Catawbas refused to come, and sent us word that we were but women, and that they were men, and double men; and that they would make women of us, and would be always at war with us; they are a deceitful people: our brother Assaragoa is deceived by them: we don't blame him for it, but are sorry he is so deceived. Brother Assarugoa,-We have confirmed the peace with the Cherokees, but not with the Catawbas; they have been treacherous and know it, so that the war must continue till one of us is destroyed; thus we think proper to tell you, that you may not be troubled at what we do to the Catawbas. Brother Assaragoa,-We will now speak to the point between us. It is always a custom among brethren and strangers to use each other kindly: you have some very ill-natured people living up there, so we desire the persons in power may know that we are to have reasonable victuals when we want. You know very well when the white people came first here, they were poor; but now they have got lands and are by them become rich, and we are now poor: what little we have had for the land goes soon away, but the land lasts for ever. You told us you had brought with you a chest of goods, and that you have the key in your pockets; but we have never seen the chest, nor the goods that are said to be in it: it may be small and the goods may be few; we want to see them, and are desirous to come to some conclusion. We have been sleeping here these two days past, and have not done any thing to the purpose. The Commissioners replied they should see the goods on Monday, Lancaster Court-House, July 3d, 1744. Present, GOVERNOR OF PENNSYLVANIA ; COMMISSIONERS from Virginia AND MARYLAND; The GOVERNOR spoke as follows: Friends and Brethren of the Six Nations,- At a treaty held with many of the chiefs of your nations two years ago, the road between us was made clearer and wider, our fire was enlarged, and our friendship confirmed, by an exchange of presents. We think ourselves happy in having been instrumental to your meeting with your brethren of Virginia and Maryland; this has given us an opportunity of seeing you sooner than perhaps we should otherwise have done. As we are under mutual obligation by treaties, we hear with our ears for you, and you hear with your ears for us, we take this opportunity to inform you of what very nearly concerns us both. in The Great King of England and the French King, have declared war against each other; two battles* have been fought, one by land and the other by sea; the great King of England commanded the land army person, and gained a complete victory; numbers of the French were killed and taken prisoners, and the rest were forced to pass a river to save their lives. The Great God covered the King's head in that battle, so that he did not receive the least hurt, for which you as well as we have reason to be very thankful. The engagement at sea was likewise to the advantage of the English. The French and the Spaniards joined their ships together and came out to fight us. The brave English Admiral burned one of their largest ships, and many others were so shattered that they were glad to run away in the dark and hide in their own harbour. I need not put you in mind how much William Penn and his sons have been your friends, and the friends of all the Indians: you have long and often experienced their friendship for you, nor need I repeat to you how kindly you were treated and what valuable presents were made to you two years ago by the Governor, the Council and the Assembly of Pennsylvania: the sons of William Penn are all now in England and have left me in their place, well knowing how much I regard you and all the Indians; as a fresh proof of this I have left my house and am come to renew our treaties, to brighten the covenant chain, and to corfirm our friendship with you: in testimony whereof I present you with this belt of wampum. (Which was received with the yo-ha.) As your nations have engaged themselves by treaty, to assist us, your brethren of Pennsylvania, in case of a war with the French, we do not doubt but you will punctually perform an engagement so solemnly entered into. A war is now declared, and we expect that you will not suffer the French or any of the Indians in alliance with them, to march through your country to disturb any of our settlements, and that you will give us the earliest and best intelligence of any danger that may be formed by them to our disadvantage, as we promise to do of any that may be to yours. To enforce what I have now said in the strongest manner, I present you with this belt of wampum. (Which was received with the yo-ha.) After a pause, the Governor proceeded : Friends and Brethren of the Six Nations,-What I have now said to you is in conformity to treaties subsisting between the province of which I am Governor, and your nations. I now proceed with the consent of the Honourable the Commisssioners for Virginia and Maryland, to tell you that all differences having been adjusted, and the roads between us and you made quite clear and open. We are ready to confirm our treaties with your nations, and establish a friendship that is not to end, but to last with the world itself; and in behalf of the Province of Pennsylvania, I do, by this fine belt of wampum, and a present of goods, to the value of £300, confirm and establish the said treaty of friendship, union, and peace; you on your parts doing the same. (Received with yo-ha.) The COMMISSIONERS of Virginia spoke as follows: The way between us being made smooth by what passed yesterday, we desire now to confirm all former treaties made between Virginia and you our brethren of the Six Nations: and to make our chain of honour and friendship as bright as the sun, that it may not contract any more rust for ever, that our children's children may rejoice at, and confirm what we have done, and that you and your children may not forget it, we give you one hundred pounds in gold, and this belt of wampum. (Which was received with yo-ha.) Friends and Brethren,-Although we have been disappointed in our endeavours to bring about a peace between you and the Catawbas, yet we desire to speak to you something more about them; we believe they have been unfaithful to you, and speak of you with a foolish contempt; but this may be only the rashness of some of their young men in this time of war with our common enemies, the French and the Spaniards. It will be the wisest way to be at peace among ourselves; they the Catawbas are also children of the great King, and therefore we desire you will agree, that we may endeavour to make a peace between you and them, and that we may be all united by one chain of friendship. We give you this strong belt of wampum. (Which was received with the yo-ha.) Brethren. Our Grand Conrad Wieser, when he is dead, will go into the other world as our fathers have done; our children will then want such a friend to go between them and your children, to reconcile any differences that may happen to arise between them, one that like him may have the ears and tongues of our children and yours. The way to have such a friend is for you to send three or four of your boys to Virginia, where we have a fine house for them to live in, and a man on purpose to teach the children of you our friends, the religion, language, and customs of the white people. To this place we kindly invite you to send some of your children, and we promise you, they shall have the same care taken of them, and be instructed in the same manner as our own children; and be returned to you again when you please: and to confirm this, we give you this string of wampum. (Which was received with the usual ceremony.) Then the Commissioners of Maryland expressed their hope, that the chain between them should be kept bright and without any rust, and gave a belt of wampum; which was received with the yo-ha. CANASSATIEGO in return, spoke as follows: Brother Onas, Assaragoa, and Tocarry-hogan,*-—--We return you thanks for your several speeches, which are very agreeable to us; they contain matters of such great moment, that we purpose to give them a very serious consideration, and to answer them suitably to their worth and excellence; and this will take till to-morrow morning; and when we are ready, we will give you due notice. You tell us you beat the French; if so, you must have taken a great deal of rum from them, and can the better spare us some of that liquor, to make us rejoice with you in the victory. * Name given the Governor of Maryland. |