as effectually as the circumstances of these People will admit of, You are to renew the offer of Mediation in my behalf at the time and place before mentioned.

"You are after these Heads are gone through to expostulate with them upon their late Conduct at Monreal (if You find the Commissioners of Albany have made a true Representation of it), and particularly upon their receiving a Belt of Wampum with a Hatchet wrought in it from the Governor of Canada. You are to represent to them the Antient Enmity of the French to their Nations, their Perfidy upon all Occasions, their late unjust Declaration of War against the King of Great Britian and his Subjects, and their Inability to protect them or to Supply them with such Necessarys as they Yearly want for their Subsistence. And you are, on the other hand, to remind them of the long approved Friendship of the English; of the Assistance from time to time given them for their Defence against the Attempts of the French to destroy or inslave them; of the Treatys lately renewed with them by the British Colonies, & the valuable Presents made to them. And You are at the same time to perswade them to a continuance of that Friendship which has so long subsisted, and if You find them cordially disposed to it, and can have any dependence upon their Sincerity, You are to Present them with the Two hundred & fifty Pounds voted by the Assembly in such Goods as You shall think most acceptable to them. You are to keep a Journal of Your Proceedings in the matters recommended to You, and at Your return to deliver it to me, that I may lay it before the Assembly at their next Meeting. And in case any thing should Occur to You at the Place of Treaty which I may have omitted, or it is not possible for me to Instruct You Upon at this distance, I trust from your own Prudence and Judgements that You will Supply my Deficiencys in such a manner as may be most for His Majesty's Service, the Interest of the Northern Colonies in general, and of this in particular. You would be farther Instructed were I at liberty to Act up to my own Judgement to join with the Government of New York in urging the United Nations to an open Declaration against the French, & in promising them in that case an Aid of Men, Arms, & Ammunition for their Defence; but as the Assembly have not been explicit with me on this head, and it is a measure that may not prove agreable to them, I shall not venture upon it, since it would be betraying the Indians should they refuse to make it good.

"Given under my Hand and the Lesser Seal of the Province of Pennsylvania, this Twenty-fifth Day of September, 1745. "GEO. THOMAS."

The Governor laid before the Board Conrad Weiser's Journal & Report of his Transactions with the Six Nations, and order'd the Secretary to make an Extract of what is the most material, & enter it in the Council Book.

Extract of Conrad Weiser's Report of his Journey to Onontago, the 19th May, 1745:

"On the 19th Instant I set out for Onontago in Company with Shikalamy, one of the Indian Chiefs, his Son, and Andrew Montur, and we arrived safe at Onontago on the Sixth of June following. The 7th, early in the morning, Canasatego, Caheshcarrowano the Black Prince, and Caxhayion, came to receive me and my Company. The best part of the Day was spent with discourses concerning News. I understood that the Messenger I sent from Diadagdon on the 29th last Month, arrived three days before me, and that the Council of the Six Nations were sent for immediately after his arrival. The Sinickers and Cayinckers were sent for to Oswego, where it was said the Chiefs of the said Nations were. The aforesaid Chiefs told me that last fall the French Governor of Canada had sent to Onontago to Invite all or a great Number of the Six Nations to come and see him, and that a great number of them were determined to go, and some were already at Oswego, where they intended to meet in order to proceed to Canada, and that the Onontagers were to go in great numbers, and would have set out the Day before had not the Messenger I sent arrived.

"I asked how their Brethren the Governor of New York and the Commissioners of Albany approved of their going to Canada. They said the Governor of New York and the Commissioners of Albany had sent to them last Winter to desire them to stay at Home; but as they had hitherto a good Correspondence both with the French and English, they thought to continue it, and would, on their Return, give a faithful Account of all the Transactions that pass'd between them and the French to their Brethren the English, and added, that their Brethren the English had just reason to suspect and disapprove of their going, on account of the War between the English and French, and that the French were known to be a Crafty People; but, said they, we Know very well that the French Governor of Canada will try to gain upon us, but it will be in vain for him, as we have already agreed what to say to him and will not go from it. The 8th I visited Canasatego and Caheshcarrowano, and held a private Conference with them. I read and Interpreted my Instructions and had their Advice, and they promised their good Offices to assist me. The Deputies of the Oneidoes and Tuscarroros arrived, as did like wise the Cayinckers and one of the Chiefs of the Sinickers. The Chiefs came to let me know that they expected to hear what I had to say next morning in behalf of their Brethren. (The 9th) I delivered my Message in form following: 'Brethren, the Six United Nations now met at your Council Fire at Onontago I am sent to You by the Governor of Pennsylvania your Brother, with a Message that concerns your Brother the Governor of Virginia, and it is at his Request I am now come to this your Council Fire.' Here I laid down a String of Wampum and

