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of the other Nations, as they come to condole with you. You need not fear our being ready, at the firft Notice. Our Ax is always in our Hands, but take Care that you be timely ready. Your Ships, that must do the principal Work, are long a fitting out. We do not defign to go out with a small Company, or in fculking Parties; but as foon as the Nations can meet, we fhall be ready with our whole Force. If you would bring this War to a happy Iffue, you must begin foon, before the French can recover the Loffes they have received from us, and get new Vigour and Life, therefore fend in all Hafte to New-England. Neither you nor we can continue long in the Condition we are now in, we muft order Matters fo, that the French be kept in continual Fear and Alarm at Home; for this is the only Way to be fecure, and in Feace here."

The Scabkok Indians, in our Opinion, are well placed where they are (to the Northward of Albany); they are a good Out-guard; they are our Children, and we fhall take Care that they do their Duty: But you must take Care of the Indians below the Town, place them nearer the Town, fo as they may be of more Service to you.

Here we fee the Mohawks acting like hearty Friends, and if the Value of the Belts given at that Time be confidered, together with what they faid on that Occafion, they gave the ftrongest Proofs of their Sincerity. Each of thefe Belts amount to a large Sum in the Indian Account.

The English of New-York and the French of Canada were now entering into a War, in which the Part the Five Nations are to take is of the greatest Confequence to both; the very Being of the French Colony depended on it, as well as the Safety of the English. The Indians at this Time had the greatest Averfion to the French, and they defired nothing fo much, as that the English might

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join heartily in this War. We shall fee by the Sequel how a publick Spirit, directed by wife Counfels, can overcome all Difficulties, while a felfish Spirit lofes all, even natural Advantages. In the prefent Cafe, the Turn Things took feems to have been entirely owing to one Thing. The French in making the Count de Frontenac Governor of Canada, chofe the Man every Way the beft qualified for this Service: The English feemed to have little Regard to the Qualification of the Perfon they fent, but to gratify a Relation or a Friend, by giving him an Opportunity to make a Fortune; and as he knew that he was recommended with this View, his Counfels were chiefly employed for this Purpose.

By this Means an English Governor generally wants the Efteem of the People; while they think that a Governor has not the Good of the People in View, but his own, they on all Occafions are jealous of him; fo that even a good Governor, with more Difficulty, purfues generous Purposes and publick Benefits, because the People fufpect them to be mere Pretences to cover a private Defign. It is for this Reason, that any Man, oppofing a Governor, is fure to meet with the Favour of the People, almost in every Cafe. On the other Hand, the Opinion the French had of the Count de Frontenac's publick Spirit, and of his Wisdom and Diligence, made them enter into all his Measures without hefitating, and chearfully obey all his Commands.

CHAP.

CHA P. V.

The Five Nations continue the War' with the French; the Mohawks incline to Peace; their Conferences with the Governor of New-York.

TH

AHE Governor of Canada received Hopes that the Five Nations inclined to Peace, by their returning an Anfwer to Therawaet's Meffage, and thought he might now venture to fend fome French to them with further Propofals. The Chevalier D'O, with an Interpreter called Collin, and fome others, went; but they had a much warmer Reception than they expected, being forced to run the Gauntlet through a long Lane of Indians, as they entered their Caftle, and were afterwards delivered up Prisoners to the English.

The Five Nations kept out at this Time fmalf Parties, that continually haraffed the French. The Count de Frontenac fent Captain Louvigni to Mif filimakinak, to relieve the Garifon, and he had Orders, by all Means, to prevent the Peace which the Utawawas and Quatoghies were upon the Point of concluding with the Five Nations. He carried with him one hundred forty three French, and fix Indians, and was likewise accompanied with a Lieutenant and thirty Men, till he got one hundred twenty Miles from Montreal. They were met in Cadarackui River, at a Place called the Cats, by a Party of the Five Nations, who fell vigorously on their Canoes, killed feveral of the French, and made them give Way; but Louvigni, by putting his Men afhore, at last got the better, after a smart Engagement, in which the Indians had feveral Men killed, and two Men, and as many Women, taken Prisoners. I am obliged to rely on the French Account of thefe Skirmishes; they do not mens

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tion the Number of the Indians in this Recounter, but I fufpect them to have been much fewer than the French; for when the Enemy are equal in Number, or greater, they feldom forget to tell it. One of the Indian Prifoners was carried by them to Miilimakinak, to confirm this Victory, and was delivered to the Utawawas, who eat him. The Lieutenant carried the other back with him. He was given to Therawaet.

To revenge this Lofs, the Five Nations fent a Party against the Ifland of Montreal, who fell on that Part called the Trembling Point; and though they were discovered before they gave their Blow, they attacked a Party of regular Troops, and killed the commanding Officer, and twelve of his Men; Another Party carried off fifteen or fixteen Prifoners from Riviere Puante, over-againft Trois Rivieres. This Party was purfued, and finding that they were like to be over-powered, murdered their Prifoners and made their Efcape. These Incurfions kept all the River, from Montreal to Quebeck, in continual Alarm, and obliged the Governor to fend all the Soldiers to guard the South Side of the River. Nothwithstanding this, five Perfons were carried away in Sight of Sorel Fort, by a fmall fculking Party, but they were foon afterwards recovered by the Soldiers. About the fame Time another Party burnt the Plantations at St. Ours.

The Five Nations had conceived great Hopes from the Affiftance of the English, as the Magiftrates of Albany had promifed the Mohawks, when they came to condole, after the furprifing of Schenectady; but the English were fo far from performing these Promifes, that many of the Inhabitants retired from Albany to New-York; and they who had the Administration of Affairs, were fo intent on their Party-Quarrels, that they intirely neglected the Indian Affairs. Indeed the People of New

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York have too often made large Promises, and have thereby put the Indians upon bold Enterprizes, when no Measures were concerted for fupporting them. This made the Indians think, that the English were lavish of Indian Lives, and too careful of their own. The Mohawks, who lived neareft the English, were most fenfible of thefe Things, and entertained Notions prejudicial to the Opinion they ought to have had of the English Prudence and Conduct; it is even probable, thefe Indians began to entertain a mean Opinion of both the English Courage and Integrity. It is not ftrange then, that the Mohawks at laft gave Ear to the affiduous Application of their Countrymen, the praying Indians, who, with French Arguments, perfuaded them to make Peace as foon as poffible, without trufting longer to the English, who had fo often disappointed or deceived them.

The Mohawks fent one of their Sachems, Odigacège, to the praying Indians, who introduced him to the Count de Frontenac. The Count made him welcome, and told him, that he was forry for the Injuries his Predeceflors had done them; but that he would treat them like Friends, if their future Conduct did not prevent him, and gave him a Belt, with Propcfals of Peace to his Nation.

Colonel Slaughter, who was then Governor of New-York, being informed that the Five Nations were like to make Peace with the French, by their having loft much of their Confidence in the English Affiftance, found it neceffary to meet them, which he did in the End of May 1691. There were present at that Time fix Oneydo, eleven Onondaga, four Cayuga, and ten Seneka Sachems. He renewed the Covenant with them, and gave them Presents. The Mohawks having entered into a Treaty with the French, did not join with the other four Nations in their Anfwer.

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