31st.—Set out early; in our passing by _Chambers_ Fort,[77] some of the _Irish_ people, knowing some of the _Indians_, in a rash manner exclaimed against them, and we had some difficulty to get them off clear. At fort _Loudon_ we met about sixteen of the _Cherokees_, who came in a friendly manner to our _Indians_, enquiring for _Bill Sockum_,[78] and shewed the pipe[79] they had received from the _Shawanese_, and gave it, according to their custom, to smoak out of, and said, they hoped they were friends of the _English_. They knew me. _Pesquitomen_ begged me to give him some _wampum_, that he might speak to them: I gave him 400 white _wampum_, and he then said to them:—“We formerly had friendship one with another; we are only messengers, and cannot say much, but by these strings we let you know we are friends, and we are about settling a peace with the _English_, and wish to be at peace also with you, and all other _Indians_.”—And informed them further, they came from a treaty, which was held at _Easton_, between the _Eight United Nations_ and their confederates, and the _English_; in which peace was established; and shewed them the two messengers from the _Five Nations_, who were going, with them, to make it known to all the _Indians_ to the westward. Then the _Cherokees_ answered and said; “they should be glad to know how far the friendship was to reach; they, for themselves, wished it might reach from the sun-rise to the sun-set; for, as they were in friendship with the _English_, they would be at peace with all their friends, and at war with their enemies.” Nov. 1.—We reached fort _Littleton_,[80] in company with the _Cherokees_, and were lodged, in the fort; they, and our _Indians_, in distinct places; and they entertained each other with stories of their warlike adventures. 2d.—_Pesquitomen_ said to me, “you have led us this way, through the fire; if any mischief should befal us, we shall lay it entirely to you; for we think it was your doing, to bring us this way; you should have told us at _Easton_, if it was necessary we should go to the general.” I told him, “that I had informed the great men, at _Easton_, that I then thought it would be best not to let them go from thence, till they had seen the general’s letter; and assured them that it was agreeable to the general’s pleasure.” 3d.—_Pesquitomen_ began to argue with captain _Bull_ and Mr. _Hays_, upon the same subject, as they did with me, when I went to them with my first message; which was, “that they should tell them, whether the general would claim the land as his own, when he should drive the _French_ away? or, whether the _English_ thought to settle the country? We are always jealous the _English_ will take the land from us. Look, brother, what makes you come with such a large body of men, and make such large roads into our country; we could drive away the _French_ ourselves, without your coming into our country.”