“ This String of Wampum serves to forbid you, your Children and Grand-Children, to the latest Posterity for ever, medling in Land Affairs; neither you nor any who shall descend from you, are ever hereafter to presume to sell any Land: for which Purpose, you are to preserve this String, in Memory, of what your Uncles have this Day given you in Charge.—We have some other Business to transact with our Brethren, and therefore depart the Council, and consider what has been said to you. ”

“ Hitherto the Honour of the Six Nations, and the experienced good Intentions and Probity of the English, have been a sufficient Barrier against all their Intrigues: But it cannot be imprudent to countermine the intended Mischief, by giving suitable Encouragement to proper Persons, to converse with the Indians, and study their Genius. An open-hearted Generosity wins them effectually: The Temper of the English is happily suited to this ”

“ We conquered you; we made Women of you; you know you are Women, and can no more sell Land than Women; nor is it fit you should have the Power of selling Lands, since you would abuse it. This Land that you claim is gone through your Guts; you have [Pg 31] been furnish'd with Cloaths, Meat, and Drink, by the Goods paid you for it, and now you want it again, like Children as you are.—But what makes you sell Land in the Dark? ”

“ All the Nations round them have for many Years entirely submitted to them, (the Five Nations) and pay a Yearly Tribute in Wampum: They dare neither make War nor Peace without the Consent of the Mohawks. Two old Men commonly go about every Year or two to receive this Tribute; and I have had Opportunity to observe what Anxiety the poor Indians were under, whilst the two old Men remained in that Part of the Country where I was. ”

“ Kerhawguegh Roanu, several Savage Nations, as their Names signify, (the People of the Wilderness) live on the North Side of Huron's Lake; they neither plant Corn, nor any thing else, but live altogether upon Flesh, Fish, Roots and Herbs; an infinite Number of People, of late become Allies to the Iroquois.
Thus far proceeds Conrad Weiser's Account.
The Six Nations, as was observed above, border upon the Provinces of Pensilvania and New-York: The Rest, which are mentioned as their Dependents and Allies, lie near the French Settlements, some amidst, and some beyond them. ”

“ In Testimony of our Gratitude for all his Services, and because he was so good as to leave his Country-House, and follow us to Town, and be at the Trouble, in this his advanced Age, to attend the Council; we present him with this Bundle of Skins. [Pg 33]
'BRETHREN,
It is always our Way, at the Conclusion of a Treaty, to desire you will use your Endeavours with the Traders, that they may sell their Goods cheaper, and give us a better Price for our Deer-Skins. Whenever any particular Sort of Indian Goods is scarce, they constantly make us pay the dearer on that Account. ”

“ One Tribe of them is quite gone down to New Spain; there are a few left still at Wyomink on the North Branch of Susquehanna, and others have a large Town on an Island in the West Branch, about 50 Miles above the Forks. They are the most restless and mischievous of all the Indians.
Conestogo Indians have been all destroyed by the Five Nations, except a few whom the Onoyders adopted: When these had forgot their Language, they were sent back to Conestogo, where a few are now left, and speak the Onoyder's Language. ”

“ The Onayiuts or Onoyders, were the first that join'd in the Confederacy with the Mohawks, by putting themselves under their Protection. He calls the Mohawk his Father, and in Return he is called a Son: The Mohawk used him for his Ambassador to the other Nations: In Council he is stiled Niharontaquoa, or the great Tree. ”

“ They live within the Borders of Maryland, a Few about Conestogo, and some have settled this Spring at the Mouth of the River Skohooniaty or Jeniaty, which is a Creek that falls into the Susquehanna from the West beyond the Mountains.
Tutolo's originally lived in Virginia, there are but Few of them; they settled this Spring at Shamokin, (on the East Side of Susquehanna, just below the Forks) and are intirely devoted to the Six Nations.
[Pg viii]
The several Nations of Indians with whom the Six Nations or Iroquois are in Alliance ”

