the Houses, murdered every Perfon they met, Men, Women and Children, naked and in cold Blood; and at the fame Time fet Fire to the Houses. A very few escaped, by running out naked into the Woods in this terrible Weather: And feveral hid themselves, till the firft Fury of the Attack was over; but these were foon driven from their lurking Places by the Fire, and were all made Prifoners.

Captain Alexander Glen, at this Time, lived at a Distance by himself, on the other Side of the River, and was the most noted Man in the Place. He had at feveral Times been kind to the French, who had been taken Prisoners by the Mohawks, and had faved several of them from the Fire. The French were sensible what Horror this cruel facking of a defenceless Place, and murdering People in cold Blood, muft raife in Mens Minds; and to leffen this, they refolved to fhew their Gratitude to Captain Glen. They had paffed his Houfe in the Night, and obferving that he stood on his Defence the next Morning, fome of them went to the River Side, and calling to him, affured him, that they defigned him no Injury. They perfuaded him to come to the French Officer, who reftored to him all his Relations that were Prisoners.

Some Mohawks being alfo found in the Village, the French difmiffed them, with Affurance, that they defigned them no Hurt.

This Conduct was not only neceffary to promote the Peace which the Count De Frontenac with fo much Earneftnefs defired, but likewife to fecure their Retreat, by making the Mohawks lefs eager to purfue them.

The French marched back, without reaping any vifible Advantage from this barbarous Enterprize, befides the murdering fixty-three innocent Perfons.

in

in cold Blood, and carrying twenty-feven of them away Prifoners.

The Care the French took to footh the Mohawk's had not intirely its Effect, for as foon as they heard of this Action, a hundred of their readieft young Men purfued the French, fell upon their Rear, and killed and took twenty-five of them.

This Action frightned the Inhabitants inv about Albany fo much, that many refolved to det fert the Place, and retire to New-York. They were packing up and preparing for this Purpose, when the Mohawk Sachems came to Albany to condole, according to their Custom, with their Friends, when any Misfortune befals them. I fhall give their Speech on this Occafion, as it will be of Ufe to the Reader, in order to his forming a true Notion of the Indian Genius. They spoke the twentyfifth of March as follows.

"Brethren, the Murder of our Brethren at "Schenectady by the French grieves us as much, ઃઃ as if it had been done to ourselves, for we are in "the fame Chain; and no doubt our Brethren of "New-England will be likewife fadly affected with "this cruel Action of the French. The French

on this Occafion have not acted like brave Men, "but like Thieves and Robbers. Be not there"fore difcouraged. We give this Belt to wipe "away your Tears.

Brethren, we lament the Death of fo many "of our Brethren, whofe Blood has been shed at "Schenectady. We don't think that what the "French have done can be called a Victory, it is

only a farther Proof of their cruel Deceit. The "Governor of Canada fends to Onondaga, and talks "to us of Peace with our whole Houfe, but War

was in his Heart, as you now fee by woful Ex"perience. He did the fame formerly at Cada"rackui, and in the Senekas Country. This is

G 2

"the

the third Time he has acted fo deceitfully. He "has broken open our House at both Ends, for

"

merly in the Sanekas Country, and now here. "We hope however to be revenged of them. "One Hundred of our braveft young Men are in "Pursuit of them, they are brisk Fellows, and "they will follow the French to their Doors. We "will beset them fo clofely, that not a Man in "Canada fhall dare to step out of Doors to cut a "Stick of Wood; But now we gather up our "Dead to bury them, by this fecond Belt.

"Brethren, we came from our Castles with "Tears in our Eyes, to bemoan the Bloodshed "at Schenectady by the perfidious French. While "we bury our Dead murdered at Schenectady, we "know not what may have befallen our own "People, that are in Pursuit of the Enemy, they "may be dead; what has befallen you may hap

pen to us; and therefore we come to bury our "Brethren at Schenectady with this third Belt.

"Great and fudden is the Mischief, as if it had "fallen from Heaven upon us. Our Forefathers

taught us to go with all Speed to bemoan and "lament with our Brethren, when any Difafter or "Misfortunes happens to any in our Chain. Take "this Bill of Vigilance, that you may be more "watchful for the future. We give our Brethren

Eye-Water to make them fharp-fighted, giving a fourth Belt.

"We are now come to the Houfe where we

1

ufually renew the Chain; but alas! we e find the Houfe polluted, polluted with Blood. All the Five Nations have heard of this, and we are "come to wipe away the Blood, and clean the "Houfe, We come to invite Corlear, and every "one of you, and Quider (calling to every one of "the principal Men prefent by their Names) to be "revenged of the Enemy, by this fifth Belt. e

"Bre

"Brethren, be not difcouraged, we are ftrong "enough. This is the Beginning of your War, and the whole Houfe have their Eyes fixed upon "you at this Time, to obferve your Behaviour. "They wait your Motion, and are ready to join "in any refolute Measures.

Our Chain is a ftrong Chain, it is a Sil<< ver Chain, it can neither ruft nor be broken. "We, as to our Parts, are refolute to continue "the War.

"We will never defift, fo long as a Man of us remains. Take Heart, do not pack up and go away, *this will give Heart to a daftardly "Enemy; We are of the Race of the Bear, and a "Bear you know never yields, while one Drop of Blood is left. Ve must all be Bears; giving a fixth Belt.

"Brethren, be patient, this Difafter is an Af"fliction which has fallen from Heaven upon "us. The Sun, which hath been cloudy, and fent this Difafter, will fhine again with its plea"fant Beams. Take Courage, faid he, Courage, repeating the Word several Times as they gave "a feventh Belt."

(To the English.)

Brethren, three Years ago we were engaged in a bloody War with the Frennh, and you encou raged us to proceed in it. Our Succefs anfwered our Expectation; but we were not well begun, when Corlear stopt us from going on. Had you permitted us to go on, the French would not now have been able to do the Mischief they have done, we would have prevented their sowing, planting or reaping.

• This was spoke to the English, who were about removing from Albany.

We would have humbled them effectually, but now we die. The Obstructions you then made now ruin us. Let us after this be fteady, and take no fuch falfe Meafures for the future, but profecute the War vigorously. Giving a Bever Skin.

The Brethren muft keep good Watch, and if the Enemy come again, fend more fpeedily to us. Don't defert Schenectady. The Enemy will glory in feeing it defolate. It will give them Courage that had none before, fortify the Place, it is not well fortified now: The Stockadoes are too thort, the Indians can jump over them. Gave a Bever Skin.

your

Brethren, The Mifchief done at Schenectady cannot be helped now; but for the future, when the Enemy appears any where, let nothing hinder fending to us by Expreffes, and fire great Guns, that all may be alarmed. We advise you to bring all the River Indians under your Subjection to live near Albany, to be ready on all Occafions.

Send to New-England, tell them what has happened to you. They will undoubtedly awake and lend us their helping Hand. It is their Interest, as much as ours, to push the War to a fpeedy Conclufion. Be not difcouraged, the French are not so numerous as fome People talk. If we but heartily unite to push on the War, and mind our Bufinefs, the French will foon be fubdued.

The Magiftrates having returned an Anfwer on the twenty-feventh, to the Satisfaction of the Indians, they repeated it all over, Word by Word, to let the Magiftrates fee how carefully they minded it, and then added.

Brethren, we are glad to find you are not difcouraged. The beft and wifeft Men fometimes make Miftakes. Let us now pursue the War vigorously. We have a hundred Men out, they are good Scouts. We expect to meet all the Sachems

of