They said, “Brother, your heart is good, you speak always sincerely; but we know there are always a great number of people that want to get rich; they never have enough; look, we do not want to be rich, and take away that which others have. God has given you the tame creatures; we do not want to take them from you. God has given to us the deer, and other wild creatures, which we must feed on; and we rejoice in that which springs out of the ground, and thank God for it. Look now, my brother, the white people think we have no brains in our heads; but that they are great and big, and that makes them make war with us: we are but a little handful to what you are; but remember, when you look for a wild turkey you cannot always find it, it is so little it hides itself under the bushes: and when you hunt for a rattle-snake, you cannot find it; and perhaps it will bite you before you see it. However, since you are so great and big, and we so little, do you use your greatness and strength in compleating this work of peace. This is the first time that we saw or heard of you, since the war begun, and we have great reason to think about it, since such a great body of you comes into our lands.[52] It is told us, that you and the _French_ contrived the war, to waste the _Indians_ between you; and that you and the _French_ intended to divide the land between you: this was told us by the chief of the _Indian_ traders; and they said further, brothers, this is the last time we shall come among you; for the _French_ and the _English_ intend to kill all the _Indians_, and then divide the land among themselves.” Then they addressed themselves to me, and said, “Brother, I suppose you know something about it; or has the Governor stopped your mouth, that you cannot tell us?” Then I said, “Brothers, I am very sorry to see you so jealous. I am your own flesh and blood, and sooner than I would tell you any story that would be of hurt to you, or your children, I would suffer death: and if I did not know that it was the desire of the Governor, that we should renew our old brotherly love and friendship, that subsisted between our grandfathers, I would not have undertaken this journey. I do assure you of mine and the people’s honesty. If the _French_ had not been here, the _English_ would not have come; and consider, brothers, whether, in such a case, we can always sit still.” Then they said, “It is a thousand pities we did not know this sooner; if we had, it would have been peace long before now.” Then I said, “My brothers, I know you have been wrongly persuaded by many wicked people; for you must know, that there are a great many Papists in the country, in _French_ interest, who appear like gentlemen, and have sent many runaway Irish papist servants[53] among you, who have put bad notions into your heads, and strengthened you against your brothers the _English_.