Monsr. De la Barre's Speech to Garangula.[23]
"The King, my Master, being informed that the Five Nations have often infringed the Peace, has ordered me to come hither with a Guard, and to send Ohguesse to the Onondagas, to bring the chief Sachem to my Camp. The Intention of the great King is, that you and I may smoke the Calumet[24] of Peace together, but on this Condition, that you promise me, in the Name of the Senekas, Cayugas, Onondagas, and Mohawks, to give intire Satisfaction and Reparation to his Subjects; and for the future never to molest them.
"The Senekas, Cayugas, Onondagas, Oneydoes, and Mohawks have robbed and abused all the Traders that were passing to the Illinois and Umamies, and other Indian Nations, the Children of my King. They have acted, on these Occasions, contrary to the Treaty of Peace with my Predecessor. I am ordered therefore to demand Satisfaction, and to tell them, that in case of Refusal, or their plundering us any more, that I have express Orders to declare War. This Belt confirms my Words. The Warriors of the Five Nations have conducted the English into the Lakes, which belong to the King, my Master, and brought the English among the Nations that are his Children, to destroy the Trade of his Subjects, and to withdraw these Nations from him. They have carried the English thither, notwithstanding the Prohibition of the late Governor of New-York, who foresaw the Risque that both they and you would run. I am willing to forget these Things, but if ever the like shall happen for the future, I have express Orders to declare War against you. This Belt confirms my Words. Your Warriors have made several barbarous Incursions on the Illinois and Umamies; they have massacred Men, Women, and Children, and have made many of these Nations Prisoners, who thought themselves safe in their Villages in Time of Peace. These People, who are my King's Children, must not be your Slaves; you must give them their Liberty, and send them back into their own Country. If the Five Nations shall refuse to do this, I have express Orders to declare War against them. This Belt confirms my Words.
"This is what I have to say to Garangula, that he may carry to the Senekas, Onondagas, Oneydoes, Cayugas, and Mohawks the Declaration which the King, my Master, has commanded me to make. He doth not wish them to force him to send a great Army to Cadarackui Fort, to begin a War which must be fatal to them. He would be sorry that this Fort, that was the Work of Peace, should become the Prison of your Warriors. We must endeavour, on both Sides, to prevent such Misfortunes. The French, who are the Brethren and Friends of the Five Nations, will never trouble their Repose, provided that the Satisfaction which I demand be given, and that the Treaties of Peace be hereafter observed. I shall be extremely grieved if my Words do not produce the Effect which I expect from them; for then I shall be obliged to join with the Governor of New-York, who is commanded by his Master to assist me, and burn the Castles of the Five Nations, and destroy you. This Belt confirms my Words."
Garangala was very much surprised to find the soft Words of the Jesuit, and of the Governor's Messengers, turned to such threatening Language. This was designed to strike Terror into the Indians; but Garangula having good Information from those of the Five Nations living near Cadarackui Fort, of all the Sickness and other Misfortunes which afflicted the French Army, it was far from producing the designed Effect. All the Time that Monsieur de la Barre spoke, Garangula kept his Eyes fixed on the End of his Pipe; as soon as the Governor had done speaking, he rose up, and having walked five or six Times round the Circle, he returned to his Place, where he spoke standing, while Monsieur de la Barre kept his Elbow-Chair.
Garangula's Answer.
"Yonnondio,
"I honour you, and the Warriors that are with me all likewise honour you. Your Interpreter has finished your Speech; I now begin mine. My Words make haste to reach your Ears, hearken to them.
"Yonnondio, you must have believed, when you left Quebeck, that the Sun had burnt up all the Forests which render our Country inaccessible to the French, or that the Lakes had so far overflown their Banks, that they had surrounded our Castles, and that it was impossible for us to get out of them. Yes, Yonnondio, surely you must have dreamt so, and the Curiosity of seeing so great a Wonder has brought you so far. Now you are undeceived, since that I and the Warriors here present are come to assure you, that the Senekas, Cayugas, Onondagas, Oneydoes, and Mohawks are yet alive. I thank you, in their Name, for bringing back into their Country the Calumet, which your Predecessor received from their Hands. It was happy for you, that you left Underground that murdering Hatchet, that has been so often dyed in the Blood of the French. Hear, Yonnondio, I do not sleep, I have my Eyes open, and the Sun, which enlightens me, discovers to me a great Captain at the Head of a Company of Soldiers, who speaks as if he were dreaming. He says, that he only came to the Lake to smoke on the great Calumet with the Onondagas. But Garangula says, that he sees the contrary, that it was to knock them on the Head, if Sickness had not weakened the Arms of the French.
"I see Yonnondio raving in a Camp of sick Men, whose Lives the great Spirit has saved, by inflicting this Sickness on them. Hear, Yonnondio, our Women had taken their Clubs, our Children and old Men had carried their Bows and Arrows into the Heart of your Camp, if our Warriors had not disarmed them, and kept them back, when your Messenger, Ohguesse, came to our Castles. It is done, and I have said it. Hear, Yonnondio, we plundered none of the French, but those that carried Guns, Powder, and Ball to the Iwikties and Chictaghicks, because those Arms might have cost us our Lives. Herein we follow the Example of the Jesuits, who stave all the Caggs of Rum brought to our Castles, lest the drunken Indians should knock them on the Head. Our Warriors have not Bevers enough to pay for all these Arms, that they have taken, and our old Men are not afraid of the War. This Belt preserves my Words.