continued: Brethren, according to the promise Your Brother Assaraqua made to you at the late Treaty held at Lancaster between You and your Brethren Tocarryhoagon, Assaraquoa, and Onas, he sent a Message to the Catawbas to Invite them to a Treaty with you the Six United Nations of Indians, and to advise them to send Deputies to you the said Nations. The Catawbas received the Message very kindly, and thanked your Brother Assaraquoa for his Care and Assistance, and made answer in the following manner, (here I took the Catawbas' Letter to the Governor of Virginia and explained it to the Council, but named Williamsburg as the place where the Catawbas desired to Treat with the Six Nations, instead of their own Towns or Country, for that would have caused Suspicion) After your Brother Assaraquoa received this Letter, he wrote a Letter to your Brother Onas and Inclosed the Catawbas' Letter, and desired that he would assist him in this weighty affair, and take the Matter wholly into his own Hands. To which your Brother Onas, out of a tender and brotherly affection for his Brethren the Six United Nations, gave his Consent; at the same time, considering that a Peace with the Catawbas would in a great measure be conducive to the preservation of his Brethren the Six United Nations. In Confirmation of what has been said I give you this Belt of Wampum, and you may depend upon the Truth of the Narrative. Brethren, the Governor of Pennsylvania now, jointly with the Governor of Virginia, advise You in the most friendly manner to hold a Congress with the Catawbas, they being also Children of the Great King over the Waters, & consequently Brethren of the English, and desire to live in Peace and Brotherly love with You. It will be both to the Honour and Interest of the Six Nations to make a firm and lasting Peace with the Catawbas. To enforce this, so just a Request, upon You, and to make the deepest Impression into your minds, Your Brethren Onas and Assaraquoa present you with this Belt of Wampum.' Here I lay'd down a large Belt. After the usual Cry of Jo-ha, which is always given distinctly by every Nation after the Receipt of a Belt, I took up a third Belt of Wampum and said, 'Brethren, By this Belt of Wampum the Governor of Pennsylvania, jointly with the Gov" of Virginia, your Brethren, invite You to a Congress with the Catawbas, in the Town of Williamsburg, where You will be very kindly Entertained, and the Catawbas will be there also; they are desir'd to send five Deputies and no more, and the like number will be expected from You. Brethren, it is well known among Your Brethren Onas and Assaraquoa that you are Suspicious and mistrustful of the Sincerity of the Catawbas (and no doubt but you have some reason for it), but do you receive the Invitation from your Brethren Onas and Assaraquoa, who will see Justice done to You.

"If the Catawbas send no Deputies to Williamsburg, they will be looked upon as a faithless and discontented People, and given up to Your Warriors to be punished according to their deserts, and the

Deputies you send will be rewarded for their fatigue and trouble of so long a Journey, whether the Catawbas send any Deputies or not.' Here I lay'd down the Belt of Wampum which I had in my hand, & which was received with the usual Sound of Jo-hah by the Council, & with Shouts of Joy by the Younger. I told them I had no more to say concerning this Affair.

