USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > Lancaster county Indians: annals of the Susquehannocks and other Indian tribes of the Susquehanna territory from about the year 1500 to 1763, the date of their extinction > Part 34
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"The Publisher to the Reader, Phila- delphia, July 26, 1721.
Courteous reader : We here pres- ent you with an exact copy of the proceedings of the Governor in the late treaty with several nations of Indians at Conestoga, taken from the minutes of the respective councils, which were held on the occasion. And we hope this will be more agreeably acceptable to our corres- pondents than any abstracts that could be published in our Weekly Mercury.
The Indian village of Conestoga lies about seventy English miles dis- tant, almost directly West of the city, and the land thereabout being exceedingly rich, it is now surround- ed by divers fine plantations s or farms, where they raise quantities of wheat, barley, flax and hemp, with- out help of any dung.
The company who attended the Governor consisted of between 70 and 80. horsemen, most of them well armed, and the directions that had ben given were so well observed that great plenty of all sorts of provis- ions were everywhere provided bot for man and horse.
His Excellency the Governor's care for the public safety of this colony plainly discovers itself in his management of affairs with the In- dians in general as well as by his late toilsome journey to and fror Virginia and Conestoga. The good people of. this city and province from a just sense of happiness they enjoy the present administration embrace all opportunities of expressing their love and esteem for the Governor, who at his return from Conestoga was waited upon at the upper ferry of the Schuylkill River by the Mayor and Aldermen of the City with about two hundred horse. After a refresh-
ment of wine and other good liquors, upon the eleventh inst., about sunset his Excellency arrived in good health at his own house to the universal joy of all the inhabitants."
The official report of this treaty is found in Vol. 3 of the Col. Rec., p. 121, as follows:
"Conestogoe, July the 5th, 1721. "The Governor arrived here this day at Noon, and in the evening went to Capt. Civility's cabin, where four Deputies of the Five Nations, and some few more of their people came to see the Governour, who spake to them by an interpreter to this pur- pose, viz:
That this being the first time that the Five Nations had thought fit to send any of their Chiefs to visit him; he had come a great way from home to bid them welcome, that he hoped to be better acquainted and hold a further discourse with them before he left the Place.
They answered that they were come a long way on purpose to see the Governor and speak with him; that they had heard much of him and would have come here before now, but that the faults and mistakes com- mitted by some of their young men had made them ashamed to show their faces, but now that they had seen the Governor's face, they were well satisfied with their journey whether anything else was done or not.
The Governour told them that to- morrow morning he designed to speak a few words to his Brothers and Children, the Indians of Cones- togoe and their friends upon Susque- hanna, and desired that the Deputies of the Five Nations might be presen. in Council to hear what is said i them.
At a Council held at Conestogoe, July the 6th, 1721.
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PRESENT:
The, Honorable Sir William Keith Bart., Govr., Richard Hill, Colonel John French, Caleb Pusey, James Logan, Secretary, Jonathan Dickin- son.
The Governor spoke to the Conesto- goe Indians as follows:
My Brothers and Children,
So soon as you sent me word that your near friends and relatives, the Chiefs of the Five Nations, were come to visit you, I made haste and am come up to see both you and them, and to assure all the Indians of the Continuance of my love to them.
Your old acquaintance and true friend, the Great William Penn, was a wise man, and therefore he did not approve of war among the Indians whom he loved, because it wasted and destroyed their people, but always rocommended peace to the Indians as the surest way to make them rich and strong by increasing their num- bers.
