Coll. Bird, one of the Council of Virginia, and CHA P. Edmond Jennings Efq; Attorney General of that Pro. III. vince, came with four Indian Sachems, (according n to the Lord Howard's Promise) to renew and confirm the Peace, and met the Five Nations at Albany in September 1685.

Coll. Bird accufed them of having again broke their Promise, by taking an Indian Girl from an English Man's Houfe, and four Indian Boys

Prisoners.

They excused this, by its being done by the Parties that were out when the Peace was concluded, who knew nothing of it; which Accident they had provided against in their Articles. They faid, the four Boys were given to the Relations of thofe Men that were loft; and it would be difficult to obtain their Restoration: But they at laft promised to deliver them up.

The Senakas and Mohawks declared themselves free of any Blame, and chid the other Nations.

So that we may ftill obferve the Influence which the French Priefts had obtained over those other Nations, and to what Chriftian like Purpose they used it.

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The Mohawks Speaker faid, "Where fhall I feek "the Chain of Peace? Where fhall I find it but upon our Path? And whither doth our Path "lead us, but into this Houfe? This is a House of "Peace;" after this he fang all the Links of the Chain over. He afterwards fang by Way of Admonition to the Onondagas, Oneydoes, and Cayugas, and concluded all with a Song to the Virginia Indians.

The French Pricfts however ftill employed their Influence over the Onnondagas, Cayugas, and Oneydoes ; and it was eafy for them to fpirit up the Indians (natural

* The Mobawks Country is fituated between the other Nations and Albany.

ly

CHAP.ly revengeful) against their old Enemies. A ParIII. ty of the Oneydoes went out two Years after this against the Wayanoak Indians, Friends of Virginia, and killed fome of the People of Virginia, who affifted thofe Indians. They took fix Prifoners, but reftored them at Albany, with an Excufe, that they did not know they were Friends of Virginia. But Coll. Dungan on this Occafion told them, That he only had kept all the English in North America from joining together to deftroy them; that if ever he fhould hear of the like Complaint, he would dig up the Hatchet, and join with the reft of the English to cut them off Root and Branch; for there were many Complaints made of him to the King by the English, as well as by the Governor of Canada, for his favouring of them.

We have now gone through the material Tranfactions which the Five Nations had with the English, in which we find the English purfuing nothing but peaceable and Christian-like Measures; and the Five Nations (tho' Barbarians) living with the People of New-York, like good Neighbours and faithful Friends, and generally with all the English alfo, except when they were influenced by the Jefuites; at the fame Time, one cannot but admire the Zeal, Courage, and Refolution of thefe Jefuites, that would adventure to live among Indians at War with their Nation; and the better to carry their Purposes, to comply with all the Humours and Manners of such a wild People, fo as not to be diftinguished by Strangers from meer Indians. One of them, named Milet, remained with the Oncydoes till after the Year 1694; he was advanced to the Degree of a Sachem, and had fo great an Influence over them, that the other Nations could not prevail with them to part with him. While he lived with them, the Oneydoes were frequently turned against the Southern Indians (Friends of the Englih fouthern Colonies)

and

and were always wavering in their Resolutions against the French at Canada.

We fhall now fee what Effect the Policy of the French had, who purfued very different Measures from the English.

CHAP. IV.

Mr. De la Barre's Expedition, and fome remarkable
Tranfactions in 1684.

