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PAPERS RELATING TO THE SUSQUEHANNAH RIVER.
We have understood your propositions that we are no more Brothers but looked upon as Childrenof w ch we are gladd.
And what concerns the sending the prisoners back againe which the Cayouges and Oneydes haveno hand in taking them ; that concerns the Sinequas
What your Hono r hath said about the Indians that are at Canada we will do our utmost endeauo rto bring them from thence & do desire that y r Hono r would write a letter to them, w ch will havemore influence upon them then our bare words
Concerning the Indians going to Cadaracqua that doth not concern us but the Onondagos.
What yo r Hono r hath said of the Christian hunters & the traders that may come upon •‘the Susque-hahah River to hunt or trade w th out your passe ; that we should take their goods from them & bringtheir persons to Albany , we dare not meddle therewith; for a man whose goods is taken from himwill defend himself w ch may create trouble or warre, and therefor we deliver the seales to y r Hono ragaine. ***####
The Maquas stood up and said
We desire that y r Hono r will order that lande & a priest may be at Saraghtoge ; for they will bemost Maquas that return from Canada ; & for the reasons given your Hono 1 ' by the Cayouges &Oneydes we allso deliver your Hono r the Seals againe—upon that they gaue a presentThe Onondages stood up and said in Answer
Brother Corlear # # * # We are affraid the seals given
us put us in a new trouble ; therefore we deliver them to your Honour againe, that we may liuewholly in peace.
The Sinnequas said
We came first to Albany Although we liue the furthest off, and do find Corlear to be a good bro-ther to us, therefore did not delay.
I shall speak first of the Seales ; We know the ffrench by their Coats and the other Christians bytheir habitts & if we should take their goods from them, it would create trouble or warre & therefordeliver the same againe.
EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM G0V R DONGANTOM. DE DENONVILLE, DATED 31 OCTBr 1687.
[ Lond. Doc. VI. ]
Sir, I doe not take the King my Master’s right to the five nations on this side of the lake fromMons r de la Barr, but from our records which demonstrates that these five nations has been in a freeand brotherly correspondence from the first Settlement of this towne,and further they have submittedthemselves, there country and conquests to the Dutch in their time and to the Kinge of Englandsince this Colonie came under His Majes ties obedience, so that the King haveing given a Pattent toM r W m Penn of a tract of land in which there conquest land uppon the Susquehana River wasincluded in the grant, Since all this they came to me in the presents of the Lord Effingham nowGov r of Virginia presentinge two dorst [dressed?] Deerskins desiringe me to send them to the Kingethat a red broad seale might be affixed to them, that, that part of Susquehanna river might be annexedto this Collony haveing some of their friends livinge there.