Some of you can remember since William Penn and his friends came first to settle amongst you in this country; it is but a few years and like as yesterday to an old man, nevertheless by following that great Man's peaceable councils this Gov- ernment is now become wealthy and powerful in great numbers of people, and though many of our inhabitants are not accustomed to war and dislike the practice of man killing one an- other, yet you can not but know that I am able to bring several thousand into the field, well armed, to defend both your people and ours from being hurt by any enemy that durst at- tempt to invade us; however, we do not forget what William Penn often told us, that the experiences of old age, which is true wsdom, advises peace, and I say to you, that the wis-
est man is always the bravest man, for he safely depends on his wisdom, and there is no true courage without it. I have so great a love for you; my dear Brothers, who live under the protection of this Government that I can not suffer you to be hurt no more than I would my own children; I am but just now returned from Virginia where I wearied myself in a long journey both by land and water, only to make peace for you my children, that you may safely hunt in the woods without danger from Virginia and the many Indian nations that are at peace with this Government. But the Governour of Virginia expects that you will not hunt within the Great Mountains on the other side of Patowmeck River, being it is a small tract of land which he keeps for the Virginia Indians to hunt in, and he promises that his Indians shall not any more come on this side of Potawmeck, or behind the great mountain this way to disturb your hunting; and this is the condition I have made for you, which I expect you will firmly keep, and not break it on any consideration whatsoever. I desire that what I have now said to you may be interpreted to the Chiefs of the Five Nations present, for as. you are a part of them, and are in like manner one with us as you yourselves are, and therefore our Councils must agree and be made known to one another, for our hearts should be open that we may perfectly see into one another's breasts. And that your friends may speak to me freely, tell them I am willing to for- get the mistakes which some of their young men were guilty of amongst our people; I hope they will grow wiser with age, and hearken to the grave Counsels of their old men whose valour we esteen because they are
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ANNALS OF THE SU SQUEHANNOCKS AND
wise; but the rashnes of their young men is althogether folly.
At a Council held at Conestogoe, July the 7th, 1721.
PRESENT:
The Honourable Sir William Keith, Bart., Governour; Richard Hill, Col- onel John French, Caleb Pusey, Jas. Logan, Secretary; Jonathan Dickin- son, with divers gentlemen.
PRESENT ALSO:
The Chiefs of Deputies sent by the Five Nations to treat with this Gov- ernment, viz .;
Sinnekass Nation, Onondagoes Na- tion, Cayoogas Nation; Ghesaont, Tannawree, Sahoode, Awennool,Skee- towas, Tchehuque.
Smith, the Ganawese Indian inter- preter from the Mingoe Language to the Delaware; John Cartledge and James Le Tort, Interpreters from the Delaware into the English.
Ghesaont, in the name and on the behalf of all the Nations, delivered himself in speaking to the Gover- nour, as follows:
They were glad to see the Gover- nour and his Council at this place, from home, and now they find it to be what they had heard of him, viz: their friend and brother, and the same as if William Penn were still amongst them.
They assure the Governour and Council that they had not forgot William Penn's treaties with them, and that his advice to them was still fresh in their. memories.
Though they can not write, yet they retain everything said in their Councils with all the Nations they treat with, and preserve it as care- fully in their memories as if it was committed in our method to writing.
They complain that our Traders carrying goods and Liquors up Sas- quehanna River some times meet |fore.
with their young men going out to war, and treat them unkindly, not only refusing them a dram of their liquor, but use them with ill lan- guage and call them dogs, etc.
They take this unkindly, because dogs have no sense of understand- ing; whereas they are men, and think that their brothers should not compare them to such creatures.
That some of our Traders calling their young men by those Names, the young men answered, if they were dogs then they might act as such; Whereupon they seized a keg of their Liquor and ran away with it. N. B. This seems to be told in their usual way to excuse some small robberies that had been com- mitted by their young people.
Then laying down a belt of Wam- pum upon the table, he proceeded and said,
That all their Disorders arose from the use of rum and strong spirits which took away their sense and memory; that they had no such liquors amongst themselves, but were hurt with what we furnished to them and therefore desired that no more of that sort might be sent amongst them.
He presented a bundle of drest skins and said,
That the Five Nations faithfully remember all their ancient treaties, and now desire that the chain of friendship between them and us may be made so strong as that none of the links can ever be broken.
Presents another bundle of raw skins and observes,
That a chain may contact rust with lying and become weaker; Wherefore he desires it may now be so well cleaned as to remain bright- er and stronger than ever it was be-
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Presents another parcel of skins | brothers, they complain that they got and says,
That as in the Firmament all clouds and darkness are removed from the face of the sun, so they de- sire that all misunderstandings may be fully done away, so that when they who are now here shall be dead and gone, their while people with their children and posterity may enjoy the clear sunshine and friend- ship forever, without anything to interpose and obscure it.
