THE Chiefs of the Six Nations having been expected at Phi­ladelphia these four Years past, to confirm the Treaty made with some of them, who came down in the Year 1732, Conrad Wyser our Interpreter, about the Beginning of this Month, advised from Tulpyhokin, that he had certain Intel­ligence from some Indians sent before him, that there was a large Number of those People with their Chiefs, arrived at Shamokin on Sasquehannah; upon which he was directed to repair thither to attend them, and supply them with Necessaries in their Journey hither.

On the Twenty-seventh of this Month, about a Hundred or more of them came with Conrad to the President's House, at Stenton, being near the Road, where suitable Entertainment was provided for them; and the next Day the Honourable the Proprietor, and some of the Council, with other Gen­tlemen coming thither from Philadelphia; after Dinner

A Council was held at Stenton, September 28. 1736.

PRESENT,

• The Honourable THOMAS PENN, Esq Proprietary.
• JAMES LOGAN, Esq President.
• Samuel Preston, Esqr
• Clement Plumsted, Esqr
• Ralph Assheton, Esqr
• Thomas Griffitts, Esqr

And the following Indian Chiefs, to wit.

• Kanickhungo, Speaker.
• Togachshaholoo,
• Sagoyatundachquai,
• Askotax,
• Hetaquantegechty, Speaker.

• Kahiskerowane (Brother to their former great Chief Conossoorah at Albany)
• Tagunhuntee,
• Kaxhaayn,
• Kuchdachary,
• Saweegatee-o.

• [Page 4]Saguchsauyunt,
• Sunaretchy,
• Kanawatoe,
• Teeouchtseegherochgoo.

• Saristagod,
• Takashwangarorasor
• Shekallamy.

• Sawnutaga,
• Tyeroi.

Of the CANYINGOES or MOHOCKS none came.

By the Interpreter's Advice, they were first spoke to in their own Way, with three small Strings of Wampum in Hand, one of which was delivered on each of the following Articles.

Our Friends and Brethren,

I. You are come a great way, and have doubtless suffered many Hardships in so long a Journey; but now you are with your Brethren and true Friends, who have long been in Friendship and Alliance with your Nations; you must therefore put a­way all Grief and Uneasiness, and brighten your Eyes, that we may see and be chearful with each other.

II. We desire that as we are now met as Brethren and Friends, you will open your Hearts, as we shall open our Hearts, that we may speak with Freedom and Openness to each other.

III. You are come to us as your true Friends, we receive you with Gladness, you shall shelter yourselves under our Covering, and be entertained by us as ourselves, for you are our Brethren.

The Indians hereupon expressed their Satisfaction with Sounds peculiar to themselves on such Occasions; and then their Speaker with three like Strings in his Hand, repeated all those three several Articles more at large, returning their Thanks for each, delivering a String as each Article was spoke to, and giving Assurances of their Freedom and Openness, and desi­ring that we would use the same; but on the 3d they said, They could not re­ceive and treat us as we did them, they are now with us, they give themselves up to us, and depend on our Protection.

Then with five more very short Strings in his Hand, the Speaker pro­ceeded to say on the first, That they had received on the Road a Message from as delivered by Conrad Wyser, welcoming them into the Country. On the 2d, That they had at the same time received from us an Account of our late Gover­nor's Death, but that this would not occasion any Alteration, because W. PENN'S own Son is here, and also James Logan, with the Council. On the 3d They returned their Thanks, and with the other two confirm'd the whole.

They said, They were now come, after a full Consultation with all their Chiefs at their great Fire or Place of Counsel, to return an Answer to the Treaty, that some of them had held with us four Years since, at Philadelphia: That they intended to stay with their Friend James Logan two Nights to rest themselves, and then proceed to the Fire kept for them at Philadelphia; where after two Nights more, they would at that Fire give their full Answer.

They were told, We were willing to keep them here in the Country the longer, because many People in Philadelphia had been sickly, and now the Small Pox are there, a Disease that has often proved fatal to the Indians; that it would be a [Page 5] great Trouble to us to see any of them taken with that Distemper, after they had travelled so far to visit us; for we are very desirous they should all return safe, and as healthy as they came to us: That it is proper they should give their Answer at Philadelphia, in the same publick Manner we had last treated with them; but it is adviseable they should spend no more of their time in the Town, than will be ab­solutely necessary, for many Inconveniences may attend it.

