ded, a part having resolved to remain and fortify themselves in their new Town; and the remainder, consisting principally of the Pickaway tribe, under their Chief, Gachgawatschiqua, removed from the Ohio and formed a settlement in the forks of the Delaware. They however brought with them that artless and warlike spirit which had rendered them so disagreeable to their southern neighbors; and as the character of a people cannot long be concealed, disturbances soon arose between them and that tribe of the Delawares who occupied the country lower down the river. These conflicts became at length so violent, that the Shawanese were compelled to leave the forks of the Delaware, and the whole tribe in that country removed to Wyoming Valley, which they found unoccupied, as the Monceys had been induced by the threatening posture of affairs to concentrate their forces around their principal settlement at Minisinks.

The Shawanese having arrived at Wyoming. found themselves sole masters of the Valley, and as there appeared no enemy to annoy them in their new abode, they built a Town upon the west bank of the River, near the lower end of the Valley, upon a large plain which still bears the name of the Shawanese Flats. In this situation the Shawanese enjoyed many years of repose. The women cultivated corn upon the plains, and the inen traversed the surrounding mountains in pursuit of game. While these changes were taking place among the Indian tribes, the Europeans were forming settlements in various places along the At

lantic coast, which they obtained sometimes by purchase, at other times by conquest, and although they were beginning to extend them into the interi or, yet the resistance made by the Indians was in most cases feeble, as there were few instances in which the different tribes united their forces for that purpose. There were however in the country of the Great Lakes, a people who conducted their wars upon a much more extensive system. These people were known by the general name of Mingoes. They consisted of the Onondagoes, Senekas, Cayoogoes, Oneydas, Mohocks and Tuscaroras, and their confederacy acquired the appellation of The Six Nations." They were a powerful warlike people, who held the surrounding nations in subjection, and claimed a jurisdiction, extending from Connecticut River to the Ohio. They are described by a celebrated historian*, as "A confederacy, who, by their union, "courage and military skill, had reduced a great "number of other Indian tribes and subdued a "territory more extensive than the whole kingdom of France." This people claimed the country occupied by the Delawares and Shawanese and held these tribes or nations subject to their authority; a claim which, though seldom acknowledged and never defined, was not frequently disputed; for savage, as well as civilized nations, frequently strengthen a weak cause, by the powerful force of military array.

*Smollet.

After the arrival of William Penn, the Proprietor of Pennsylvania, he purchased of the Delaware Indians the country along that River below the Blue Mountains, supposing those tribes the only legitimate owners; but having been informed of the claim and powers of the Six Nations, he also negociated a purchase of them. Some difficulty arising between the Proprietaries and the Delawares respecting the limits of these purchases, the Delawares refused to give up possession; and as no accommodation appeared likely to take place, a messenger was sent from the Governor to the Six Nations, informing them of the circumstance and requesting them to send Deputies to meet in Council at Philadelphia with instructions upon all subjects in dispute.

Accordingly in the summer of 1742, the Chiefs and principal warriors of the Six Nations to the number of two hundred and thirty, repaired to Philadelphia where they met the Chiefs of the Delawares, and a General Council was opened in presence of the Officers of the Colonial Government and a large concourse of citizens, in the great Hall of the Council House.

The Governor by means of an interpreter opened the Conference on the part of the Proprietaries in a long talk, which set forth, that the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania had purchased the lands in the forks of Delaware several years before, of the Delaware tribes who then possessed them.-That they had afterwards received information that the same lands were claimed by the Six Nations, and a pur

chase was also made of them.-That in both these purchases the Proprietaries had paid the stipulated price; but the Delaware Indians had nevertheless refused to give up possession; and as the Six Nations claimed authority over their country, it had been thought proper to hold a Council of all parties that justice might be done. The Chiefs of the Six Nations were then informed that as they had on all occasions required the Government of Pennsylvania to remove any whites that settled upon their lands, so now the Government of Pennsylvania expected that the Six Nations would cause these Indians to remove from the lands which it had purchased. The Deeds from the Indians, and Drafts of the disputed lands were then produced, and the whole submitted to the consideration of the Council. After some deliberation among the different Chiefs, Connossatego, a venerable chieftain, arose in the name of all the Deputies and informed the Governor, "That they

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saw the Delawares had been an unruly peo"ple and were altogether in the wrong, and that "they had concluded to remove them." And addressing himself to the Delawares in a violent manner, he said, "You deserve to be taken by "the hair of your heads and shaken 'till you re66 cover your senses and become sober. We have 86 seen a Deed signed by nine of your Chiefs above "fifty years ago for this very land. But how came you to take upon yourselves to sell lands at all? We conquered you-we made women you; you know you are women, and can no

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* of

B*

more sell lands than women. Nor is it ft "that you should have the power of selling lands, "since you would abuse it. You have been fur"nished with clothes, meat and drink by the goods "paid you for it, and now you want it again like "children as you are. But what makes you sell lands in the dark? Did you ever tell us that

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you had sold this land? Did we ever receive "any part, even the value of a pipe-shank for it? "You have told us a blind story that you sent a

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messenger to us to inform us of the sale, but he 66 never came amongst us, nor have we ever heard anything about it. But we find you are none of a dishonest part not only in 66 this, but in other matters. Your ears are ever

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our blood, you act

open to slanderous reports about your brethren. "For all these reasons we charge you to remove "instantly; we don't give you liberty to think

about it. You are women; take the advice of a "wise man and remove instantly. You may re"turn to the other side of the Delaware where you 86 came from, but we do not know whether, con

sidering how you have demeaned yourselves, you "will be permitted to live there, or whether you ❝ have not swallowed that land down your throats 66 as well as the lands on this side. We therefore "assign you two places to go to, either to Wyo"ming or Shamokin. You may go to either of "these places, and then we shall have you more "under our eye, and shall see how you behave. "Dont deliberate, but remove away and take this belt of Wampum."