Presents another bundle of skins and says,
That looking upon the Governour as if William Penn was present they desire, that in case any disorders should hereafter happen between their young people and ours, we would not be too hasty in resenting any such accident, until their Col- onel and ours can have some oppor- tunity to treat amicably upon it, and so to adjust all matters as that the friendship between us may still be inviolably presrved.
Presents a small parcel of deer skins and desires,
That we may now be together as one people, treating one another's children kindly and affectionately on all occasions.
He proceeds and says:
That they consider themselves in this treaty as the full plentipoten- tiaries and Repesentatives of the Five Nations and they look upon the Governour as the Great King of Eng- land's representative, and therefore they expect that everything now stip- ulated will be made absolutely firm and good on both sides.
Presents a bundle of bear
skins and says,
That having now
made a firm
league with us as becomes our
too little for their skins and furs, so as they can not live by hunting, they desire us therefore to take compassion on them and contrive some way to help them in that particular.
Presenting a few furs, he speaks only as from himself to acquaint the Governour, that the Five Nations have heard that the Governour of Virginia wanted to speak with them. He himself with some of his Com- pany intended to proceed to Virginia, but do not know the way to get safe thither."
At a council held at the House of John Cartledge, Esq., near Conesto- goe.
PRESENT:
The Honorable Sir William Keith, Bart., Governor, Richard Hill, Col. John French, Jonathan Disksinson, James Logan, Secretary.
The Governour desired that the Board would advise him as to the quantity and kind of the presents that must be made to the Indians in return to their and In confirmation of this speech to them; Whereupon it was agreed that twenty-five Stroud Match coats of two yards each, One Hundred wt. of Gunpodwer, two hun- dred of lead, with some Bisket, To- bacco and Pipes, should be delivered as the Governor's present to the Five Nations. And the same being pre- pared accordingly, the Council was adjourned to Conestogoe, the Place of Treaty.
At a Council held at Conestogoe, July the 8th, 1721. Post Meridiem.
PRESENT :
The Honourable Sir William Keith Bart., Governour.
The same members as before with divers gentlemen attending the Gov- ernour and the Chiefs of the Five Nations being all seated in Council, and the presents laid down before the Indians.
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ANNALS OF THE SU SQUEHANNOCKS AND
The Governour spoke to them by |you now desire it to be scoured and the Interpreters in these words. My Friends and Brothers:
It is a great satisfaction to me that I have this opportunity of speaking to the Valiant and wise Five Nations whom you tell me you are fully em- powered to represent. I treat with you therefore as if all these Nations were here present, and you are to understand what I now say to be agreeable to the mind of our Great Monarch George the King of Eng- land, who bends his care to estab- lish peace amongst the mighty na- tions of Europe and unto whom all the People in these parts as it were but like one drop out of a Bucket, so that what is now transacted between us must be laid up as the words of the whole Body of your People and our People, to be kept in perpetual Remembrance. I am so glad to find that you remember what Wil- liam Penn formerly said to you; he was a great and a good man, his own people loved him; he loved the Indians, and they also loved him. He was as their father, he would nev- er suffer them to be wronged, neith- er would he let his people enter up- on any lands until he had first pur- chased them of the Indians; He was just, and therefore the Indians lov- ed him.
Though he is new removed from us yet his children and people follow his example and will always take the same measures, so that his and our posterity will be as a long chain of which he was the first link, and when one link ends another succeeds and then another, being all firmly bound together in one strong chain to endure forever.
He formerly knit the chain of friendship with you as the Chief of all the Indians in these parts, and lest this chain should grow rusty
made strong to bind us as one people together; We do assure it is and al- ways has been bright on our side, and so we will ever keep it.