“ A Nation of Indians living on the West Side of the Lake Erie, and along the Streights of Huron's Lake. They are called by the Iroquois, Unighkellyiakon; consisting of about Thirty Towns, each of about 200 Fighting Men.
2. The second Nation lives among the preceeding, called —— consisting of Four Towns of their own People, and 400 able Men in all.
3. The third Nation called by the Iroquois, Tshisagech Roanu, [7] lives on the East Side of the Huron's Lake; several of the Council have been there, and all agree they have Three large Towns of 600, 800, and 1000 able Men. ”

“ We receive, and shall keep your String and Belts of Wampum, as Pledges of your Sincerity, and desire those we gave you may be carefully preserved, as Testimonies of ours.
'In Answer to what you say about the Proprietaries.—They are all absent, and have taken the Keys of their Chest along with them; so that we cannot, on their Behalf, enlarge the Quantity of Goods: Were they here, they might, perhaps, be more generous; but we cannot be liberal for them.—The Government will, however, take your Request into Consideration, and, in Regard to your Poverty, may perhaps, make you a Present. ”

“ It was communicated by a Gentleman of good Understanding and Probity; one who is very well skill'd in the Indian Affairs, [2] adopted into one of their Tribes, is of their Council, and their constant Interpreter at the Philadelphia Treaties, to a Friend of his, who sent it to his Correspondent here.
They have generally been stiled the Five Nations of Indians, bordering upon Pensilvania and New-York; but, since the Arrival of the Tuscarora's from Carolina, they are called the Six Nations. An Account of whom is as follows,
1. The Conymkos or Mohawks; the first Promoter of the Confederacy. ”

“ And if any Indian shall abuse, in Word or Deed, any Planter of this Province, that he shall not be his own Judge upon the Indian, but he shall make his Complaint to the Governor of the Province, or his Lieutenant or Deputy, or some inferior Magistrate near him, who shall to the utmost of his Power, take Care with the King of the said Indian, that all reasonable Satisfaction be made to the said injured Planter. ”

“ The white People think we do not know their Value; [Pg 17] but we are sensible that the Land is everlasting, and the few Goods we receive for it are soon worn out and gone. For the Future we will sell no Lands but when Brother Onas is in the Country ”

“ We received from the Proprietor's, yesterday, some Goods in Consideration of our Release of the Lands on the West-Side of Susquehanna: It is true we have the full Quantity according to Agreement; but if the Proprietor had been here himself, we think, in Regard of our Numbers and Poverty, he would have made an Addition to them.—If the Goods were only to be divided amongst the Indians present, a single Person would have but a small Portion ”

“ These People lighting of our young Warriours, as they were hunting, made some Proposals about the purchasing of Land from them, and our young Men being indiscreet, and unacquainted with publick Business, were foolish enough to hearken to them, and to receive five Duffil Strowds for two Plantations on the River Cohongoronto. ”

“ Your Coming at this Juncture is particularly fortunate, since it gives us an Opportunity of mentioning several Things that may be necessary to be settled between People so strictly and closely united [Pg 14] as we are.—An Union not to be express'd by any thing less than the affectionate Regards which Children of the same Parents bear for each other, as conceiving ourselves to be one Flesh and one People. ”

“ That all Differences between the Planters and the Natives, shall also be ended by Twelve Men, that is, by Six Planters and Six Natives, that so we may live friendly together, as much as in us lieth, preventing all Occasions of Heart-burnings and Mischief. ”

“ We will likewise order you some Rum to serve you on your Journey home, since you desire it.
'We wish there had been more Room and better Houses provided for your Entertainment; but not expecting so many of you, we did the best we could. 'Tis true there are a great many Houses in Town, but as they are the Property of other People, who have their own Families to take Care of, it is difficult to procure Lodgings for a large Number of People, especially if they come unexpectedly. ”

