PRESENT,

The Hon'ble GEORGE THOMAS, Esq; Lieut. Governor.

_James Logan, Samuel Preston,_ }

_Thomas Lawrence, Samuel Hasell,_ } Esqrs;

_Abraham Taylor, Robert Strettell,_ }

CANASSATEEGO'S Speech on Behalf of the _Six Nations_.

'_BRETHREN, the Governor and Council, and all present_,

According to our Promise we now propose to return you an Answer to the

several Things mentioned to us Yesterday, and shall beg Leave to speak

to publick Affairs first, tho' they were what you spoke to last. On this

Head you Yesterday put us in Mind, first, _Of_ William Penn's _early and

constant Care to cultivate Friendship with all the_ Indians; _of the

Treaty we held with one of his Sons, about Ten Years ago; and of the

Necessity there is at this Time of keeping the Roads between us clear

and free from all Obstructions._ We are all very sensible of the kind

Regard that good Man _William Penn_ had for all the _Indians_, and

cannot but be pleased to find that his Children have the same. We well

remember the Treaty you mention held with his Son on his Arrival here,

by which we confirmed our League of Friendship that is to last as long

as the Sun and Moon endure: In Consequence of this, We, on our Part,

shall preserve the Road free from all Incumbrances: in Confirmation

whereof, we lay down this String of _Wampum_.

'You in the next Place said, _You would inlarge the Fire and make it

burn brighter_, which we are pleased to hear you mention; and assure

you, we shall do the same, by adding to it more Fewel, that it may still

flame out more strongly than ever: In the last Place, you were pleased

to say, _that we are bound, by the strictest Leagues, to watch for each

others Preservation; that we should hear with our Ears for you, and you

hear with your Ears for us_: This is equally agreeable to us; and we

shall not fail to give you early Intelligence whenever any Thing of

Consequence comes to our Knowledge: And to encourage you to do the same,

and to nourish in your Hearts what you have spoke to us with your

Tongues, about the Renewal of our Amity and the Brightening of the Chain

of Friendship; we confirm what we have said with another Belt of

_Wampum_.'

'_BRETHREN_,

We received [Transcriber's Note: original has "rececived"] 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;

but if you consider what Numbers are left behind, equally intituled with

us to a Share, there will be extreamly little. We therefore desire, if

you have the Keys of the Proprietor's Chest, you will open it, and take

out a little more for us.

'We know our Lands are now become more valuable: The white People think

we do not know their Value; 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; and we will know beforehand the Quantity of the Goods we

are to receive. Besides, we are not well used with Respect to the Lands

still unsold by us. Your People daily settle on these Lands, and spoil

our Hunting.--We must insist on your Removing them, as you know they

have no Right to settle to the Northward of _Kittochtinny-Hills_.--In

particular, we renew our Complaints against some People who are settled

at _Juniata_, a Branch of _Susquehanna_, and all along the Banks of that

River, as far as _Mahaniay_; and desire they may be forthwith made to go

off the Land; for they do great Damage to our Cousins the _Delawares_.

'We have further to observe, with Respect to the Lands lying on the West

Side of _Susquehanna_, that tho' Brother ONAS (meaning the Proprietor)

has paid us for what his People possess, yet some Parts of that Country

have been taken up by Persons whose Place of Residence is to the South

of this Province, from whom we have never received any Consideration.

This Affair was recommended to you by our Chiefs at our last Treaty; and

you then, at our earnest Desire, promised to write a Letter to that

Person who has the Authority over those People, and to procure us his

Answer: As we have never heard from you on this Head, we want to know

what you have done in it. If you have not done any thing, we now renew

our Request, and desire you will inform the Person whose People are

seated on our Lands, that that Country belongs to us, in Right of

Conquest; we having bought it with our Blood, and taken it from our

Enemies in fair War; and we expect, as Owners of that Land, to receive

such a Consideration for it as the Land is worth. We desire you will

press him to send us a positive Answer: Let him say _Yes_ or _No_: If he

says _Yes_, we will treat with him; if _No_, we are able to do

ourselves Justice; and we will do it, by going to take Payment

ourselves.

'It is Customary with us to make a Present of Skins whenever we renew

our Treaties. We are ashamed to offer our Brethren so few; but your

Horses and Cows have eat the Grass our Deer used to feed on. This has

made them scarce, and will, we hope, plead in Excuse for not bringing a

larger Quantity: If we could have spared more, we would have given more;

but we are really poor; and desire you'll not consider the Quantity,

but, few as they are, accept them in Testimony of our Regard.'

_Here they gave the Governor a Bundle of Skins._

The Governor immediately replied:

'_BRETHREN_,

We thank you for the many Declarations of Respect: you have given us in

this solemn Renewal of our Treaties: 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. I but just mention this now, intending to refer this Part of

your Speech to be answered at our next Meeting.

'The Number of Guns, as well as every Thing else, answers exactly with

the Particulars specified in your Deed of Conveyance, which is more

than was agreed to be given you. It was your own Sentiments, that the

Lands on the West Side of _Susquehanna_ were not so Valuable as those on

the East; and an Abatement was to be made, proportionable to the

Difference in Value: But the Proprietor overlooked this, and ordered the

full Quantity to be delivered, which you will look on as a Favour.

'It is very true, that Lands are of late become more Valuable; but what

raises their Value? Is it not entirely owing to the Industry and Labour

used by the white People in their Cultivation and Improvement? Had not

they come amongst you, these Lands would have been of no Use to you, any

further than to maintain you. And is there not, now you have sold so

much, enough left for all the Purposes of Living?--What you say of the

Goods, that they are soon worn out, is applicable to every Thing; but

you know very well, that they cost a great deal of Money; and the Value

of Land is no more than it is worth in Money.

'On your former Complaints against People's Settling the Lands on

_Juniata_, and from thence all along on the River _Susquehanna_ as far

as _Mahaniahy_, some Magistrates were sent expresly to remove them; and

we thought no Persons would presume to stay after that.

Here they interrupted the Governor, and said:--'_These Persons who were

sent did not do their Duty: So far from removing the People, they made

Surveys for themselves, and they are in League with the Trespassers. We

desire more effectual Methods may be used and honester Persons

imploy'd._'

Which the Governor promised, and then proceeded:

'_BRETHREN_,

According to the Promise made at our last Treaty with you, Mr. _Logan_,

who was at that Time President, did write to the Governor of _Maryland_,

that he might make you Satisfaction for such of your Lands as his People

had taken up; but did not receive one Word from him upon that Head. I

will write to him again, and endeavour to procure you a Satisfactory

Answer. We do not doubt but he will do you Justice: But we exhort you to

be careful not to exercise any Acts of Violence towards his People, as

they likewise are our Brethren, and Subjects of the same Great King; and

therefore Violence towards them must be productive of very evil

Consequences.

'I shall conclude what I have to say at this Time with Acknowledgments

for your Present; which is very agreeable to us, from the Expressions of

Regard used by you in presenting it: Gifts of this Nature receiving

their Value from the Affection of the Giver, and not from the Quantity

or Price of the Thing given.'

* * * * *

At a COUNCIL held at _Philadelphia_, _July_ 8. 1742.