As to your complaint of our Trad- ers, that they have treated some of your young men unkindly I take that to be said by way of excuse only for the follies of your people, thereby endeavoring to persuade me that they were provoked to do what you very well know they did, but as I told your Indians two days ago, I am willing to pass by all those things. You may therefore be as- sured that our people shall not suf- fer any injury to yours; or if I know that they do, they shall be sev- erely punished for it; so you must in like manner strictly command your young men that they do not of- fer any injury to ours; for when they pass through the utmost skirts of our inhabitants, where there are no people yet settled but traders, they should be more careful of them as having separated themselves from the body of their friends, purely to serve the Indians more commodious- ly with what they want.
Nevertheless if any little disorders should at any time hereafter arise, we will endeavor that it shall not break or weaken the chain of friend- ship between us; to which end if any of your people take offence, you must in that case apply to me or to our chiefs; and when we have any cause to complain, we shall as you desire apply to your chiefs by our friends the Conestogoe Indians, but on both sides we must labor to pre- vent everything of this
kind as - much as we can.
You complain that our traders come into the path of your young men going out to war, and thereby occasion disorders amongst them, I will therefore my friends and broth- ers speak very plainly to you on this Head.
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Your young men come down Sus- quehanna river and take their road through our Indian towns and settle- ments and make a path between us and the people against whom they go out to war; Now you must know, that the path this way leads them only to the Indians who are in al- liance with the English, and first to those who are in a strict League of Friendship with the great Governor of Virginia, just as these our friends and children who are settled amongst us are in league with me and our people.
You can not therefore make war upon the Indians in League with Virginia without weakening the chain with the English; for as we would not suffer these our friends and brothers of Conestogoe, and up- on this River to be hurt by any per- son without considering it was done to ourselves; so the Governour of Virginia looks upon the injuries done to his Indian brothers and friends as if they were done to him- self; and you very well know that though you are five different nations yet you are but one people; so as that any wrong done to one Nation is re- ceived as an injury done to you all.
In. the same manner and more so it is with the English, who are all united under one great King, who has more people in that one
much
town where he lives, than all the In- dians in North America put together.
You are in League with New York as your ancient Friends and nearest Neighbors, and you are in League with by treaties often repeated, and by a chain which you have not brightened. As therefore all the English are but one People you are actually in League with all the Eng- lish governments and must equally preserve the Peace with all as with one Government.
You pleased me very much when you told me that you were going to treat with the Governour of Virginia. Your nations formerly entered into a very firm League with the Govern- ment, and if you have suffered that chain to grow rusty it is time to se- cure it, and the Five Nations have done very wisely to send you there for that purpose .
I do assure you, the Governour of Virginia is a great and good man; he loves the Indians as his children and so protects and defends them, for he is very strong, having many thousand Christian warriors under his command, whereby he is able to assist all those who are in any League of Friendship with him. Has- ten therefore, my friends, to brigh- ten and strengthen the claim with that great man, for he desires it, and will receive you kindly. He is my great friend, I have been lately with him, and since you say you are strangers, I will give you a letter to him to inform him what ye have done, and of the good design of your visit to im and ti his Country.
My Friends and Brothers: I told you two days agoe that we must open our Breasts to each other, I shall therefore, like your true Friend open mine yet further to you for your good.
You see that the English, from a very small People at first in these parts, are by peace amongst them- selves become a very great people amongst you, far exceeding the num- ber of all the Indians that we know of.
But, while we are at peace the In- dians continue to make war upon one another, and destroy each other, as if they intended that none of their people should be left alive, by which means you are from a great people become a very small people and yet you will go on to destroy yourselves.
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ANNALS OF THE SU SQUEHANNOCKS AND
The Indians of the South although they speak a different language, yet they are the same people and inhabit the same land with those of the North, we therefore can not but won- der how you that are a wise people should take delight in putting an end to your race. The English being your true friends labor to prevent it. We would have you strong as a part of ourselves, for as our strength is your strength, so we would yours to be as our own.
