CHAP.

I.

The French had the more Reason to defire a Peace with the Five Nations, because they knew, that they would now certainly have the English Colonies likewife upon them; and if the Five Nations had been able to do fo much Mischief by themfelves alone, they were much more to be feared, when they would be affifted, in all Probability, with the Force and Intereft of the English Colonies.

Four Indians of lefs Note, who were brought back along with Tawerabet, were immediately dif patched, in this Sachem's Name, to the Five Nations, to inform them of his Return, and of the kind Ufage they had received from the Count de Frontenac; and to prefs them to fend fome to vifit their old Friend, who had been fo kind to them when he was formerly Governor of Canada, and who fill retained an Affection to the Five Nations; as appeared by the Kindness Tawerabet and they had received from him. This was the only Method left to the French of making Proposals of Peace, which it was their Intereft by all Means to procure.

The Governor of Canada, as I faid, conceived that there was no Way fo proper to keep up the Spirits of the People, who had got new Life by his Arrival, as by putting them upon Action; and indeed their prefent miferable Condition made them forward enough, to undertake the most defperate Enterprize, when the frequent Incurfions of the Indians made it as dangerous to be at Home, as to attack the Enemy Abroad.

For this Purpose he fent out three Parties in the Winter; one was defigned againft New-York, the other against Connecticut, and the last against NewEngland.

The Five Nations followed Colonel Dungan's Advice, in endeavouring to bring off the Western Irdians from the French, and had all the Succefs that could be expected, before Mr. de Frontenac arrived.

They

I.

They were overjoyed when they heard, that the CHAP. English had entered into War with the French, and came feveral Times to Albany to know the Certainty of it, while it was only rumoured about. The People of Albany defired them to fecure any of the praying Indians that fhould come from Canada, if they found that they were ftill ruled by the Priests; *but to encourage them, if they came with a Defign to return to their own Country.

The Senekas, Cayugas, Onondagas, and Oneydoes, the twenty feventh of June 1689, before any Governor arrived, renewed the old Covenant (as they faid) which was firft made many Years ago with One Tagues, who came with a Ship into their River. "Then we first became Brethren, said they, and conti"nued fo till laft fall, that Sir Edmond Androfs came "and made a new Chain, by calling us Children; but "let us ftick to the old Chain, which has conti"nued from the first Time it was made, by which "we became Brethren, and have ever fince always "behaved as fuch. Virginia, Maryland, and New "England, have been taken into this filver Chain, "with which our Friendship is locked faft. We "are now come to make the Chain clear and bright. "Here they gave two Bevers."

King James, a little before his Abdication, fent over Sir Edmond Androfs with arbitrary Powers, and he, in Imitation of the French, changed the Stile of speaking to the Indians, of which they were very fenfible.

They discovered a great Concern for their People that were carried to Canada; they long hoped (they faid) that the King of England would have been powerful enough to deliver them, but now they began to lofe all Hopes of them.

CHAP.

II.

CHA P. II.

A Treaty between the Agents of Massachuset's Bay, New-Plymouth, and Connecticut, and the Sachems of the Five Nations, at Albany, in the Year 1689.

A

BOUT the Beginning of September 1689, Colonel John Pynchon, Major John Savage, and Captain Jonathan Bull, Agents for the Colonies of Maffacbufet's Bay, New-Plymouth, and Connecticut, arrived at Albany, to renew the Friendship with the Five Nations, and to engage them against the Eaftern Indians, who made War on the English of thofe Colonies, and were fupported by the French.

The Five Nations had received four Meffengers from the Eastern Indians, which gave the People of New-England fome Apprehenfions, and they were therefore defirous to know what Reception these Meffengers had met with.

The Five Nations anfwered by Tabajadoris, a Mobawk Sachem, on the twenty fourth of September. He made a long Oration, repeating all that the Agent from New-England had faid, the Day before, and defired them to be attentive to the Answer now to be made to them. They commonly repeat over all that has been faid to them, before they return any Answer, and one may be furprized at the Exactnefs of these Repetitions. They take the following Method to affift their Memories: The Sachem, who prefides at these Conferences, has a Bundle of fmall Sticks in his Hand; as foon as the Speaker has finished any one Article of his Speech, this Sachem gives a Stick to another Sachem, who is particularly

3

II.

ticularly to remember that Article; and fo when an- CH A P. other Article is finished, he gives a Stick to another to take Care of that other, and fo on. In like Manner when the Speaker answers, each of these has the particular Care of the Answer refolved on to each Article, and prompts the Orator, when his Memory fails him, in the Article committed to his Charge. Tabajadoris addressing himself to the Agents, faid:

"Brethren,

"You are welcome to this House, which is ap"pointed for our Treaties and publick Buf"nefs with the Chriftians; we thank you for re"newing the Covenant-chain. It is now no longer ❝ of Iron and fubject to Ruft, as formerly, but of pure Silver, and includes in it all the King's Sub"jects, from the Senekas Country eastward, "far as any of the great King's Subjects live, and "fouthward, from New-England to Virginia. Here ❝he gave a Bever.

"We are glad to hear of the good Success our great King has had over the French by Sea, in "taking and finking so many of their Men of War. "You tell us in your Propofals that we are one "People, let us then go Hand in Hand together, "to ruin and deftroy the French our common Ene"my. Gives a Bever.

"The Covenant-chain between us is ancient (as "you tell us) and of long standing, and it has been "kept inviolably by us. When you had Wars "fome time ago with the Indians, you defired us to help you; we did it readily, and to the Purpofe; for we pursued them closely, by which we "prevented the Effufion of much of your Blood. "This was a certain Sign that we loved truly " and fincerely, and from our Hearts. Gives a "Belt.

CHAP.

II.

"You advise us to purfue our Enemies, the "French, vigorously; this we affure you we are <refolved to do to the utmost of our Power: But "fince the French are your Enemies likewife, we "defire our Brethren of the three Colonies to fend "us an hundred Men for the Security of this Place, "which is ill provided, in Cafe of an Attack from "the French; the Chriftians have Victuals enough "for their Entertainment. Gives one Belt.

"We patiently bore many Injuries from the "French, from one Year to another, before we "took up the Axe against them. Our Patience "made the Governor of Canada think, that we "were afraid of him, and durft not resent the In"juries we had fo long fuffered; but now he is "undeceived. We affure you, that we are refolved "never to drop the Axe, the French never fhall "fee our Faces in Peace, we fhall never be recon"ciled as long as one Frenchman is alive. We fhall "never make Peace, though our Nation fhould be "ruined by it, and every one of us cut in Pieces. "Our Brethren of the three Colonies may depend "on this. Gives a Bever.

"As to what you told us of the Owenagungas and Uragees, we anfwer: That we were never fo proud and haughty, as to begin a War without "juft Provocation. You tell us that they are "treacherous Rogues, we believe it, and that they "will undoubtedly affift the French. If they fhall "do this, or fhall join with any of our Enemies, "either French or Indians, then we will kill and destroy them. Gives a Bever."

Then the Mohawks offered five of their Men, to guard the Agents Home against any of their Indien Enemies, who they were afraid might be laying in wait for the Agents, and gave a Belt.

Afterwards the Speaker continued his Speech. and faid: "We have fpoke what we had to fay of the War, we now come to the Affairs of Peace:

"We