T

HE French, in the Time they were at Peace CHA P. with the Five Nations, built their Forts at IV. Taidonderaghi and Miffilimakinak, and made a Settlement there. They carried on their Commerce among the numerous Nations that live on the Banks of the great Lakes, and the Banks of the Miffipi; they not only profecuted their Trade among these Nations, but did all they could to fecure their Obedience, and to make them abfolutely fubject to the Crown of France, by building Forts at the confiderable Paffes, and placing fmall Garifons in them. They took in fhort all the Precautions in their Power, not only to restrain the Indians by Force, but likewife to gain their Affections, by fending Miffionaries among them. The only Obftruction they met with was from the Five Nations, who introduced the English of New-York into the Lakes to trade with the Indians that lived round them. This gave the French much Uneafinefs, because they forefaw, that the English would not only prove dangerous Rivals, but that the Advantages which they had in Trade, beyond what it was poffible for the Inhabitants of Canada to have, would enable the People of New-York fo far to underfel them, that their Trade would foon be ruined, and all the Interest loft which they had gained with so much Labour and Expence. The Five Nations likewife continued in

War

IV.

CHAP. War with many of the Nations, with the Chittagbicks particularly, who yielded the most profitable Trade to the French; and as often as they discovered any of the French carrying Ammunition towards thefe Nations, they fell upon them, and took all their Powder, Lead and Arms from them. This made the French Traders afraid of travelling, and prevented their Indians from hunting, and alfo leffened the Opinion they had of the French Power, when they found that the French were not able to protect them against the Infults of the Five Nations.

The Senakas lie next to the Lakes, and nearest to the Nations with whom the French carried on the greateft Trade, these People were fo averfe to that Nation, that they would never receive any Priefts among them, and of Confequence were moft firmly attach'd to the English Intereft, who fupplied them with Arms and Powder (the Means to be revenged of their Enemies.) For these Reasons Mr. De la Barre (Governor of Canada) fent a Meffenger to Coll. Dungan, to complain of the Injuries the Senakas had done to the French, and to fhew the Neceffity he was under to bring the Five Nations to Reason by Force of Arms. This Meffenger happening to arrive at the Time the Indians met the Lord Howard at Albany, Coll. Dungan told the Senakas the Complaints that the French Governor made of them. To which they gave him the following Anfwer, in Prefence of Mr. De la Barre's Meffenger, on the 5th of August 1684.

"We were fent for, and are come, and have "heard what you have faid to us, that Corlear hath "great Complaints of us, both from Virginia and "Canada. What they complain of from Caneda "may poffibly be true, that fome of our young Men "have taken fome of their Goods, but Yonnendio the "Governor of Canada, is the Caufe of it. He not only permits his People to carry Ammunition, Guns,

"Powder

"Powder, Lead, and Axes to the Tuibtuib-ronoons * CHA P. "our Enemies, but fends them thither on purpose. IV. "Thefe Guns which he fends knock our Bever Hunt"ers on the Head, and our Enemies carry the Bevers "to Canada that we would have brought to our Bre"thren. Our Bever Hunters are Soldiers, and could "bear this no longer. They met fome French in their Way to our Enemies, and very near them, carrying "Ammunition, which our Men took from them. "This is agreeable to our Cuftoms in War; and we may therefore openly own it, tho' we know not "whether it be practifed by the Chriftians in fuch "like Cafes.

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"When the Governor of Canada speaks to us of "the Chain, he calls us Children, and faith, I am your Father, you must hold fast the Chain, and I "will do the fame: I will protect you as a Father "doth his Children. Is this Protection, to speak "thus with his Lips, and at the fame Time to "knock us on the Head, by affifting our Enemies "with Ammunition?

"He always fays, I am your Father, and you "are my Children; and yet he is angry with his "Children, for taking these Goods.

"But, O Corlear! O Allarigoa! we must com"plain to you; you Corlear are a Lord, and go"vern this Country; is it juft that our Father is "going to fight with us for thefe Things, or is it "well done? We rejoiced when La Sal was fent "over the great Water; and when Perot was re"moved, because they had furnished our Enemies "with Ammunition; but we are difappointed in our "Hopes, for we find our Enemies are ftill fupplied. "Is this well done? Yea, he often forbids us to make "War on any of the Nations with whom he trades;

Ronoon fignifies Nation or People, in the Language of the Five Nations; they fay Tiuhtuih.ronooon, Chichigbik roncon, Deonondadik-ronoon, &c.

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