THE

HISTORY

OF THE

FIVE INDIAN NATIONS,

DEPENDING

On the PROVINCE of NEW-YORK.

PART II.

The Hiftory of the Five Indian Nations of Canada, from the Time of the Revolution to the Peace of Refwick.

CHA P. I.

The State of Affairs in New-York and Canada, at the Time of the Revolution in Great-Britain.

WE

E left the Five Nations triumphing over the French in Canada, and they almost reduced to Despair. The Revolution, which happened at this Time in England, feemed to be a favourable Conjunction for the Five Nations; the English Colonies, by the War at that Time declared against France, becoming Parties in their Quarrel: For one will be ready to think, that the VOL. I. F

Five

Five Nations being by themselves too powerful for the French, as appears by the preceding Chapter, when these were affifted by the Utawawas, Quatoghies, Twihtwies, Chicaghicks, Putewatemies, and all the Western Indian Nations, and when the English ftood neuter; now certainly, when not only all thefe Indian Nations had made Peace with the Five Nations, but the English joined with them in the War, the French would not be able to ftand one Campaign.

But we fhall find what a Turn Affairs took, contrary to all reasonable Expectations, from the general Appearance of Things, and of what Importance a refolute wife Governor is to the well-being of a People, and how prejudicial Divifions and Parties are. For this Reafon it will be neceffary to take a View of the Publick Affairs in the Province of New-York, and in Canada, at that Time, in order to understand the true Causes of the Alterations, which afterwards happened in Favour of the French.

The Revolution occafioned as great Diversions and Parties in the Province of New-York, in Proportion to the Number of People, as it did in Britain, if not greater. The Governor and all the Officers either fled or abfconded; the Gentlemen of the King's Council, and fome of the most confiderable or richest People, either out of Love, or what they thought Duty, to King James, or rather from an Opinion they had that the Prince of Orange could not fucceed, refufed to' join in the Declaration the People made in Favour of that Prince, and fuffered the Adminiftration to fall into different Hands, who were more zealous for the Proteftant Intereft, and who were joined by the far greatest Number of the Inhabitants. After the Revolution was established, they that had appeared fo warmly for it, thought that they deferved beft of

the

the Government, and expected to be continued in the Publick Offices; the others were zealous to recover the Authority they had loft, and ufed the moft perfuafive Means with the Governors for that Purpofe, while the former trufted to their Merit. This begat great Animofities, which continued many Years. Each Party, as they were at different Times favoured by feveral Governors, opposed all the Meafures taken by the other, while each of them were by Turns in Credit with the People or the Governor, and fometimes even prosecuted each other to Death. The publick Meafures were by thefe Means perpetually fluctuating, and often one Day contradictory to what they were the Day before. The fucceeding Governors, finding their private Account in favouring fometimes the one Party, and at other Times the other, kept up the Animofities all King William's Reign, though very much to the publick Prejudice; for each Party was this while fo eager in refenting private Injuries, that they intirely neglected the publick Good.

The Conftitution of Government in the English Plantations, where the Governors have no Salary, but what they can attain with the Confent of the Affemblies or Reprefentatives of the People, gave Occafion to imprudent Governors to fall upon these Expedients, as they fometimes call them, for getting of Money. And a prevailing Faction, knowing for what Purpose the Governments in America were chiefly defired by the English Gentlemen, ufed this great Privilege to tempt a Governor to be at the Head of a Party, when he ought to have been the Head of the Government. Indeed NewYork has had the Misfortune, too frequently, to be under fuch as could not keep their Paffion for Money fecret, though none found it fo profitable a Government, as they did who followed ftrict

ly the true Maxims of governing, without making Money the only Rule of their Actions.

The frequent Changes of Governors were likewife prejudicial to the publick Affairs. Colonel Slaughter, the first Governor after the Revolution, happened to die foon after his Arrival, when steady, as well as refolute Measures, were moft neceffary. But fome think, that the Occafion of all the Misfortunes lay in the Want of Care in the Choice of Governors, when the Affairs of America wanted able Hands to manage them; they think that the Miniftry had the faving of Money chiefly in View, when, to gratify fome fmall Services, they gave Employments in America to those that were not capable of much meaner Offices at Home. The Opinion the People had of Colonel Slaughter's Capacity gave ground to thefe Surmifes but, if it was fo, it happened to be very ill-faved Money; for the Mifmanagements in this Country occafioned far greater Expence to the Crown afterwards, than would have bought fuch Gentlemen handsome Eftates, befides the great Loffes they occafioned to the Subjects.

The greatest Number of the Inhabitants of the Province of New-York being Dutch, ftill retained an Affection to their Mother Country, and by their Averfion to the English weakened the Adminiftration. The common People of Albany, who are all Dutch, could not forbear giving the Indians fome ill Impreffions of the English; for the Mohawks, in one of their publick Speeches, expreffed themselves thus: "We hear a Dutch Prince reigns "now in England, why do you fuffer the English "Soldiers to remain in the Fort? put all the En"glish out of the Town. When the Dutch held "this Country long ago, we lay in their Houses i. "but the English have always made us lie without "Doors." It is true, that the Plantations were

first

first fettled by the meaneft People of every Nation, and fuch as had the leaft Senfe of any Honour. The. . Dutch firft Settlers, many of them I may fay, had none of the Virtues of their Countrymen, except their Industry in getting Money, and they facrificed every Thing, other People think honourable or moft facred, to their Gain: But I do not think it proper to give particular Inftances of this.

The People of New-England were engaged in a bloody War at this Time with the Owenagungas, Ouragies, and Ponacoks, the Indians that lie between them and the French Settlements. The

Scahkooks were originally Part of thefe Indians. They left their Country about the Year 1672, and fettled above Albany, on the Branch of Hudson's River that runs towards Canada. The People of New-England were jealous of the Scabkook Indians, that they remembring the old Difference they had with the People of New-England, and the Relation they bore to the Eastern Indians, did countenance and affift these Indians in the War against NewEngland. They had Reafon for thefe Jealoufies, for the Scabkook Indians received privately fome Owenagunga Meffengers, and kept their coming among them fecret from the People of Albany; and fome Scabkooks had gone privately to the Owenagungas. They were afraid likewife, that the Mohawks might have fome Inclination to favour thofe -Indians, becaufe fome of the Eastern Indians had fled to the Mohawks, and were kindly received by them, and lived among them.

Notwithstanding all thefe Failures of good Po-. licy, in the Government of New-York, the French had not gained fo great Advantages, if they had not. carefully obferved a different Conduct, which it is. now neceffary to confider.

Canada was at this Time in a very diftreffed. Condition, the Country and our Plantations burnt F 3

and