I have persuaded all our Brethren in these parts to consider. what is for their good, and not to go out any more to war, but your young men as they come this way endeavor to force them, and because they incline to follow the Counsels of Peace and the advice of their friends, your people use them ill and often prevail with them to go out to their destruction. Thus it was that this town of Cones- togoe lost their good king, not long ago, and thus many have been lost, their young children are left without parents, their wives without hus- bands, the old men, contrary to the course of nature mourn te death of their young, the people decay and grow weak, we lose our dear friends and are afflicted, and this is chiefly owing to your young men.
Surely you can purpose to get other riches or possessions by going thus out to war; for when you kill a deer you have the flesh to eat and the skin to sell, but when you return from war you bring nothing home but the scalp of a dead man who perhaps was husband to a kind wife, and father to tender children who never wronged you, though by losing him you have robbed them of his help and protection, and at the same time get nothing by it.
If I were not your true friend I would not take the trouble of saying
all these things to you, which I de- sire may be fully related to all your people when you return home, that they may consider in time what is for their own good; and after this if any will be so madly deaf and blind as neither to hear or see the danger before them, but will still go out to destroy and be destroyed for noth- ing, I must desire that such foolish young men will take another path and not pass this way amongst our people, whose eyes have opened, and they have wisely hearkened to my advice. So that I must tell you plainly, as I am their best friend, and this Government is their Protec- tor and as a father to them. We
will not suffer them any more to go out as they have done to their des- truction. I say again, that we will not suffer it, for we have the Coun- sel of wisdom amongst us and know what is for their good, for though they are weak yet they are our Breth- ren, we will therefore take care of them that they are not misled with ill Council; you mourn when you lose a brother, we mourn when when any of them are lost, to prevent which they shall not be suffered to go out as they have done to be destroyed by war.
My Good Friends and Brothers: I give you the same Counsel and earn- estly desire that you will follow it, since it will make you a happy people, I give you this advice be- cause I am your true friend, but I much fear you hearken to others who never were or never will be your Friends. You know very well that the French have been enemies from the Beginning, and though they made peace with you about two and twenty years ago, yet by subtle practices they still endeavor to ensnare you. They use arts and tricks and tell you
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lies, to deceive you, and if you would make use of your own eyes and not be deluded by their Jesuits and In- terpreters; you would see this your- selves, for you know they have had no goods of any value these several years past, except what has been sent to them from the English of New York, and that is now all over. They give fair speeches instead of real services, and as for many years they attempted to destroy you in war, so they now endeavor to do it in Peace; for when they perswade you to go out to war against others, it is only that you may be destroyed yourselves, which we as your true friends labor to prevent, because we would have your numbers increased that you may grow strong and that we may be strengthened in Friendship and Peace together.
As to what you have said of Trade, I suppose the great distance at which you live from us has prevented all comerce between us and your people; we believe, those who go in- to the woods and spend all their time upon it endeavor to make the best bargains they can for them- selves; so on your part you must take care to make the best bargain you can with them, but we hope that our traders do not cheat, for we think that a Stroud Coat or a pound of powder is now sold for more Buck skins than formerly; beaver indeed is not of late so much used in Europe, and therefore does not give a price, and we deal but very little in that commodity. But deer skins sell very well amongst us, and I shall always take care that the Indians be not wronged, but except other measures be taken to regulate the Indian trade everywhere, the common methods used in Trade will still be followed, and every man must take
care of himself, for thus I must do myself, when I buy anything from our own people, if I do not give them their price they will keep it for we are a free people. But if you have any further proposals to make about these affairs I am willing to hear and consider them, for it is my desire that the trade be well regulated to your content.
I am sensible rum is very hurtful to the Indians; we have made laws that none should be carried amongst them, or if any were, that it should be staved and thrown upon the ground, and the Indians have been ordered to destroy all the rum that comes in their way, but they will not do it, they will have rum, and when we refuse it they will travel to the neighboring provinces and fetch it; their own women go to purchase it, and then sell it amongst their own people at excessive rates. I would gladly make any laws to prevent this that could be effectual, but the country is so wide and the woods are so dark and private, and so far out of my sight, that if the Indians themselves do not prohibit their own people there is no other way to pre- vent it; for my part, I shall readily join in any measures that can be proposed for so good a purpose.
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