About noon two public messengers arrived from the _Indians_ at fort _Duquesne_ and the other towns. They brought three large belts and two bundles of strings;[33] there came with them a _French_ captain, and fifteen men. The two messengers insisted that I should go with them to fort _Duquesne_; that there were _Indians_ of eight nations, who wanted to hear me; that if I brought good news, they inclined to leave off war, and live in friendship with the _English_. The above messengers being _Indian_ captains, were very surly. When I went to shake hands with one of them, he gave me his little finger; the other withdrew his hand entirely; upon which I appeared as stout as either, and withdrew my hand as quick as I could. Their rudeness to me was taken very ill by the other captains, who treated them in the same manner in their turn. I told them my order was to go to the _Indian_ towns, kings and captains, and not to the _French_; that the _English_ were at war with the French, but not with those _Indians_, who withdrew from the _French_, and would be at peace with the _English_. King Beaver invited me to his house to dinner, and afterwards he invited the _French_ captain, and said before the _Frenchman_, that the _Indians_ were very proud to see one of their brothers, the _English_, among them; at which the _French_ captain appeared low spirited, and seemed to eat his dinner with very little appetite. In the afternoon the _Indian_ kings and captains called me aside, and desired me to read them the writings that I had. First I read part of the _Easton_ treaty to them; but they presently stopped me, and would not hear it; I then began with the articles of peace made with the _Indians_ there. They stopped me again, and said, they had nothing to say to any treaty, or league, of peace, made at _Easton_, nor had any thing to do with _Teedyuscung_; that, if I had nothing to say to them from the government, or Governor, they would have nothing to say to me; and farther said, they had hitherto been at war with the _English_, and had never expected to be at peace with them again; and that there were six of their men now gone to war against them with other _Indians_; that had there been peace between us, those men should not have gone to war. I then shewed them the belts and strings from the Governor; and they again told me to lay aside _Teedyuscung_, and the peace made by him; for that they had nothing to do with it.[34] I desired them to suffer me to produce my papers, and I would read what I had to say to them. 18th.—_Delaware George_ is very active in endeavouring to establish a peace. I believe he is in earnest. Hitherto they have all treated me kindly. In the afternoon, all the kings and captains were called together, and sent for me to their council. King Beaver first addressed himself to the captains; and afterwards spoke to me, as follows: