own flesh and blood, and sooner than I would tell you any story that
would be of hurt to you, or your children, I would suffer death: and if
I did not know that it was the desire of the Governor, that we should
renew our old brotherly love and friendship, that subsisted between our
grandfathers, I would not have undertaken this journey. I do assure you
of mine and the people’s honesty. If the _French_ had not been here, the
_English_ would not have come; and consider, brothers, whether, in such a
case, we can always sit still.”
Then they said, “It is a thousand pities we did not know this sooner; if
we had, it would have been peace long before now.”
Then I said, “My brothers, I know you have been wrongly persuaded by many
wicked people; for you must know, that there are a great many Papists in
the country, in _French_ interest, who appear like gentlemen, and have
sent many runaway Irish papist servants[53] among you, who have put bad
notions into your heads, and strengthened you against your brothers the
_English_.
“Brothers, I beg that you would not believe every idle and false story,
that ill-designing people may bring to you against us your brothers. Let
us not hearken to what lying and foolish people may bring to you, against
us your brothers. Let us not hearken to what lying and foolish people
say, but let us hear what wise and good people say; they will tell us
what is good for us and our children.”
Mem. There are a great number of _Irish_ traders now among the _Indians_,
who have always endeavoured to spirit up the _Indians_ against the
_English_; which made some, that I was acquainted with from their
infancy, desire the chiefs to enquire of me, for that they were certain I
would speak the truth.
_Pisquetumen_ now told me, we could not go to the General, that it was
very dangerous, the _French_ having sent out several scouts to wait for
me on the road. And further, _Pisquetumen_ told me, it was a pity the
Governor had no ear,[54] to bring him intelligence; that the _French_
had three ears, whom they rewarded with great presents; and signified,
that he and _Shingas_ would be ears, at the service of his honour, if he
pleased.
2d.—I bade _Shingas_ to make haste and dispatch me, and once more desired
to know of them, if it was possible for them to guide me to the General.
Of all which they told me they would consider; and _Shingas_ gave me his
hand, and said, “Brother, the next time you come, I will return with you
to _Philadelphia_, and will do all in my power to prevent any body’s
coming to hurt the _English_ more.”
3d.—To-day I found myself unwell, and made a little tea, which refreshed
me: had many very pretty discourses with _George_. In the afternoon they
called a council together, and gave me the following answer in council;
the speaker addressing the Governor and people of _Pennsylvania_:
“Brethren, It is a great many days since we have seen or heard from
you.[55] I now speak to you in behalf of all the nations, that have heard
you heretofore.
“Brethren, it is the first message which we have seen or heard from
you. Brethren, you have talked of that peace and friendship which we
had formerly with you. Brethren, we tell you to be strong, and always
remember that friendship, which we had formerly. Brethren, we desire you
would be strong, and let us once more hear of our good friendship and
peace, we had formerly. Brethren, we desire that you make haste, and let
us hear of you again; for, as yet, we have not heard you rightly.” Gives
a string.
“Brethren, hear what I have to say: look, brethren, we, who have now seen
and heard you, we, who are present, are part of all the several nations,
that heard you some days ago; we see that you are sorry we have not that
friendship, we formerly had.
“Look, brethren, we at _Allegheny_ are likewise sorry we have not
that friendship with you, which we formerly had. Brethren, we long
for that peace and friendship we had formerly. Brethren, it is good
that you desire that friendship, that was formerly among our fathers
and grandfathers. Brethren, we will tell you, you must not let that
friendship be quite lost, which was formerly between us.
“Now, brethren, it is three years since we dropt that peace and
friendship, which we formerly had with you. Brethren, it was dropt, and
lay buried in the ground, where you and I stand, in the middle between us
both. Brethren, I see you have digged up, and revived, that friendship,
which was buried in the ground; and now you have it, hold it fast. Do be
strong, brethren, and exert yourselves, that that friendship may be well
established and finished between us. Brethren, if you will be strong, it
is in your power to finish that peace and friendship well. Therefore,
brethren, we desire you to be strong and establish it, and make known
to all the _English_ this peace and friendship, that it may embrace all
and cover all. As you are of one nation and colour, in all the _English_
governments, so let the peace be the same with all. Brethren, when you
have finished this peace, which you have begun; when it is known every
where amongst your brethren, and you have every where agreed together on
this peace and friendship, then you will be pleased to send the great
peace belt to us at _Allegheny_.
