Papers Relating to an Act of the Assembly of the Province of New-York / For encouragement of the Indian trade, &c. and for prohibiting the selling of Indian goods to the French, viz. of Canada

by Cadwallader Colden; Great Britain. Board of Trade; Great Britain. Privy Council; New York . Council

I have said, That when we are in the Cataracui Lake, we are upon the Level with the French, because here we can meet with all the Indians that design to go to Monreal. But besides this Passage by the Lakes, there is a River which comes from the Country of the Sennekas, and falls into the Onondaga River, by which we have an easy Carriage into that Country, without going near the Cataracui Lake. The Head of this River goes near to Lake Erie, and probably may give a very near Passage into that Lake, much more advantageous than the Way the French are obliged to take by the great Fall of Jagara, because narrow Rivers are much safer for Canoes than the Lakes, where they are obliged to go ashore if there be any Wind upon the Water. But as this Passage depends upon a further Discovery, I shall say nothing more of it at this time.

Whoever then considers these Advantages New-York has of Canada, in the first buying of their Goods, and in the safe, speedy, and cheap Transportation of them from Britain to the Lakes, free of all manner of Duty or Imposts, will readily agree with me, that the Traders of New-York may sell their Goods in the Indian Countries at half the Price the People of Canada can, and reap twice the Profit they do. This will admit of no Dispute with those that know that Strouds (the Staple Indian Commodity) this Year are sold for Ten Pounds apiece at Albany, and at Monreal for Twenty-five Pounds, notwithstanding the great Quantity of Strouds said to be brought directly into Quebeck from France, and the great Quantities that have been clandestinely carried from Albany. It cannot therefore be denied that it is only necessary for the Traders of New-York to apply themselves heartily to this Trade, in order to bring it wholly into their own Hands; for in every thing besides Diligence, Industry, and enduring Fatigues, the English have much the Advantage of the French. And all the Indians will certainly buy, where they can, at the cheapest Rate.

It must naturally be objected, That if those things are true, how is it possible that the Traders of New-York should neglect so considerable and beneficial Trade for so long time?

In answering this Objection, I shall show the Difficulties New-York has labour'd under, by giving a short History of the Country, so far as it relates to this Trade. Which Method, I think, can be liable to the least Objection, and put the whole in the truest Light.

When this Country (the Province of New-York) came first under the Crown of Great-Britain, our Five Nations of Indians were mortal Enemies of the French at Canada, and were in a continual War with them, and all the Nations of Indians round the Lakes; so that then it was not safe for the English to travel further than the Countries of the Five Nations; nor would our Indians permit the far Indians (with whom they had constant War) to pass thro' their Countries to Albany. Besides, the Five Nations of Indians were at that time so numerous, (consisting of ten times the Number of fighting Men they now do) that the Trade with them alone was very considerable for so young and small a Colony. In the latter End of King Charles's Reign, when the Duke of York, and Popish Councils prevail'd, the Governor of New-York (who was likewise a Papist) had Orders to use all his Endeavours to make up a Peace between our Nations (the Iroquois) and the French; and that he should persuade the Five Nations to admit French Priests among them, in order to civilize them. The Consequence of which was, that the French thereby obtained a free Commerce upon the Lakes, and obtain'd leave to build Cataraqui Fort upon the North-side of Cataracui Lake, and have two Vessels of Force upon the same Lake. From this Time, during all King James's Reign, the French, whenever they had any Differences with our Five Nations, threaten'd, that the English of New-York would join with them, and destroy the Five Nations; by which, and the Practices of the French Priests, our Five Nations became very much alienated in their Affections from the English, and look'd upon them as a People depending upon the French. The Consequences of this appeared so dangerous to Colonel Dungan, the Governor of New-York, (though, as I have said, a Papist) that he again and again complain'd to his Master of the ill Offices the French Priests did the English among our Nations. When the English had thus procur'd a Peace for the French, they thought they might justly reap some Advantage from it; and it's hardly to be doubted but that they had Promises of that kind. They were therefore encouraged to send forty Men, with great Quantities of Goods, into the Lakes, under the Command of Major M^cGregory, to trade with the far Nations. At this time Mr. Denonville, Governor of Canada, was gathering together all the Force of Canada, and of the Indians, (Enemies of the Five Nations) in order to surprize the Five Nations, and destroy them, at the Time they thought themselves secure by the Peace so lately made. Major M^cGregory, and his Company, were met by a French Officer on Lake Erie, coming with a great Number of Men to the general Rendezvous of the French, and he, with all the English, were made Prisoners. They were used with such Severity as has never been practis'd between Christian Nations in open War, tho' the two Crowns, at that time, were not only at Peace, but under the strictest Ties of mutual Friendship; for the French used these People as Slaves in building Cataraqui Fort, and a poor Frenchman that had conducted them, was publickly shot to Death, as if he had brought an Enemy into their Country. Such was their Apprehensions then of the English getting any Footing among the Indians.