They appeared concerned at this, thanked us, and said they would go to­gether by themselves to advise on it.

The Gentlemen of the Council having gone home last night to Philadel­phia, and only the Proprietor staying, Mr Preston with some others came a­gain to day; and the Indian Chiefs after they had consulted this Morning a­mongst themselves, meeting the Proprietor, &c. in Council, said,

That they were much obliged to us for the Care we took of them; we shewed by it our true Friendship for them. That as they are now with us, they put themselves wholly under our Direction, and tho' Philadelphia is the Place where their Fire is kept for them, yet it may upon Occasion be brought out hither; and they are free either to proceed to Philadelphia to treat at the Fire there, or to stay here, as we shall think fit to order it.

They were told, As the last Treaty with them was held in Publick at Phila­delphia, it would be necessary they should there give their Answer; That we were not wholly against their going to Town, but thought ourselves obliged to acquaint them with the Danger; yet that this is not at present so great that it should wholly prevent their going. The Distemper is as yet but young and just begun in the Place; that it is only in the Heart or near the Middle of the Town; that they will be accommodated at the Edge or Out-Skirts of the Town, where if they take Care, they may for a few Days be in but very little or no Danger.

They then resolved to set out for Philadelphia the next Day; and accord­ingly having been entertained at Stenton three Nights, they went to Town on the last of September; and having rested the first of October, on the second Day they met as follows.

PRESENT,

• The Honourable THOMASPENN, Esq Proprietary,
• JAMES LOGAN, Esq President.
• Samuel Preston, Esqr
• Anthony Palmer, Esqr
• Clement Plumsted, Esqr
• Thomas Lawrence, Esqr
• Ralph Assheton, Esqrs
• Thomas Griffitts, Esqr
• Charles Read. Esqr

[Page 6] Present also The MAYOR and Recorder of the City, With divers Gentlemen, and a very large Audience that filled the House and its Galleries.

The Indian Chiefs being come and seated,

The President, before proceeding to hear them, thought proper to inform the Audience, that in August 1732, a great Treaty having been held in this Place with several Chiefs of the Six Nations, they had made report thereof on their Return to their Great Council, where the several Proposi­tions that had been made to them on the Part of this Government, had been fully considered; and that these Chiefs now present, of whom there never at any time before had been so great a Number met in this Province, were now come to return their Answer.

The Indians being made acquainted with what the President had said, were told, that we were ready to hear them.

Whereupon Kanickhungo their Speaker, addressing himself to their Bro­ther ONAS (which signifies PENN) to their Brother JAMES LO­GAN, and the Gentlemen of the Council, spoke as follows by Conrad Wy­ser the Interpreter;

BRETHREN,

Hereupon be laid down a large Belt of white Wampum of eleven Rows, with four black St. George's Crosses in it; and proceeding, said

BRETHREN,

Hereupon he presented a Bundle of Skins in the Hair, and went on;

[Page 7] BRETHREN,

Here he laid down a large Beaver Coat.

The Proprietor gave them Thanks in Behalf of this Government for what they had spoke touching these three important Articles of the Fire, Road and Chain of Friendship, and told them their Discourse thereon was very satisfactory.

The Speaker proceeded and said;

BRETHREN,

They were told, That it was very agreeable to us to know that they took such effectual Care in this Point.

Then proceeding he said;

BRETHREN,

The Speaker said,

Here he laid down two small Bundles of Skins.

They were told, That the Proprietor, President and Council thank'd them very kindly in Behalf of this Government, for all they had now said; that they had returned full and distinct Answers to all the Chief Articles or Propositions made at the last great Treaty in 1732, they had spoke to each of them like honest Men and true Brethren; and as they had consulted together before they delivered their Answer, so now the Council would meet and consider together of all that had passed at present.

Which being interpreted to them, they expressed their Satisfaction by a Sound peculiar to them, in which they all joined, and then withdrew.