“Brethren, when you have settled this peace and friendship, and finished
it well, and you send the great peace-belt to me, I will send it to all
the nations of my colour, they will all join to it, and we all will hold
it fast.
“Brethren, when all the nations join to this friendship, then the day
will begin to shine clear over us. When we hear once more of you, and we
join together, then the day will be still, and no wind, or storm, will
come over us, to disturb us.
“Now, brethren, you know our hearts, and what we have to say; be strong;
if you do what we have now told you, and in this peace all the nations
agree to join. Now, brethren, let the king of _England_ know what our
mind is as soon as possibly you can.”[56] Gives a belt of eight rows.
I received the above speech and belt from the underwritten, who are all
captains and counsellors.
BEAVER, KING,
DELAWARE GEORGE,
PISQUETUMEN,
TASUCAMIN,
AWAKANOMIN,
CUSHAWMEKWY,
KEYHEYNAPALIN,
CAPTAIN PETER,
MACOMAL,
POPAUCE,
WASHAOCAUTAUT,
COCHQUACAUKEHLTON,
JOHN HICKOMEN, and
KILL BUCK.
_Delaware George_ spoke as follows:
“Look, brothers, we are here of three different nations. I am of the
Unami nation:[57] I have heard all the speeches that you have made to us
with the many other nations.
“Brothers, you did let us know, that every one that takes hold of this
peace-belt, you would take them by the hand, and lead them to the council
fire, where our grandfathers kept good councils. So soon as I heard this,
I took hold of it.
“Brother, I now let you know that my heart never was parted from you.
I am sorry that I should make friendship with the _French_ against
the _English_. I now assure you my heart sticks close to the English
interest. One of our great captains, when he heard it, immediately took
hold of it as well as myself. Now, Brother, I let you know that you shall
soon see me by your council fire, and then I shall hear from you myself,
the plain truth, in every respect.
“I love that which is good, like as our grandfathers did: they chose to
speak the sentiments of their mind: all the _Five Nations_ know me, and
know that I always spoke truth; and so you shall find, when I come to
your council fire.” Gives a string.
The above _Delaware George_ had in company with him,
CUSHAWMEKWY,
KEHKEHNOPATIN,
CAPTAIN PETER,
JOHN PETER,
STINFEOR.
4th.—Present, _Shingas_, King _Beaver_, _Pisquetumen_, and several
others. I asked what they meant by saying, “_They had not rightly heard
me yet._” They said,
“Brother, you very well know that you have collected all your young
men about the country, which makes a large body;[58] and now they are
standing _before our doors_;[59] you come with good news and fine
speeches. Brother, this is what makes us jealous, and we do not know what
to think of it: if you had brought the news of peace before your army had
begun to march, it would have caused a great deal more good. We do not
so readily believe you, because a great many great men and traders have
told us, long before the war, that you and the _French_ intended to join
and cut all the _Indians_ off. These were people of your own colour, and
your own countrymen; and some told us to join the _French_; for that they
would be our fathers: besides, many runaways have told us the same story;
and some we took prisoners told us how you would use us, if you caught
us: therefore, brother, I say, we cannot conclude, at this time, but must
see and hear you once more.” And further they said,
“Now, brother, you are here with us, you are our flesh and blood, speak
from the bottom of your heart, will not the _French_ and _English_ join
together to cut off the _Indians_? Speak, brother, from your heart, and
tell us the truth, and let us know who were the beginners of the war.”
Then I delivered myself thus:
“Brothers, I love you from the bottom of my heart. I am extremely sorry
to see the jealousy so deeply rooted in your hearts and minds. I have
told you the truth; and yet, if I was to tell it you a hundred times, it
seems you would not rightly believe me. My _Indian_ brothers, I wish you
would draw your hearts to God, that he may convince you of the truth.
