TO THE HONOURABLE

GENERAL

OGLETHORPE.

SIR,

T

HE Indian Affairs have ever appeared to your Judgment of fuch Importance to the Welfare of our own People, that you have ever carefully applied your Thoughts to them; and that with fuch Succefs, that not only the prefent Generation will enjoy the Benefit of your Care, but our latest Pofterity blefs your Memory for that Happiness, the Foundation of which was laid under your Care, provided that the People here, whofe Duty and Interest is chiefly concerned, do on their own Parts fecond your Endeavours, towards fecuring the Peace, and advancing the Profperity of their Country.

The following Account of the Five Indian Nations, will fhew what dangerous Neighbours the Indians have once been; what Pains a neighbouring Colony (whofe Intereft is oppofite to ours) has taken to withdraw their Affections from us; and how much we ought to be on our Guard. If we only confider the Riches which our Enemies receive from the Indian Trade (though we are under no Apprehenfions from the Indians themselves) it would be highly impru dent in us to fuffer fuch People to grow Rich and Powerful, while it is in our Power to prevent it, with much leis Charge and Trouble, than it is in theirs to accomplish their Defigns.

Thefe Confiderations alone are fuffi cient to make the Indian Affairs deferve the most ferious Thoughts of every Gover nor in America. But I well know, be fides, that your Excellency's Views are not confined to the Intereft of one Country only.

The Five Nations are a poor, and generally called, barbarous People, bred under

under the darkest Ignorance; and yet a bright and noble Genius fhines through thefe black Clouds. None of the greatest Roman Heroes have difcovered a greater Love to their Country, or a greater Contempt of Death, than these People called Barbarians have done, when Liberty came in Competition. Indeed, I think our Indians have outdone the Romans in this Particular; fome of the greatest of those have we known murdered themselves to avoid Shame or Torments; but our Indians have refufed to die meanly, or with but little Pain, when they thought their Country's Honour would be at Stake by it; but have given their Bodies, willingly, to the moft cruel Torments of their Enemies, to fhew, as they said, that the Five Nations confifted of Men, whofe Courage and Refolution could not be fhaken. They greatly fully, however, thofe noble Vir tues, by that cruel Paffion, Revenge this they think is not only lawful, but honour

A.3

*This will appear by several Inftances in the Second Part of this Hiftory.

honourable, to exert without Mercy on their Country's Enemies, and for this only it is that they can deferve the Name of Barbarians.

But what, alas! Sir, have we Chriftians done to make them better? We have indeed Reafon to be afhamed, that thefe Infidels, by our Converfation and Neighbourhood, are become worse than they were before they knew us. Inftead of Virtues we have only taught them Vices, that they were intirely free from before that Time. The narrow Views of private Intereft have occafioned this, and will occafion greater, even publick Mischiefs, if the Governors of the People do not, like true Patriots, exert themfelves, and put a Stop to thefe growing Evils. If thefe Practices be winked at, instead of faithful Friends, that have manfully fought our Battles for us, the Five Nations will become faithlefs Thieves and Robbers, and join with every Enemy that can give them any Hopes of Plunder.