PRESENT,

• The Honourable JAMES LOGAN, Esq President.
• Anthony Palmer, Esqr
• Clement Plumsted, Esqr
• Thomas Lawrence, Esqr
• Ralph Assheton, Esqr
• Thomas Griffitts, Esqr
• Charles Read. Esqr

[Page 9] The President representing to the Board the Necessity of dispatching the Indians of the Six Nations, who being very numerous remain here at a great Charge, proposed that the Consideration of the Value of the Present to be given them, should be now proceeded upon; and accordingly the Board enter­ing upon the same, and observing that for these many Years there has not been so great an Appearance here of Chiefs of these Nations as at this time, and that they have returned very full and distinct Answers to every Article of the Treaty with them in 1732, are of Opinion, that proper Goods for them to the Value of about Two Hundred Pounds, should be pro­vided and given them; and that to Conrad Weyser, the Interpreter, who is extremly useful on all such Occasions, and on the present one has been very serviceable, there be given Twenty Pounds.

PRESENT,

• The Honourable JAMES LOGAN, Esq President.
• Samuel Preston, Esqr
• Clement Plumsted, Esqr
• Thomas Lawrence, Esqrs
• Samuel Hasell, Esqrs
• Thomas Griffitts, Esqrs
• Charles Read. Esqr

The President informed the Board, that agreeable to the Minute of the 4th, Care had been taken to provide Goods for the Indians: But next Day, after Council, consulting with Conrad Weyser, the Interpreter, he had advised that the Delivery of the Present should be delayed till the Indians had finished with the Proprietary, with whom they were then to treat about the Purchase of Lands; that most of last Week being spent there­in, the Indians had Yesterday ended with the Proprietary, having signed Releases to him for all the Lands lying between the Mouth of Sasquehannah, and Kekachtaninius Hills, and that it now remained to conclude on the Quantity and Quality of the several Goods to be given them; and on the Substance of what should be proper to be spoke to them; The Board are of Opinion, that considering the large Quantity of Goods which they have had from the Proprietor on the Purchase, it may not at this time be ne­cessary to give them, in Behalf of this Government, so great a Present as the Value ordered by the aforesaid Minute; but that it may very well be considerably reduced; and accordingly, it is Ordered, that it be reduced to between Sixty and Seventy Pounds.

The President likewise acquainting the Board, that the Indians, at a Meeting with the Proprietor and him, had taken Notice that Conrad Wey­ser, and Shekallamy, were by the Treaty of 1732, appointed as fit and pro­per Persons to go between the Six Nations, and this Government, and to be employed in all Transactions with one another, whose Bodies the Indians said were to be equally divided between them and us, we to have one half, and they the other; that they had found Conrad faithful and honest, that he is a true good Man, and had spoke their Words, and our Words, and not his own; and the Indians having presented him with a drest Skin to make him Shoes, and two Deer Skins, to keep him warm, they said, as they had thus taken Care of our Friend, they must recommend their's (Shekallamy) to our Notice; and the Board judging it necessary that a parti­cular [Page 10]Notice should be taken of him, acccordingly, it is, Ordered, That Six Pounds be laid out for him in such things as he may most want.

It was then recommended to the President, and he undertook, to pre­pare a Draught of what might be proper to be said to these Indians at giving the Present from this Government, and to lay the same before the Board to morrow Morning, at Ten a Clock, to which time the Council adjourned.

PRESENT,

• The Honourable THOMAS PENN, Esq Proprietary,
• JAMES LOGAN, Esq President.
• Samuel Preston, Esqr
• Clement Plumsted, Esqr
• Thomas Lawrence, Esqr
• Ralph Assheton, Esqr
• Samuel Hasell, Esqr
• Thomas Griffitts. Esqr

The President laid before the Board a draught of a concluding Speech to the Indians, which being read and approved, they were sent for, who being come and seated, the said Speech was delivered to them by the Inter­preter as follows.

OUR BRETHREN,

• One Hundred Pounds of Powder,
• One Hundred & Fifty Pounds of Lead,
• Twelve Strowd Matchcoats,
• Twelve Kettles,
• Twelve Blankets,
• Twelve Duffels,
• Twenty five Hatchets,
• One Hundred Knives,
• Thirty one Yards and ¼ of half Thicks,
• Two Hundred Flints,
• One dozen Looking-Glasses,
• Three dozen Scissars.
• With some Tobacco, Pipes, Rum, and Sugar.