“I do now declare, before God, that the _English_ never did, nor never
will, join with the French to destroy you. As far as I know, the _French_
are the beginners of this war. Brothers, about twelve years ago, you may
remember, they had war with the English, and they both agreed to articles
of peace. The _English_ gave up _Cape Breton_ in _Acadia_, but the
_French_ never gave up the part of that country, which they had agreed
to give up; and, in a very little time, made their _Children_ strike the
_English_. This was the first cause of the war. Now, brothers; if any
body strike you three times, one after another, you still sit still and
consider: they strike you again, then, my brothers, you say, it is time,
and you will rise up to defend yourselves. Now, my brothers, this is
exactly the case between the _French_ and _English_. Consider farther,
my brothers, what a great number of our poor back inhabitants have been
killed since the _French_ came to the _Ohio_. The French are the cause of
their death, and if they were not there, the _English_ would not trouble
themselves to go there. They go no where to war, but where the French
are. Those wicked people that set you at variance with the _English_,
by telling you many wicked stories, are papists in French pay: besides,
there are many among us, in the _French_ service, who appear like
gentlemen, and buy Irish papist servants, and promise them great rewards
to run away to you and strengthen you against the _English_, by making
them appear as black as devils.”
This day arrived here two hundred _French_ and _Indians_, on their way to
fort _Duquesne_. They staid all night. In the middle of the night king
_Beaver’s_ daughter died, on which a great many guns were fired in the
town.
5th.—It made a general stop in my journey. The _French_ said to their
Children, they should catch me privately, or get my scalp. The commander
wanted to examine me, as he was going to _fort Duquesne_. When they told
me of it, I said, as he was going to _fort Duquesne_, he might enquire
about me there: I had nothing at all to say, or do with the _French_:
they would tell them every particular they wanted to know in the fort.
They all came into the house where I was, as if they would see a new
creature.
In the afternoon there came six _Indians_, and brought three German
prisoners, and two scalps of the _Catabaws_.
As _Daniel_ blamed the _English_, that they never paid him for his
trouble, I asked him whether he was pleased with what I paid him. He
said, no. I said, “Brother, you took as much as you pleased.” I asked
you, whether you was satisfied; you said, yes. I told him, I was ashamed
to hear him blame the country so. I told him, “You shall have for this
journey whatever you desire, when I reach the inhabitants.”
6th.—_Pisquetumen_, _Tom Hickman_ and _Shingas_ told me,
“Brother, it is good that you have stayed so long with us; we love to
see you, and wish to see you here longer; but since you are so desirous
to go, you may set off to morrow: _Pisquetumen_ has brought you here,
and he may carry you home again: you have seen us, and we have talked a
great deal together, which we have not done for a long time before. Now,
Brother, we love you, but cannot help wondering why the _English_ and
_French_ do not make up with one another, and tell one another not to
fight on our land.”
I told them, “Brother, if the _English_ told the _French_ so a thousand
times, they never would go away. Brother, you know so long as the world
has stood there has not been such a war. You know when the French lived
on the other side, the war was there, and here we lived in peace.
Consider how many thousand men are killed, and how many houses are burned
since the _French_ lived here; if they had not been here it would not
have been so; you know we do not blame you; we blame the _French_; they
are the cause of this war; therefore, we do not come to hurt you, but to
chastise the _French_.”
They told me, that at the great council, held at _Onondago_, among the
_Five Nations_, before the war began (_Conrad Weiser_ was there, and
wrote every thing down) it was said to the _Indians_ at the _Ohio_,
that they should let the _French_ alone there, and leave it entirely to
the _Five Nations_; the _Five Nations_ would know what to do with them.
Yet soon after two hundred _French_ and _Indians_ came and built _Fort
Duquesne_.
King _Beaver_ and _Shingas_ spoke to _Pisquetumen_.
“Brother, you told us that the Governor of _Philadelphia_ and
_Teedyuscung_ took this man out of their bosoms, and put him into your
bosom, that you should bring him here; and you have brought him here to
us; and we have seen and heard him; and now we give him into your bosom,
to bring him to the same place again, before the Governor; but do not let
him quite loose; we shall rejoice when we shall see him here again.” They
desired me to speak to the Governor, in their behalf, as follows:
“Brother, we beg you to remember our oldest brother, _Pisquetumen_, and
furnish him with good cloathes, and reward him well for his trouble; for
we shall look upon him when he comes back.”
