As it was necessary to conciliate them, more goods were given and justice promised. On the other hand, the English complaining of the Delawares having sold some land without authority from the Six Nations, on whom they were dependent, Canassateego pronounced a very severe reprimand to the Delawares, and ordered them to do so no more. At the conference of 1744, the Indians gave one of those shrewd turns for their own advantage to the boastings of the whites, which shew the peculiar humour that existed in the midst of their educational gravity. The governor of Maryland vaunting of a great sea-fight in which the English had beaten the French; Canassateego immediately observed: “In that great fight you must have taken a great quantity of rum, the Indians will therefore thank you for a glass.” It was handed round to them in _very small_ glasses, called by the governor _French glasses_. The Indians drank it, and at the breaking up of the council that day, Canassateego said, “Having had the pleasure of drinking a _French glass_ of the great quantity of rum taken, the Indians would now, before separating be glad to drink an English glass, to make us rejoice with you in the victory.” It was impossible to waive so ingenious a demand, and a _large glass_, to indicate the superiority of English liberality, was now handed round. In this conference, the Indians again complained of the daily encroachments upon them, and of the inadequate price given for the lands they sold. The Governor of Maryland boldly told them that the land was in fact acquired by the English by conquest, and that they had besides a claim of possession of 100 years. To this injudicious speech the Indians replied with indignation, “What is one hundred years in comparison of the time since _our claim_ began?—since we came out of this ground? For we must tell you that long before one hundred years _our ancestors came out of this very ground_, and their children have remained here ever since. _You_ came out of the ground in a country that lies beyond the seas; _there_ you may have a just claim; but _here_ you must allow us to be your elder brethren, and the lands to belong to us long before you knew anything of them.” They then reminded them of the manner in which they had received them into the country. In figurative language they observed, “When the Dutch came here, above a hundred years ago, we were so well pleased with them that we tied their ship to the bushes on the shore; and afterwards liking them better the longer they stayed with us, and thinking the bushes too slender, we removed the rope and tied it to the trees; and as the trees were liable to be blown down, or to decay of themselves, we, from the affection that we bore them, again removed the rope, and tied it to a strong and high rock (here the interpreter said they mean the Oneido country); and not content with this, for its further security, we removed the rope