Reverend John C. Pyrlaeus, a minister of the Moravian Church, was called in his stead. There was a strong faction in the Lutheran Church hostile to the Moravians, and July 9, 1742, Pyrlaeus was forcibly ejected by a gang of ruffians from the church. Some of the congregation followed him, and this event led to the erection of the First Moravian Church in Philadelphia. Zinzindorf paid for its erection out of his own purse.
August 3, 1742, Count Zinzindorf visited Conrad Weiser at his home, on Tulpehocken, and there met the chief deputies of the Six Nations and some other Indians, who had been at the Philadelphia conference, and on their way home were paying Weiser a visit. Among them were Shikellamy and Canassatego.
With those chiefs the Count ratified a covenant of friendship in behalf of the Brethren, stipulating for permission for the latter to pass to and from and sojourn within the domains of the Iroquois Confederacy; not as strangers, but as friends and without suspicion, until such times as they should have “mutually learned each other’s peculiarities.”
In reply to the speech made by Zinzindorf, Canassatego said: “Brother, you have journeyed a long way from beyond the sea in order to preach to the white people and the Indians. You did not know we were here (at Tulpehocken). We had no knowledge of your coming. The Great Spirit has brought us together. Come to our people; you shall be welcome. Take this fathom of wampum; it is a token that our words are true.”
This “fathom” was composed of 186 white wampums, and was preserved by the Brethren for a long time, and was often used in conference with Indians.
September 24, 1742, Zinzindorf and Weiser set out on horseback for Shamokin and Wyoming. They were also accompanied by the Count’s daughter, Benigna, Anna Nitschmann, two Indians and John Martin Mack.
The Count kept a journal of his trip which is most interesting. The little company spent several days the guests of the great vicegerent, Shikellamy at Shamokin (now Sunbury), and then proceeded along the West Branch to what is now Montoursville, where they met the celebrated Madame Montour and her son, Andrew.
The Count and his companions remained with the Montours for four days, during which several religious services were held.
The party left October 9, under the guidance of Andrew Montour, and at the mouth of Warrior Run they took a southeasterly direction, striking the North Branch at what is now Bloomsburg, and thence traveled to Wyoming.
During his stay at this place they were several times seriously threatened by Indians, and Weiser finally persuaded the missionaries to depart, which they did on October 30. Zinzindorf returned to Bethlehem via Shamokin, arriving there November 8.