The Treaty Held with the Indians of the Six Nations at Philadelphia, in July 1742 | Page 9

call for them.'
* * * * *
At a COUNCIL held in the Meeting-House, July 7. 1742.
PRESENT,
The Hon'ble GEORGE THOMAS, Esq; Lieut. Governor.
James Logan, Samuel Preston, } Thomas Lawrence, Samuel Hasell, } Esqrs; Abraham Taylor, Robert Strettell, }
CANASSATEEGO'S Speech on Behalf of the Six Nations.
'BRETHREN, the Governor and Council, and all present,
According to our Promise we now propose to return you an Answer to the several Things mentioned to us Yesterday, and shall beg Leave to speak to publick Affairs first, tho' they were what you spoke to last. On this Head you Yesterday put us in Mind, first, Of William Penn's early and constant Care to cultivate Friendship with all the Indians; of the Treaty we held with one of his Sons, about Ten Years ago; and of the Necessity there is at this Time of keeping the Roads between us clear and free from all Obstructions. We are all very sensible of the kind Regard that good Man William Penn had for all the Indians, and cannot but be pleased to find that his Children have the same. We well remember the Treaty you mention held with his Son on his Arrival here, by which we confirmed our League of Friendship that is to last as long as the Sun and Moon endure: In Consequence of this, We, on our Part, shall preserve the Road free from all Incumbrances: in Confirmation whereof, we lay down this String of Wampum.
'You in the next Place said, You would inlarge the Fire and make it burn brighter, which we are pleased to hear you mention; and assure you, we shall do the same, by adding to it more Fewel, that it may still flame out more strongly than ever: In the last Place, you were pleased to say, that we are bound, by the strictest Leagues, to watch for each others Preservation; that we should hear with our Ears for you, and you hear with your Ears for us: This is equally agreeable to us; and we shall not fail to give you early Intelligence whenever any Thing of Consequence comes to our Knowledge: And to encourage you to do the same, and to nourish in your Hearts what you have spoke to us with your Tongues, about the Renewal of our Amity and the Brightening of the Chain of Friendship; we confirm what we have said with another Belt of Wampum.'
'BRETHREN,
We received [Transcriber's Note: original has "rececived"] from the Proprietor's, yesterday, some Goods in Consideration of our Release of the Lands on the West-Side of Susquehanna: It is true we have the full Quantity according to Agreement; but if the Proprietor had been here himself, we think, in Regard of our Numbers and Poverty, he would have made an Addition to them.--If the Goods were only to be divided amongst the Indians present, a single Person would have but a small Portion; but if you consider what Numbers are left behind, equally intituled with us to a Share, there will be extreamly little. We therefore desire, if you have the Keys of the Proprietor's Chest, you will open it, and take out a little more for us.
'We know our Lands are now become more valuable: The white People think we do not know their Value; but we are sensible that the Land is everlasting, and the few Goods we receive for it are soon worn out and gone. For the Future we will sell no Lands but when Brother ONAS is in the Country; and we will know beforehand the Quantity of the Goods we are to receive. Besides, we are not well used with Respect to the Lands still unsold by us. Your People daily settle on these Lands, and spoil our Hunting.--We must insist on your Removing them, as you know they have no Right to settle to the Northward of Kittochtinny-Hills.--In particular, we renew our Complaints against some People who are settled at Juniata, a Branch of Susquehanna, and all along the Banks of that River, as far as Mahaniay; and desire they may be forthwith made to go off the Land; for they do great Damage to our Cousins the Delawares.
'We have further to observe, with Respect to the Lands lying on the West Side of Susquehanna, that tho' Brother ONAS (meaning the Proprietor) has paid us for what his People possess, yet some Parts of that Country have been taken up by Persons whose Place of Residence is to the South of this Province, from whom we have never received any Consideration. This Affair was recommended to you by our Chiefs at our last Treaty; and you then, at our earnest Desire, promised to write a Letter to that Person who has the Authority over those People, and to procure us his Answer: As we have