“Now we desire you to be strong;[104] because I shall make it my strong argument with other nations; but as we have given credit to what you have said, hoping it is true, and we agree to it; if it should prove the contrary, it would make me so ashamed, that I never could lift up my head, and never undertake to speak any word more for the interest of the English.”
I told them, “Brethren, you will remember that it was wrote to you by the general, that you might give credit to what we say; so I am glad to hear of you, that you give credit; and we assure you, that what we have told you is the truth; and you will find it so.”
They said further, “Brethren, we let you know, that the French have used our people kindly, in every respect; they have used them like gentlemen, especially those that live near them. So they have treated the chiefs. Now we desire you to be strong; we wish you would take the same method, and use our people well: for the other Indians will look upon us;[105] and we do not otherwise know how to convince them, and to bring them into the English interest, without your using such means as will convince them. For the French will still do more to keep them to their interest.”
I told them, “I would take it to heart, and inform the Governor, and other gentlemen of it; and speak to them in their favour.” Then they said, “It is so far well, and the road is cleared; but they thought we should send them another call, when they may come.” I told them; “We did not know when they would have agreed with the other nations. Brother, it is you, who must give us the first notice when you can come; the sooner the better; and so soon as you send us word, we will prepare for you on the road.” After this we made ready for our journey.
Ketiushund, a noted Indian, one of the chief counsellors, told us in secret, “That all the nations had jointly agreed to defend their hunting place at Alleghenny, and suffer nobody to settle there; and as these Indians are very much inclined to the English interest, so he begged us very much to tell the Governor, General, and all other people not to settle there. And if the English would draw back over the mountain, they would get all the other nations into their interest; but if they staid and settled there, all the nations would be against them; and he was afraid it would be a great war, and never come to a peace again.”
I promised to inform the Governor, General, and all other people of it, and repeated my former request to them, not to suffer any French to settle amongst them. After we had fetched our horses, we went from Kushkushking, and came at five o’clock to Saccung, in company with twenty Indians. When we came about half way, we met a messenger from fort Duquesne, with a belt from Thomas King,[106] inviting all the chiefs to Saccung. We heard at the same time, that Mr. Croghn and Henry Montour would be there to day. The messenger was one of those three, that went to our camp; and it seemed to rejoice all the company; for some of them were much troubled in their minds, fearing that the English had kept them, as prisoners, or killed them. In the evening we arrived at Saccung, on the Beaver creek. We were well received. The king provided for us. After a little while we visited Mr. Croghn and his company.
30th.—In the morning the Indians of the town visited us. About eleven o’clock about forty came together; when we read the message to them; Mr. Croghn, Henry Montour and Thomas King being present. They were all well pleased with the message. In the evening we came together with the chiefs, and explained the signification of the belts; which lasted till eleven o’clock at night.
December 1st.—After hunting a great while for our horses, without finding them, we were obliged to give an Indian three hundred wampum for looking for them. We bought corn for four hundred and fifty wampum for our horses. The Indians met together to hear what Mr. Croghn had to say. Thomas King spoke by a belt, and invited them to come to the general; upon which they all resolved to go.
In the evening the captains and counsellors came together, I and Isaac Still being present; they told us, that they had formerly agreed not to give any credit to any message, sent from the English by Indians; thinking, if the English would have peace with them, they would come themselves; “So soon, therefore, as you came, it was as if the weather changed; and a great cloud passed away, and we could think again on our ancient friendship with our brethren, the English. We have thought since that time, more on the English than ever before, although the French have done all, in their power, to prejudice our young men against the English. Since you now come the second time, we think it is God’s work; he pities us, that we should not all die; and if we should not accept of the peace offered to us, we think God would forsake us.”
In discourse, they spoke about preaching, and said, “They wished many times to hear the word of God; but they were always afraid the English would take that opportunity to bring them into bondage.” They invited me to come and live amongst them; since I had taken so much pains in bringing a peace about between them and the English. I told them, “It might be, that when the peace was firmly established, I would come to proclaim the peace and love of God to them.”