and faw feveral of their Performances; I was prefent at their Worship, where they went through fome Part of the Common Prayer with great Decency. I was likewise present, feveral Times, at their private Devotions, which fome of them performed duly, Morning and Evening. I had also many Opportunities of observing the great Regard they had for this young Man; fo far, that the Fear of his leaving them made the greatest Restraint on them, with which he threatened them, afterthey had been guilty of any Offence. Soon after that Time, this Gentleman went to England, received Orders, and was fent by the Society, Mif fionary to Albany, with Liberty to spend some Part of his Time among the Mohawks.

I had lately a Letter from him, dated the seventh of December, 1641, in which he writes as follows: "Drunkenness was fo common among them, that "I doubt, whether there was one grown Perfon "of either Sex free from it; feldom a Day paffed "without some, and very often forty or fifty being "drunk at a Time. But I found they were very "fond of keeping me among them, and afraid I "fhould leave them, which I made Ufe of to good "Purpose; daily threatning them with my Depar"ture, in Cafe they did not forfake that Vice, and "frequently requiring a particular Promise from "them fingly; by which Means (through God's "Bleffing) there was a gradual Reformation; and: "I know not that I have feen above ten or twelve "Perfons drunk among them this Summer. The "Women are almost all entirely reformed, and "the Men very much. They have entirely left "off Divorces, and are legally married. They are "very conftant and devout at Church and Family "Devotions. They have not been known to ex

4

ercife Cruelty to Prifoners, and have, in a great "Measure, left off going a fighting, which I find

"the

❝ the most difficult, of all Things, to diffuade them "from. They feem alfo perfuaded of the Truths " of Chriftianity. The greateft Inconveniency I "labour under, is the Want of an Interpreter, "which could I obtain, for two or three Years, I "fhould hope to be tolerably Mafter of their Language, and be able to render it easier to my "Succeffor."

This Gentleman's uncommon Zeal deferves, I think, this publick Teftimony, that it may be a Means of his receiving fuch Encouragement, as may enable him to pursue the pious Purposes he has in View.

The Mohawks, were they civilized, may be useful to us many Ways, and, on many Occafions, more than any of our own People can be; and this well deferves to be confidered.

There is one Custom their Men constantly obferve, which I muft not forget to mention; That if they be fent with any Meffage, though it demand the greatest Difpatch, or though they bring Intelligence of any imminent Danger, they never tell it at their firft Approach; but fit down for a Minute or two, at leaft, in Silence, to recollect themfelves, before they speak, that they may not fhew any Degree of Fear or Surprize, by an indecent Expreffion. Every fudden Repartee, in a public Treaty, leaves with them an Impreffion of a light inconfiderate Mind; but, in private Conversation, they ufe, and are delighted with brifk witty Anfwers, as we can be. By this they fhew the great Difference they place between the Converfations of Man and Man, and of Nation and Nation; and in this, and a thousand other Things, might well be an Example to the European Nations.

THE

THE

HISTORY

OF THE

FIVE INDIAN NATIONS,

DEPENDING

On the PROVINCE of NEW-YORK.

PART I.

The Hiftory of the Five Nations, from the Time the Chriftians first knew any Thing of them, to that of the Revolution in Great-Britain.

CHAP. I.

Of the Wars of the Five Nations with the Adirondacks and Quatoghies.

T

HE firft Settlers of New-York having been little curious in inquiring into the Indian Affairs, further than what related to Trade; or, at leaft, having neglected to tranfmit their Difcoveries to Pofterity, it is much more difficult to give a juft Hiftory of these Nations before, than fince the Time of their being under the Crown of England. What we can learn of Certainty, however, is this. The French fettled at Canada in the Year 1603, fix

Years

Years before the Dutch poffeffed themselves of New-Netherlands, now called New-York, and found the Five Nations at War with the Adirondacks, which, they tell us, was occafioned in the following Manner.

The Adirondacks formerly lived three-hundred Miles above Trois Rivieres, where now the Utawawas are fituated; at that Time they employ'd themselves wholly in Hunting, and the Five Nations made planting of Corn their Bufinefs. By this Means they became useful to each other, by exchanging Corn for Venifon. The Adirondacks, however, valued themselves, as delighting in a more manly Employment, and defpifed the Five Nations, in following Bufinefs, which they thought only fit for Women. But it once happened, that the Game failed the Adirondacks, which made them defire fome of the young Men of the Five Nations to affift them in Hunting. These young Men foon became much more expert in Hunting, and able to endure Fatigues, than the Adirondacks expected or defired; in fhort, they became jealous of them, and, one Night, murdered all the young Men they had with them. The Five Nations complained to the Chiefs of the Adirondacks, of the Inhumanity of this Action; but they contented themselves with blaming the Murderers, and ordered them to make fonie fmall + Prefents to the Relations of the murdered Perfons, without being apprehenfive of the Refentment of the Five Nations; for they looked upon them, as Men not capable of taking any great Revenge.

This, however, provoked the Five Nations to that Degree, that they foon refolved, by fome Means, to be revenged; and the Adirondacks being informed

+ It is ftill a Cuftom among the Indians, to expiate Murder by Prefents to the Relations of the Perfon killed.

informed of their Defigns, thought to prevent them by reducing them with Force to their Obedience.

*

The Five Nations then lived near where Mont Real now ftands; they defended themselves at firft but faintly against the vigorous Attacks of the Adirondacks, and were forced to leave their own Country, and fly to the Banks of the Lakes where they live now. As they were hitherto Lofers by the War, it obliged them to apply themselves to the Exercife of Arms, in which they became daily more and more expert. Their Sachems, in Order to raise their People's Spirits, turned them againft the Satanas, a lefs warlike Nation, who then lived on the Banks of the Lakes; for they found it was difficult to remove the Dread their People had of the Valour of the Adirondacks. The Five Nations foon fubdued the Satanas, and drove them out of their Country; and their People's Courage being thus elevated, they, from this Time, not only defended themselves bravely against the whole Force of the Adirondacks, but often carried the War into the Heart of the Adirondacks's Country, and, at laft, forced them to leave it, and to fly to that Part of the Country, where Quebeck is now built.

There are more Inftances than one in Hiftory, of poor difpirited Nations, that by fome fignal Affront or Abuse have had their Spirits fo raised, that they have not only performed notable Things on a fudden, but, if they happened, at the fame Time, to be led and governed by wife Men, have fo far kept up and improved that Spirit, that they have become, in a Manner, a different People. Let us examine Hiftory, and we shall find, that the different Figure every Country has made in the World, has been ever principally owing to the Principles which were inculcated into, and carefully cultivated in the People. In this chiefly

*They are called Shaouonons, by the French, and live now on one of the Banks of the Mifissi pi.