7th.—When we were ready to go, they began to council which course we
should go, to be safest; and then they hunted for the horses, but could
not find them; and so we lost that day’s journey.
It is a troublesome cross and heavy yoke to draw this people: They
can punish and squeeze a body’s heart to the utmost. I suspect the
reason they kept me here so long was by instigation of the _French_.
I remember somebody told me, the _French_ told them to keep me twelve
days longer, for that they were afraid I should get back too soon, and
give information to the general. My heart has been very heavy here,
because they kept me for no purpose. The Lord knows how they have been
counselling about my life; but they did not know who was my protector
and deliverer: I believe my Lord has been too strong against them; my
enemies have done what lies in their power.
8th.—We prepared for our journey on the morning, and made ourselves
ready. There came some together and examined me what I had wrote
yesterday. I told them, I wondered what need they had to concern
themselves about my writing. They said, if they knew I had wrote about
the prisoners, they would not let me go out of the town. I told them what
I writ was my duty to do. “Brothers, I tell you, I am not afraid of you,
if there were a thousand more. I have a good conscience before God and
man. I tell you I have wrote nothing about the prisoners. I tell you,
Brothers, this is not good; there’s a bad spirit in your heart, which
breeds that jealousy; and it will keep you ever in fear, that you will
never get rest. I beg you would pray to God, for grace to resist that
wicked spirit, that breeds such wicked jealousies in you; which is the
reason you have kept me here so long. How often have I begged of you to
dispatch me? I am ashamed to see you so jealous; I am not, in the least,
afraid of you. Have I not brought writings to you? and what, do you think
I must not carry some home, to the Governor? or, shall I shut my mouth,
and say nothing? Look into your hearts, and see if it would be right or
wrong, if any body gives a salutation to their friends, and it is not
returned in the same way. You told me many times how kind you were to
the prisoners, and now you are afraid that any of them should speak to
me.”[60]
They told me, they had cause to be afraid; and then made a draught, and
shewed me how they were surrounded with war. Then I told them, if they
would be quiet, and keep at a distance, they need not fear. Then they
went away, very much ashamed, one after another. I told my men, that we
must make haste and go; accordingly we set off, in the afternoon, from
_Kushkushkee_, and came ten miles.
9th.—We took a little foot-path hardly to be seen. We left it, and went
through thick bushes, till we came to a mire, which we did not see, till
we were in it; and _Tom Hickman_ fell in, and almost broke his leg. We
had hard work before we could get the horse out again. The Lord helped
me, that I got safe from my horse. I and _Pisquetumen_ had enough to do
to come through. We passed many such places: it rained all day; and we
got a double portion of it, because we received all that hung on the
bushes. We were as wet as if we were swimming all the day; and at night
we laid ourselves down in a swampy place to sleep, where we had nothing
but the heavens for our covering.
10th.—We had but little to live on. _Tom Hickman_ shot a deer on the
road. Every thing here, upon the _Ohio_, is extremely dear, much more
so than in _Pennsylvania_: I gave for one dish of corn four hundred and
sixty _wampum_. They told me that the Governor of _fort Duquesne_ kept
a store of his own, and that all the _Indians_ must come and buy the
goods of him; and when they come and buy, he tells them, if they will go
to war, they shall have as much goods as they please. Before I set off,
I heard further, that a _French_ captain who goes to all the _Indian_
towns[61] came to _Sacunck_, and said, “Children, will you not come and
help your father against the _English_?” They answered, “Why should we go
to war against our brethren? They are now our friends.” “O! Children,”
said he, “I hope you do not own them for friends.” “Yes,” said they,
“We do; we are their friends, and we hope they will remain ours.” “O!
Children, said he, you must not believe what you have heard, and what has
been told you by that man.” They said to him, “Yes, we do believe him
more than we do you: it was you that set us against them; and we will
by and by have peace with them;” and then he spoke not a word more, but
returned to the fort. So, I hope, some good is done: praised be the name
of the Lord.