“ The last Time the Chiefs of the Six Nations were here, they were informed, that your Cousins, a Branch [Pg 25] of the Delawares, gave this Province some Disturbance about the Lands the Proprietor purchased from them, and for which their Ancestors had received a valuable Consideration above Fifty-five Years ago, as appears by a Deed now lying on the Table.—Sometime after this, Conrad Weiser delivered to your Brother Thomas Penn your Letter, wherein you request of him and James Logan that they would not buy Land, &c.—This has been shewn to them and interpreted ”

“ He is a wise Man, and a fast Friend to the Indians. And we desire, when his Soul goes to GOD, you may chuse in his Room just such another Person, of the same Prudence and Ability in Counselling, and of the same tender Disposition and Affection for the Indians. ”

“ We therefore assign you two Places to go, either to Wyomen or Shamokin. You may go to either of these Places, and then we shall have you more under our Eye, and shall see how you behave. Don't deliberate; but remove away, and take this Belt of Wampum.'
This being interpreted by Conrad Weiser into English, and by Cornelius Spring into the Delaware Language, Canassateego taking a String of Wampum, added further. ”

“ As you have exhibited no particular Charge against them, we shall use our best Endeavours to persuade them to give you as much for your Skins as they can possibly afford; and to take Care that their Goods which they give in Exchange for Skins, be of the best Sort. ”

“ Canassateego made me this Reply: 'The Indians know no Punishment but Death; they have no such Thing as pecuniary Mulcts; if a Man be guilty of a Crime, he is either put to Death, or the Fault is overlook'd. We have often heard of your Hanging-up those two Persons; but as none of our Indians saw the Men die, many believe they were not hanged, but transported to some other Colony: And it would be satisfactory to the Indians, if, for the Future, some of them be sent [Pg 23] for, to be Witnesses to such Executions.' I assured them, that whoever gave them that Information, abused them ”

“ They are the fiercest and most formidable People in North America; at the same Time as politick and judicious, as well can be imagined: This appears from the Management of the Affairs which they transact, not only with the French and English, but likewise with almost all the Indians of this vast Continent."
[Pg 1]
THE TREATY, &c.
THE Deputies of the Six Nations having, at their last Visit, agreed to release their Claim to all the Land on both Sides of the River Susquehanna, as far South as this Province extends, and to the Northward to those called the Endless Mountains or Kittochtinny Hills ”

“ You act a dishonest Part, not only in this, but in other Matters: Your Ears are ever open to slanderous Reports about our Brethren; you receive them with as much Greediness as lewd Women receive the Embraces of bad Men. ”

“ Brethren, this rash Proceeding of our young Men makes us ashamed. We always mean well, and shall perform faithfully what we have promised: And we assure you, this Affair was transacted in the Manner we have related, without our Privity or Consent. And that you may be fully convinced of this, and of the Sincerity of our Intentions, we have brought you these Two Strowds [here he presented two Red Strowds to the Governor] they are the very Strowds our foolish young Men received ”

“ You are Women. Take the Advice of a wise Man, and remove immediately. You may return to the other Side of Delaware where you came from: But we do not know whether, considering how you have demean'd yourselves, you will be permitted to live there ”

“ THE TREATY Held with the INDIANS OF THE SIX NATIONS AT Philadelphia, in July 1742. To which is Prefix'd An Account of the first Confederacy of the SIX NATIONS, their present Tributaries, Dependents, and Allies. ”

“ And it is recommended to Mr. Logan, Mr. Preston, and Mr. Lawrence, to acquaint Mr. Kinsey, the Speaker of the Assembly, with the Opinion of this Board; and that they request him to confer with such other Members of Assembly as are in Town, and report their Sentiments thereupon.
The Board taking into Consideration the Threats express'd by the Indians, at the Treaty Yesterday, against the Inhabitants of Maryland, settled on certain Lands on the West Side of Susquehanna, which the Indians claim, and for which they require Satisfaction ”