The Council rising, and the President with the Proprietor staying, the In­dians entered into further Discourse, and said, They had received a Message with some Wampum from the Governor of Maryland, informing them, he had received a Letter from the King of England, ordering him to see that they should not be wronged of their Lands; that he had understood this Government had wronged them, and if they would send some of their People to him, he would take care they should be righted, he would write to the great King, who would give such Orders as that they should have Justice done them. Being asked how they received that Message, they said, the Man who brought it was here now with them, they had the Wampum and would shew it to us; and they earnestly pressed that we would write to the Governors of Maryland and Virginia to make them Satisfaction for the Lands belonging to them (the Indians) which the People of those Governments were possessed of, that had never been purchased of them; that all the Lands on Sasquehannah and at Chanandowa were theirs, and they must be satisfied for them; that they had agreed with us for the Lands they now re­leased to us, but they had never received any thing from the other Governments to the Southward, for theirs.

They were told, That on their receiving the Present to morrow, they should be answered on these Heads; and after being entertained by the Pro­prietor, they withdrew.

The Honourable the Proprietor, the President, with some of the Council met this Forenoon, and the Indian Chiefs being come and seated.

Their Speaker, having some Parcels of Skins laid before him, rose; and by the Interpreter said;

[Page 13] That they were now to speak to the Proprietor and our People for the last time this Visit; that we had spoke to them last night, and recapitulated the Heads of all that had been agreed between them and us, as the Fire, the Path, the Chain; that we are now become one People; with every other Article that had been mentioned between us: This they will remember on their Parts through all Generations, and they desire that we may remember the same as long as the Earth endures.

That having now brightened the Chain, and confirmed all the Articles necessary for establishing perfect Friendship between them and us, and being thus become one People, they must desire that we would be more reasonable in the Sale of our Goods, which are much dearer (they say) from our Traders than from those of New-York; that the Powder sold by the Traders of New-York, is generally found to be mixed with black Dust, so that the Bullet falls often short of the Mark thro' the Badness of the Powder; that if we would sell cheap, we might thereby draw a great Trade to this Province, far beyond that of any others, which would be to our Advantage.

And hereupon he laid down a Bundle of Skins, and said,

That amongst them there is never any Victuals sold, the Indians give to each o­ther freely what they can spare; but if they come amongst our People, they can have none without paying; they admire we should take Money on this Score.

That having now finished, and preparing to return home, as several of them are old Men, they request that we would help them on their Journey, by assisting them with Horses and some Carriages for their Goods; that as we have many Hor­ses and Carriages, they desire we would spare them some for their Use, who are our Brethren.

And hereupon he laid down two Bundles of Skins;

Then proceeding, he said,

That they must desire us to write to the Governors of Virginia and Maryland, who are possessed of their Lands, without ever considering the Indians for them, and request that we would take the Answers of those Governors, which next Spring some of their Nations will come to receive at the Fire kept for them in this Place; That they intend to apply to the great King on the other Side of the Wa­ter, and let him know what they expect on this Head from his People.

That if Civility at Conestogoe, should attempt to make a Sale of any Lands to us or any of our Neighbours, they must let us know, that he both no Power to do so; and if he does any thing of the kind, they the Indians will utterly disown him.

That last night we told them the Woods were very dark, and that it was impos­sible to prevent Rum being carried to Allegheny; that if the Case be thus, we had better hinder any Persons from going thither at all, and confine our Traders to the River Sasquehannah and its Branches; for as several Indian Warriours pass by Allegheny, where so much Rum is constantly to be had, they cannot but be ve­ry apprehensive that some Mischief may happen; this Consideration often troubles them.

In Answer to all which, the Indians were thus told by the Interpreter.

The Indians appearing satisfied with what had been spoke to them, said they had nothing further to offer. The Present was then delivered to them, which they received with great Thankfulness, those of each Nation alter­nately by themselves, and then all of them together, joining in their usual solemn Sound, when they express their Satisfaction. Having afterwards drank a friendly Glass, and taking Leave of the Proprietor, President and Court they departed; and thus the Treaty ended.