the Mischief, with forty others, to beg Pardon ; but Monfieur Courfel was refolved to make an Example of Agariata, and ordered him to be hanged in Sight of his Countrymen; and the French think that this Severity was a great Means of preferving the Peace till the Year 1683. The Dutch, who fettled in the New-Netherlands, now called New-York, in 1609, entered into an Alliance with the Five Nations, which continued without any Breach on either Side, till the English gained this Country. The Dutch gained the Hearts of the Five Nations by their kind Usage, and were frequently useful to the French, in faving thofe of them that were Prifoners from the Cruelty of the Indians. In 1664, New-York being taken by the English, they likewife immediately entered into a Friendfhip with the Five Nations, which has continued without the leaft Breach to this Day; and Hiftory, I believe, cannot give an Inftance of the moft Chriftian or moft Catholick Kings obferving a Treaty fo ftrictly, and for fo long a Time as thefe Barbarians, as they are called, have done. The English and French (Peace being every where fettled) now endeavoured to extend their Commerce and Alliances among the Indian Nations, that live to the weftward of New-York. The French, however, in their Measures, difcovered always a Defign of conquering and commanding; for with this View Mr. de Frontenac, who had fucceeded in the Government of Canada, in the Year 1672, perfuaded the Five Nations to allow him to build a Fort on the north Side of Cadarackui Lake, under Pretence of a Store for Merchandife, and the Security of his Traders, and under the fame Pretence built feveral other Forts at fome other confiderable Places far in the Country. The The English and Dutch, on the contrary, profecuted their Measures only with the Arts of Peace, by fending People among the Indians to gain their Affections, and to perfuade them to come to Albany to trade; but the War with the Dutch, which happened about this Time, prevented even thefe honeft Defigns from having the Succefs they otherwife might have had; for in the Year 1673, New York being furprised by the Dutch, and restored the next Year to the English, the Alterations of Government, and of Mafters, obftructed very much any Measures that could have been taken for the publick Good. Their Trade was likewife confiderably hindered by the War which the Five Nations had at that Time with the River Indians, which forced many of thofe Indians to feek Shelter among the Utawawas, who fell under the French Government at laft; however, the English, Dutch and French, having all made Peace in Europe, and the Government of New-York likewife having obtained a Peace between the Five Nations and Mahikindars or River Indians, both the English and French were at full Liberty to profecute their Defigns of extending their Commerce among the Indians, which both did with very confiderable Succefs and Advantage to the Inhabitants of their refpective Colonies. But this Juftice must be done to the French, that they far exceeded the English in the daring Attempts of fome of their Inhabitants, in travelling very far among unknown Indians, difcovering new Countries, and every where fpreading the Fame of the French Name and Grandeur. The Sieur Perot travelled in the Year, 1667, as far as the Fall C 6 St. *The Indians living on the Branches of Hudson's River, within or near the English Settlements at that Time. St. Mary beyond Missilimakinak, and having learned thofe Indians Language, gained them over to his Country's Interest. The Courage and Refolution of many of these Adventurers are defervedly recorded by the French; but the English give it another Turn, and fay it is the Barrennefs and Poverty of Canada that pushes the Men of Spirit there, upon Enterprizes, that they would not have attempted, if they had lived in the Province of New-York. The chief Reason, in my Opinion, however, of the French having fo far fucceeded beyond the English, is, that the Indian Affairs are the particular Care of the Governor and other principal Officers in Canada, who have the greatest Knowledge and Authority; whereas thofe Affairs in New-York are chiefly left to the Management of a few Traders with the Indians, who have no care for, or Skill in publick Affairs, and only mind their private Interest. CHA P. III. Of the Tranfactions of the Indians of the Five Nations with the neighbouring English Colonies. HE Five Nations being now amply supplied by the English with Fire-Arms and Ammunition, give full Swing to their warlike Genius, and foon refolved to revenge the Affronts they had at any Time received from the Indian Nations that lived at a greater Distance from them. The neareft Nations, as they were attack'd, commonly fled to thofe that were further off, and the Five Nations purfued them. This, together with a Defire they had of conquering, or Ambition of making all the Nations round them their Tributaries, or to acknowledge the Five Nations to be fo far their Mafters, as to be abfolutely directed by them in all Affairs of Peace and War with their Neighbours, made made them over-run great Part of North-America. They carried their Arms as far South as Carolina, to the northward of New-England, and as far West as the River Miffiffipi, over a vaft Country, which extends twelve hundred Miles in Length, from North to South, and about fix hundred Miles in Breadth; where they entirely destroyed many Nations, of whom there are now no Accounts remaining among the English. These Warlike Expeditions often proved troublesome to the Colonies of Virginia and Maryland; for not only the Indians that were Friends to those Colonies became Victims to the Fury of the Five Nations, but the Chriftian Inhabitants likewise were frequently involved in the fame Calamity. The French having a long Time felt the Inconveniencies and Dangers they were in from this reftlefs warlike Spirit of the Five Nations, made ufe of this Time of Peace to guard against it for the future, and were very diligent in pursuing the most prudent Measures. They fent fome of their wifeft Priefts and Jefuits to refide among them, and the Governors of New-York were ordered, by the Duke of York, to give these Priests all the Encouragement in their Power. The chief View of thefe Priefts was, to give the Indians the highest Opinion of the French Power and Wisdom, and to render the English as fufpected and as mean as poffible in their Eyes. They waited likewise for every Opportunity to breed a Quarrel between the English and the Indians, and to withdraw the Five Nations from fighting with those Nations that traded to Canada. For thefe Purposes these Priefts were inftrumental in turning the Refentment of the Five Nations against the Indians, that were in Friendship with Virginia and Maryland. The Governor of Maryland, on the other Hand, to prevent the ill Confequences that might happen by Wars between Nations Nations that were in Friendship with the English, and lived in their Neighbourhood, fent Colonel Courfey, in 1677, to Albany, to increase the FriendThip between Virginia and Maryland on the one Part, and the Five Nations on the other; and, accordingly, both Sides gave mutual Promises at Albany: But this good Understanding was foon fhaken by fome Parties of the Oneydoes, Onondagas, and Senekas, who were out when this Treaty was made, and were ignorant of it. One of them met with the Sufguehana Indians, who were in Friendship with Maryland, and fell upon them; they killed four of the Sufguebanas, and took fix Prifoners. Five of these Prisoners fell to the Share of the Senekas, who, as foon as they arrived in their own Country, fent them back with Prefents, to fhew that they kept their Promises with Maryland; but the Oneydoes detained the Prisoner they had. Another Party, that went against the Canageffe Indians (Friends of Virginia) were furprised by a Troop of Horse, who killed one Man, and took a Woman Prisoner. The Indians, in Revenge, killed four of the Inhabitants, and carried away their Scalps, with fix Christian Prisoners. The Mohawks, all this while, kept ftrictly to their Words, and fuffered none of their Men to go towards Virginia and Maryland. There is Reason to think that the Dutch, who lived about Albany at that Time, fpirited up the Indians against the English; the national Differences, that were then recent, bred a Rancour in their Spirits. Some Dutchmen perfuaded the Oneydoes, that the English at New-York were refolved to deftroy them, and put them into a terrible Disturbance; for here the Dutch and the French Priests joined in the fame Measures. The Commandant at Albany hearing of this, fent two Interpreters of the |