.
Canassatego added :
" That as the Three Governors of Virginia, Maryland, and Penn- sylvania, had divided the Lands among, they could not for this Reason tell how much each had got, nor were they concerned about it, so that they were paid by all the Governors for the Several Parts each Possessed ; and this they left to their Honour and Justice."
In the Court House at Lancaster, June 27th, 1744.
PRESENT : The Honourable GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Governor, &ca.
The Honourable the Commissioners of Virginia.
The Honourable the Commissioners of Maryland.
The Deputies of the Six Nations.
Conrad Weiser, Interpreter.
The Commissioners of Virginia order'd the Interpreter to let the Indians know the Governor of Virginia was going to Speak to them, and then they Spoke as follows :
" Sachims and Warriors of the Six United Nations, Our Friends and Brethren :
" At our Desire the Governor of Pennsylvania invited you to this council Fire ; we have waited a long time for you, but now you are come, you are heartily welcome. We are very glad to see you. We give you this String of Wampum."
Which was received with their Usual Approbation.
" Brethren :
" In the Year 1736, Four of your Sachims wrote a Letter to James Logan, Esq., then President of Pennsylvania, to let the Governor of Virginia know that you Expected some Consideration for Lands in the Occupation of some of the People of Virginia. Upon secing a Copy of this Letter, the Governor with the Council of Virginia took some time to consider of it; they found, on look- ing into the Old Treaties, that you had given up Your Lands to the Great King, Who had possession of Virginia above One hundred
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