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PAPERS RELATING TO THE SUSliUEHANNAH RIVER.

keep it. These things makes us constantly uneasie in our minds, and we desire you will take carethat we may keep our land for ourselves.

At a Meeting between Governour Denny George Croghan Esq r Sir William Johnson’s Deputy, andsundrey Six Nations and other Indians held at Lancaster in May 1757, a coppy of the proceedings ofwhich lays before the Board of Trade. There is a speech of the Six Nations bearing date Thursday19 th May from the whole letter and speech of which it appears that the Six Nations have been, andare very far from that satisfaction of mind, with the conduct of the Province of Pensilvania whichthe Proprietors boast of and found their challenge upon.

The Proprietors are further pleased to add to their challenge this assertion, that the Six Nationswill readily acknowledge the truth of it in any free conference.

As the truth of this assertion can depend only upon a Contingent event, Sir William Johnson begsleave to be of a very different opinion, and from a variety of circumstances is well perswaded theSix Nations never will be reconciled to the conduct of the Proprietors, their Deputies and Agentsunless the deed of the Albany purchase be surrendered and the claims founded thereupon in a greatmeasure given up.

The Proprietors say they cannot conceive that the last purchase made of land to the Westward ofSusquehanna could possibly be the Cause of the hostilities committed by the Indians living on thatItiver &c a .

Sir William Johnson gave it as his opinion that the hostilities which Pensilvania had suffered fromsome of the Indians living on the Susquehanna did in some measure arise from the large purchasemade by the Governour two years ago.

This is the point to be proved and more then this it is apprehended will be proved by the follow-ing Quotations from authentick Records & Papers.

“Before the year 1742 the Delaware Indians complained that they were defrauded out of somelands or not paid for them.

“It is well known that the purchase made at Albany in 1754 gave a great uneasiness to the Sus-quehana Indians and from the time the County Surveyor began to survey Juniatta, and up theSusquehana: The Delewars, Shawanese and Nanticokes then settled on the River began to removefarther back, some to Tirjahoga some to Ohio .

“ The Ohio Indians at a Meeting with M r Wiser (the Pensilvania Interpreter) at Aughwick, afterthe defeat of Col 0 Washington asked M r Wiser how those Lands came to be sold. He said in answerthat the Six Nations had only made over their right of sale, and taken an earnest piece, and thatwhen the lands came to be settled, that they should receive a consideration for them. At the sametime John Schecelany, a Deleware Indian, burned some houses that were built on Penns creek (be-low Shamokin on the West side) and said there should be no plantations made on their huntinggrounds, and all the Indians at Shamokin seemed very uneasie, and indeed obliged the Surveyor tocome away, and quit surveying.”

In the Spring of 1756. Governour Morris sent several messages with Belts and strings of Wampum by an Onondaga Indian to the Five Nations , amongst which is the following just and remarkableConfession.

“ That he found by woful experience that making purchases of Lands was the cause of much bloodhaving been shed, he was determined therefore to buy no more.”

As a Confirmation of Sir William Johnsons said opinion he refers himself to the following extractfrom Margaret Williams deposition who was a prisoner amongst the Delaware Indians, sworn beforehim the 8 th day of September 1756.

“ The said Margaret says she often heard the Indians say and declare most solemnly they neverwould leave off killing the English as long as there was an Englishman living on their lands that they