The French Governor surprized a Village of the Five Nations, who, on the French Faith, liv'd in great Security, but seven or eight Leagues from the French Fort, and sent these miserable People to the Galleys in France. He afterwards fell upon the Sennekas, and burnt their Villages, but without any Advantage to the French, they having lost more Men than the Indians did. This renew'd the War with greater Fury than ever, between the French and our Indians. For some time afterwards, our Indians, in a great Body, fell upon the Island of Monreal, while Mr. Denonville was in the Town: They burnt and destroy'd all the Villages and Houses round Monreal, and kill'd some hundreds of Men, Women, and Children. Afterwards they came into the open Fields before Monreal, and there defy'd the French Governor, who did not think it proper to fight them. And when they had done all the Mischief they could, they retir'd without any Loss.

About this Time the Revolution happen'd in Great-Britain, which was succeeded by a War between Great-Britain and France. In February, 1689/90, a Party of three hundred Men, consisting of equal Numbers of French and Indians, surprized Schenechtady in the Night-time, when the poor People were in their Beds, in the greatest Security, where they barbarously murdered sixty-three Men, Women, and Children, in cold Blood, laid the Village in Ashes, and then retir'd, without reaping any other Advantage besides this cruel Revenge on innocent People, for the Mischief our Indians had done them. This rais'd a cruel War between the two Colonies, in which there was much Mischief done, and Blood shed, without any Advantage to either side.

In Time of this War, the most Christian King's Governor of Canada was so much provoked, that he thought fit to follow the Example of our barbarous Indians, and burn his Indian Prisoners alive, in the most cruel Manner, in sight of all the Inhabitants of Quebeck, and to deliver up the English Prisoners to the French Indians, who indeed had more Mercy, for they kill'd none of them.

King William's Peace put an End to this War; but the Peace lasted so short a while, that the People of this Province hardly had time to re-settle their Farms on the Frontiers, which they had deserted in the Time of the War, much less to adventure trading in the Indian Countries, so lately the Scene of so much Cruelty. But both Colonies having now an Abhorrence of the Cruelties of the last War, agreed on a kind of Neutrality for the Indians, during Queen Anne's War, in which Time we lost much ground with our own Indians: For the French having learn'd, by dear Experience, that it was not possible for them to conquer our Five Indian Nations, resolv'd to try all Means to gain their Affections, and in this Art the French are always more successful than in that of War; and the English failing in two ill-concerted Expeditions against Canada, the Indians lost much of the Opinion they had of the English Power and Valour.

In Time of this last War, the clandestine Trade to Monreal began to be carried on by Indians, from Albany to Monreal. This gave Rise to the Kahnuaga, or Praying Indians, who are entirely made up of Deserters from the Mohawks and River Indians, and were either enticed thither by the French Priests, or by our Merchants, in order to carry Goods from Albany to Monreal, or run away for some Mischief done here. These Indians now consist of about eighty fighting Men, and live about four Leagues above Monreal: They neither plant nor hunt, but depend chiefly upon this private Trade for their Subsistence. These Indians, in time of War, gave the French Intelligence of all Designs here against them: By them likewise the French engaged our Five Nations in a War with the Indians Friends of Virginia, and from them we might expect the greatest Mischief in Time of War, seeing every Part of the Province is as well known to them as to any of the Inhabitants. But if this Trade was entirely at an end, we have reason to believe, that these Indians would return to their own Tribes, for they then could not long subsist where they now are.