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The Treaty Held with the Indians of the Six Nations at Philadelphia, in July 1742: To which is Prefix'd an Account of the first Confederacy of the Six Nations, their present Tributaries, Dependents, and Allies — John Shaqi

History

The Treaty Held with the Indians of the Six Nations at Philadelphia, in July 1742: To which is Prefix'd an Account of the first Confederacy of the Six Nations, their present Tributaries, Dependents, and Allies

Indians of North America -- Treaties; Iroquois Indians -- Treaties

have related, without our Privity or Consent. And that you may be fully
convinced of this, and of the Sincerity of our Intentions, we have
brought you these Two Strowds [_here he presented two Red Strowds to the
Governor_] they are the very Strowds our foolish young Men received; we
took them from them, and we give them to you to return to those white
People who made the Bargain, and desire when the Strowds are returned to
them, they may be told what we now say, and that we shall not confirm
such Bargains nor any other that may interfere with our Engagements to
our Brother ONAS.'

The Governor then spoke:

'_BRETHREN_,

'I thank you for this Piece of News; you have taken this Matter
perfectly right. All Bargaining for Land within this Province, is, to be
sure, a manifest Breach of your Contract with the Proprietors, and what
we know you will not countenance. We have hitherto found the _Six
Nations_ faithful to their Engagements, and this is a fresh Instance of
their Punctuality. You could not help these Mistakes of your young Men;
they were not done in your Presence: But as several Inconveniencies may
arise from these kind of clandestine Sales, or from any such loose Sales
of Land by your People, we desire you will, on your Return home, give
publick Notice to all your Warriours not to bargain for any Land; or if
they do, that you will not confirm such Bargains; and that this very
Affair, together with what you have done therein, may be particularly
reported to all your Nation assembled in Council.'

The _Onondago_ Chief promised to give such publick Notice; and desiring
Liberty to mend his former Speech, he proceeded:

'_BRETHREN_,

'I forgot one Circumstance: Our People who pretended to sell the Land,
demanded a Belt of _Wampum_ of the Buyers to carry to their Chiefs; and
on their declaring they had no _Wampum_, our Warriours said, they would
not answer that their Chiefs would confirm this Bargain, since they
never did any thing of this Nature without _Wampum_.'

The Governor, after a short Pause, spoke:

'_BRETHREN of the Six Nations_,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Treaty Held with the Indians of the Six Nations at Philadelphia, in July 1742: To which is Prefix'd an Account of the first Confederacy of the Six Nations, their present Tributaries, Dependents, and Allies

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