11th.—Being Monday, we went over _Antigoc_:[62] we went down a very steep
hill, and our horses slipt so far, that I expected, every moment, they
would fall heels over head. We found fresh _Indian_ tracts on the other
side of the river. We crossed _Allegheny_ river, and went through the
bushes upon a high hill, and slept upon the side of the mountain, without
fire, for fear of the enemy. It was a cold night, and I had but a thin
blanket to cover myself.
12th.—We made a little fire, to warm ourselves in the morning. Our horses
began to be weary with climbing up and down these steep mountains. We
came this night to the top of a mountain, where we found a log-house.
Here we made a small fire, just to boil ourselves a little victuals. The
_Indians_ were very much afraid, and lay with their guns and tomhocks on
all night. They heard somebody run and whisper in the night. I slept very
sound, and in the morning they asked me, if I was not afraid the enemy
_Indians_ would kill me. I said, “No, I am not afraid of the _Indians_,
nor the devil himself: I fear my great Creator, God.” “Aye, they said,
you know you will go to a good place when you die, but we do not know
that: that makes us afraid.”
13th.—In the afternoon we twice crossed _Chowatin_, and came to
_Ponchestanning_,[63] an old deserted Indian town, that lies on the same
creek. We went through a bad swamp, where were very thick sharp thorns,
so that they tore our cloaths and flesh, both hands and face, to a bad
degree. We had this kind of road all the day. In the evening we made a
fire, and then they heard something rush, in the bushes, as though they
heard somebody walk. Then we went about three gun-shot from our fire, and
could not find a place to lie down on, for the innumerable rocks; so that
we were obliged to get small stones to fill up the hollow places in the
rocks, for our bed; but it was very uneasy; almost shirt and skin grew
together. They kept watch one after another all night.
14th.—In the morning, I asked them what made them afraid. They said, I
knew nothing; the _French_ had set a great price on my head; and they
knew there was gone out a great scout to lie in wait for me. We went over
great mountains and a very bad road.
15th.—We came to _Susquehanna_, and crossed it six times, and came to
_Catawaweshink_, where had been an old _Indian_ town.[64] In the evening
there came three _Indians_, and said they saw two _Indian_ tracks,
which came to the place where we slept, and turned back, as if to give
information of us to a party; so that we were sure they followed us.
16th and 17th.—We crossed the mountain.
18th.—Came to the _Big Island_, where having nothing to live on, we were
obliged to stay to hunt.
19th.—We met 20 warriors, who were returning from the inhabitants, with
five prisoners and one scalp; six of them were _Delawares_, the rest
_Mingoes_. We sat down all in one ring together. I informed them where I
had been, and what was done; they asked me to go back a little, and so I
did, and slept all night with them. I informed them of the particulars of
the peace proposed; they said, “If they had known so much before, they
would not have gone to war. Be strong; if you make a good peace, then we
will bring all the prisoners back again.” They killed two deer, and gave
me one.
20th.—We took leave of each other, and went on our journey, and arrived
the 22d at _fort Augusta_, in the afternoon, very weary and hungry; but
greatly rejoiced of our return from this tedious journey.
There is not a prouder, or more high minded people, in themselves, than
the Indians. They think themselves the wisest and prudentest men in the
world; and that they can over-power both the _French_ and _English_ when
they please. The white people are, in their eyes, nothing at all. They
say, that through their conjuring craft they can do what they please,
and nothing can withstand them. In their way of fighting they have this
method, to see that they first shoot the officers and commanders; and
then, they say, we shall be sure to have them. They also say, that if
their conjurers run through the middle of our people, no bullet can
hurt them. They say too, that when they have shot the commanders, the
soldiers will all be confused, and will not know what to do. They say of
themselves, that every one of them is like a king and captain, and fights
for himself. By this way they imagine they can overthrow any body of men,
that may come against them. They say, “The _English_ people are fools;
they hold their guns half man high, and then let them snap: we take
sight and have them at a shot, and so do the _French_; they do not only
shoot with a bullet, but big swan shot.” They say, the French load with
a bullet and six swan-shot. They further say, “We take care to have the
first shot at our enemies, and then they are half dead before they begin
to fight.”