PAPERS RELATING TO OSWEGO.

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flag. This proposition surprised me ; my people would persuade me to do so. I therefore suddenlystood up and said to them—Ye know such is not the intention of your Father Onontio whose mes-sage I carry. A young fool in the canoe of those of the Lake said to me aloud, that he would fireand salute the fort. I replied to him, Indian fashion, that he lied and that I should not suffer it,being unwilling either to witness or be accomplice to such a folly ; that I was surprized he had sosoon forgotten the words of his father Onontio wnose intentions I had communicated to him duringour voyage ; that I had no manner of business with him who was Commandant of the house atChoueguen.

They returned to said fort and reported to me that the Commandant insisted on what they hadfirst communicated to me. I asked them whose was the land over which I wished to pass 1 Thisquestion caused them to droop their heads and they remained in pensive silence. It was not untilI told them that I wanted a decisive and substantial answer, that they replied—The ground overwhich I wished to walk was theirs. I then said to them, since it was their property I, as a child oftheir father Onontio and bearer of his message to them, wished a clear road and that all the branchesoverhanging the river, be cut away so that my flag might pass without being obliged to remove itfrom where their Father Onontio had placed it; and that I should not fire a salute until others hadsaluted me. Willingly or unwillingly they approved amhwe proceeded. ,

When I arrived opposite the house of Chouguen we found, at the Mouth of the river a canoe withpeople of the Sault who were returning from war. This obliged us to land to give our folks an op-portunity to learn the news and to cause the Prisoners to dance, as is the custom among the tribes.Diming this interval the Commandant of Choueguen sent for six of the principal Chiefs includingme. My Chiefs invited me to follow them. I answered that I had no business at that house; theywere masters to go since they wished it; I should keep my tent with the young men. Tegarioguenwished to remain with me; I persuaded him to accompany the others, so that I may learn from himwhat transpired. He is, moreover, a man on whom I have great reliance. They, therefore, set outfor the fort. In the interval of their visit three cannon were fired the meaning of which I did notunderstand. On their return I learned that it was to honor the Toasts. They began by—The Kingof England; The Commandant of the Fort, and The General of the French of Canada . These arethe terms they made use of. Here is what was said to them by the Commandant of the Fort .

Brothers, I never failed to assist the people of your Nation and you in particular when you passby my house and come to see me. I will always act so towards you. I invite you to peace andtranquillity between you and us.

He gave them three pots of Rum , a large piece of Pork and a bushel of peas which they broughtto the Camp. I found them in a state of great Drunkenness, except Tegarioguen. He assured thatthe Choueguen Sachem had been charmed to see them and that he gave them milk to drink to theirBrother’s health. But the excitement they were in led them, notwithstanding all the entreaties Icould make, to finish what liquor they brought. This delayed me three days before the Fort , theybeing drunk so that I was unable to do any thing. I was not free from uneasiness having only Te-garioguen for support, if I were insulted.

When the Chiefs of the Lake of the Two Mountains and of Sault St. Louis returned to my tent,the Nontague Chiefs came to summon me, on the part of the Commandant of the Fort , to strike myflag which I bad hoisted over my Tent, inasmuch as I was under the guns of the Fort . I alwaysanswered Indian fashion; I knew no flag but that of their Father Onontio which I carried, and itshould not be lowered until I was tied. Contrary to the custom of lowering it at sundown, it re-mained flying night and day the whole of the time I was constrained to remain at that post.

On the day of our departure it was again the same tune. I must absolutely fire first and strikemy flag. This I would not do; therefore no salute on the one side nor the other, and we set out to