"Friends! Often has the father been obliged to settle, and make amends for the wrongs and mischiefs done to us, by his refractory children, yet these do not grow better! No! they remain the same, and will continue to be so, as long as we have any land left us! Look back at the murders committed by the Long-Knives on many of our relations, who lived peaceable neighbors to them on the Ohio! Did they not kill them without the least provocation?--Are they, do you think, better now than they were then?--No, indeed not; and many days are not elapsed since you had a number of these very men at your doors, who panted to kill you, but fortunately were prevented from so doing by the _Great Sun,_ [FN] who, at that time, had been ordained by the Great Spirit to protect you!" * * * * * [FN] The name the Indians had given to Col. Daniel Broadhead. "Friends and relatives!--Now listen to me, and hear what I have to say to you.--I am myself come to bid you rise and go with me to a secure place! Do not, my friends, covet the land you now hold under cultivation. I will conduct you to a country [FN] equally good, where your fields shall yield you abundant crops, and where your cattle shall find sufficient pasture; where there is plenty of game; where your women and children, together with yourselves, will live in peace and safety; where no Long Knife shall ever molest you!--Nay! I will live between you and them, and not even suffer them to frighten you!--There, you can worship your God without fear!--Here, where you are, you cannot do this!--Think on what I have now said to you, and believe, that if you stay where you now are, one day or another the Long-Knives will, in their usual way, speak fine words to you, and at the same time murder you!" * * * * * [FN] The Miami country. To this speech the Brethren replied by civilly declining the proposition of the Orator; and he then offered a new one,--that they should permit all who wished to leave them, to do so. Thus the matter was settled. Buckongahelas then proceeded to another village of the Christian Delawares, Salem, before entering which place he cautioned his warriors to leave their arms behind them, "lest the women and children should be frightened." "And destroy nothing," he added, "which belongs to our friends; no, not even one of their _chickens._" The conference which ensued with the Salem authorities is thus stated by Mr. Heckewelder, who was present.