more desire such of our brethren, the Six Nations, as may be amongst them to come away also, and listen to their own Chiefs as they have been often desired. We are sorry to think that the Shawanese want to destroy themselves, and be no longer a people; for if they attempt to kill any of us, for what has happened owing to bad young men, our warriors will fall upon them, and they must expect nothing but chastisement; therefore, I must desire you my brothers to remove yourselves from those bad people, that we may know our friends. They say that the traders among them shall return safe. [ hope they speak true, as that may be a great means to prevent mischief. (A belt.)

"BRETHREN: We clearly see that the road between you and us is open if it were not for bad people, but we hope that will not prevent our intercourse with you as usual. We thank you for the mark of your friendship in bringing in our people, the traders, safe to us; and we promise when matters are better settled, they shall trade with you as formerly." (A string.)

Captain White Eyes then Replied:

"BRETHREN: We are very glad to hear what you have now said, and we find that you would willingly preserve the peace. We shall inform all the Nations in friendship with us of what has passed between us at this time, and in one month will be able to complete this design, and then we shall be able to distinguish those who are inclined to listen to our wise people and preserve the peace from those that choose to speak by their warriors; this will afford time for those who are inclined to remove themselves to their Chiefs, and give an opportunity to the warriors to speak to one another."

June 1. A party of Moravian Indians came in, with one of the missionaries residing amongst them and his family, with a quantity of peltry belonging to our traders.

Those Indians say that they were informed on their way hither, that a principal man of the Delawares, who had gone to the lower Shawanese Town after White Eyes' messages were delivered to the Shawanese, in order to hear news, has returned, and brought an account that the traders there were still alive, and that the Shawanese Chiefs there had spoke boldly in defence of them to the Mingoes, who were the only people constantly attempting to put them to death; but that the Shawanese had told the Mingoes that they had brought the traders amongst them, and were determined to protect them in their bosoms until they could return them safe home; and that if the Mingoes could not be satisfied without taking revenge upon the white people for the loss they had sustained, that they must look for it a greater distance than in their towns upon the people whom they had pledged their faith to preserve. Those Indians further say, that the chief disturbances amongst them appears to be only at a small village upon Muskingum, called Waketummakie, composed mostly of the friends of the people who have been killed. And that the Mingoes, as the greatest sufferers, are most enraged; however, that the party collected to strike the Virginians were not gone a few days ago, and that if they could not be prevented from their rash undertaking, that the Newcomer, Chief of the Delawares, was determined to send runners to apprise us of them, as they attempted to proceed to war.

June 5. Two messengers, from the Newcomer, arrived with an account that five days ago, one Conner, a white man, who lives at the Snake's Town upon Muskingum, had returned home from the place the traders were making their canoes, and informed them that the traders were all safe, to the number of twenty-seven or thirty, and that the Shawanese had taken great pains in protecting them, and was about sending them off with their peltry, with some of their young men, and some Delawares, to protect them upon their way up to Pittsburgh.

These messengers further say, that all the towns as well as the Shawanese are now quiet, and that their Chiefs have been able to prevail over their rash and foolish young men who wanted to take revenge on the white people for their loss, except two small parties consisting of thirteen men in the whole, who were friends of the Indians that suffered and could not be restrained, though their Chiefs did every thing in their power to prevent them from the bad undertaking; that they hoped their brethren the English would not blame them, or think that they countenanced any evil that might be committed by these rash men, who have stole away from them to do mischief contrary to their Chiefs' advice, and are chiefly all Mingoes who have had the most relations killed; that one party has been out eleven days, and was to return in fifteen, and intended against that part of the river where their friends were put to death, or somewhere else below that, upon Virginia. The above party having declared that as soon as they have taken revenge for their people, and returned home, that they would then sit down and listen to their Chiefs.

The above messengers also say that the day they left home a runner came in there from five Cherokees that were to be in the day following upon business, and that the Delawares would inform us of it as soon as it was known. And they also say that they heard that one of the before mentioned parties who had gone to take revenge upon the white people were returned, and had killed one man.

They then produced some belts of wampum, which had been delivered to them by Sir William Johnson, several years ago, desiring them to collect themselves together, and sit in the centre between their brethren the white, people, Six Nations, and Western Indians, where they were required to hold fast by the middle of the chain of friendship, and that they were thereby empowered to speak strongly to any Nation who might attempt to disturb it.

Answer:

"BRETHREN: We return you thanks for the trouble you have taken to bring us the news we have now heard from you, and we esteem it as a proof of your sincerity and good inclination to preserve the peace of the country, as well as those belts you have laid before us, convinces us that you still bear in remembrance the former friendship that has been contracted with you. Be strong brethren in doing what you have been desired upon them; you have now an opportunity of exerting your good intentions that way, by speaking to those foolish people, who have not listened to the accommodation our wise people were endeavouring to make of the late unhappy disturbances, for you must be convinced that every mischief that may be committed at this time, is widening the breach, and of consequence involving us on both sides in greater difficulties. Therefore we have nothing more to say to you at present, than to recommend to you to follow the advice that has been sent to you by Captain White Eyes, which was to abstract yourselves from bad people who may be obstinate in pursuing their own destruction."

Answer to the Speech of the Indians of the Six Nations and Delawares, dated Pittsburgh, May 7, 1774.

"BROTHERS: I have been informed of the misfortunes that have lately happened in the neighbourhood of Pittsburgh, and have received your speech on the occasion; and I lament no less those that have befallen my brothers, the Indians, than those that have happened to my fellow-subjects, the English.

From the accounts I have received however, the Indians have been the aggressors, and thereby the occasion of the fatal consequences which have ensued. But as you my brethren say, that you always on your parts have made it your constant study to promote the peace subsisting between you and us, and still continue to preserve that chain of friendship, so I take this opportunity of assuring you that your brethren, the Virginians, do cordially love you, and hope always to live in peace, amity, and good correspondence with you. And to that end, if you can point out the offenders against our peace, we will on our parts omit nothing in our power to overtake the transgressors on our side with the punishment due to such crimes.

I rejoice at the information you give me of the good disposition of the Indians of the Lower Towns, and you may assure them that their complaints when they reach us shall be attended to with that candour and justice to which they submit them, and which is due to them.

DUNMORE."

Williamsburg, May 29, 1774.

June 9. A Message sent with Lord Dunmore's Speech to the Six Nations and Delawares.