"After a few Minutes' Silence Tocanuntie (otherwise called the Black Prince) repeated the whole Speech over to know whether every thing was rightly understood. I made him sensible of one thing which he had omitted, and told him that all the rest was right— then the Council what I had further to say. I then proceeded. 'Brethren, the Six United Nations now met at your Council Fire in Onontago I desire you will hear what I have in Charge from your Brother, the Governor of Pennsylvania. You can easy remember that at the time of the last Treaty held in Lancaster we had the French King's Proclamation of War against the English, and you was then asked by your Brother the Governor of Pennsylvania, in the presence of your Brethren the Governors of Virginia and Maryland, and in the presence of a Multitude of People, what your Brethren, the English, might expect from you this War. To which you made answer, in the presence of the same Company, in manner following, that you would not suffer either Party to March any Troops over nor to commit Hostilities upon your Lands. At the same time our Traders that used to Trade to Ohio were present, and having placed a great deal of Confidence in what you had said, went immediately to Trade again to Ohio, thinking themselves secure from being molested either by the French or Indians; but they have since found themselves mistaken, having been Robbed and taken Prisoners by a large Party of French & Indians with Peter Chartier at their head. (Here I explained the Narrative of the Deponents to them, and told them that the Governor of Pennsylvania could do nothing more at present in the Affair than to acquaint them with it and hear their Answer, which I desir'd they would give after they had weighed the matter well and added): The Shawnese are in your Power and so is Peter Chartier, who is turned from a Subject of the King of Great Britain a Rebel against him. You will therefore see your Brother, the Governor of Pennsylvania, Justice done against that Rebel Peter Chartier, and compell the Shawnese to make restitution of the Goods and Prisoners taken by them. To enforce this upon you I am ordered by the Governor of Pennsylvania to lay this Belt of Wampum before his Brethren the Council of the Six Nations.' The Belt was received with the usual sound of Jo-ha and a Clamour against the Shawnese. After the Black Prince had repeated what I had said, and heard my Approbation, the Council was rejoiced, and made a feast in Honour of Onas & Assaraquoa. (The 10th). The Council sat all that Afternoon till Midnight, and next morning again till about ten O'Clock, and then they came to the Council House (the House where I lodged)

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and acquainted me that they were ready to give me an Answer, which, accordingly, they did in the following manner: Brethren Onas and Assaraquoa: We are very glad to hear from You, and take your Message very kindly. Your Request is of very great Importance, and which concerns our Allies as well as Us, and the Deputies now met at this Council Fire cannot take upon them to give a positive Answer to it; the Warriors must be Consulted about it, and all the Chiefs of the Six United Nations, together with the Captains of War, must Meet and Consult together before a firm and lasting Peace can be made with the Catawbas; and as a great many of our People with several of our Chiefs are now going to Canada, at the Invitation of the French Governor sent to us last fall, we must therefore referr the whole Affair till their return, and a Council, as before, will then be called, and your Belts of Wampum laid before them; we must, therefore, keep your Belts of Wampum in our hands till then, and soon as the Council is over we will imediately send to you and let you know what the result of the Council will be, and at what time the next Spring our Deputies can come down. In the mean time we will keep our Warriors at Home and not suffer them to go to War against the Catawbas till we have heard what Resolutions they will come to, and a Congress be held with them whom we expect to see at our Council Fire in Philadelphia. Williamsburg, where our Brother Assaraquoa lives, is too far off, and no Council Fire is yet kindled there, neither is there any Road clear'd to that Place, and for Us to go there the first time to meet the Catawbas would be dishonourable to Us. Brethren Onas and Assaraquoa: we desire that you will not take it amiss that we don't come down this Summer. If you consider the Importance of the Affair and our present Circumstances, you will find that we cannot come any sooner. We have no more to say on this Affair.' After a few Minutes Silence the Speaker Tocanuntie (or the Black Prince) begun again-Brother Onas: We are sorry to hear what has happened to Your Traders at Ohio by that treacherous man Peter Chartier, through the influence of the French; we go now to Canada and shall take your belt of Wampum with us; we look upon what has happened to your Traders as an open Breach of the Peace on the side of the French against us, and the Blow that is given as if it were given to our head; depend upon it that the French shall make restitution of Men and Goods if it be their doings, otherwise the Shawonese shall; we are very glad that this News has reach'd our Council Fire before we set out for Canada; after our Return you will have a full answer to this Affair, and no doubt but a satisfactory one; we have no more to say.' After the Council was over, the Black Prince Invited all the Deputies and the Chiefs of Onontago, myself & Company to a Dinner; we all went directly to his House; he entertained us plentifully with Hommony, dried Venison, and Fish, and after dinner we were served with a dram round;