29th.—In the morning, the two Cayugas being most desirous of going through the woods, the others continued irresolute;[74] upon which I told them, “I wish you would go with good courage, and with hearty resolution,” and repeated what I had said to them yesterday, and reminded them, as they were messengers, they should consider what would be the best for their whole nation; “consult among yourselves, and let me know your true mind and determination;” and I informed them, I could not go with them, unless they would go to the general, as I had messages to deliver him. After which, having consulted together, Pesquitomen came and gave me his hand, and said, “Brother, here is my hand, we have all joined to go with you, and we put ourselves under your protection to bring us safe through, and to secure us from all danger.” We came that night to Carlisle[75] and found a small house without the fort, for the Indians to be by themselves, and hired a woman to dress their victuals, which pleased them well.
30th.—Setting out early, we came to Shippensburg,[76] and were lodged in the fort, where the Indians had a house to themselves.
31st.—Set out early; in our passing by Chambers Fort,[77] some of the Irish people, knowing some of the Indians, in a rash manner exclaimed against them, and we had some difficulty to get them off clear. At fort Loudon we met about sixteen of the Cherokees, who came in a friendly manner to our Indians, enquiring for Bill Sockum,[78] and shewed the pipe[79] they had received from the Shawanese, and gave it, according to their custom, to smoak out of, and said, they hoped they were friends of the English. They knew me. Pesquitomen begged me to give him some wampum, that he might speak to them: I gave him 400 white wampum, and he then said to them:—“We formerly had friendship one with another; we are only messengers, and cannot say much, but by these strings we let you know we are friends, and we are about settling a peace with the English, and wish to be at peace also with you, and all other Indians.”—And informed them further, they came from a treaty, which was held at Easton, between the Eight United Nations and their confederates, and the English; in which peace was established; and shewed them the two messengers from the Five Nations, who were going, with them, to make it known to all the Indians to the westward. Then the Cherokees answered and said; “they should be glad to know how far the friendship was to reach; they, for themselves, wished it might reach from the sun-rise to the sun-set; for, as they were in friendship with the English, they would be at peace with all their friends, and at war with their enemies.”
Nov. 1.—We reached fort Littleton,[80] in company with the Cherokees, and were lodged, in the fort; they, and our Indians, in distinct places; and they entertained each other with stories of their warlike adventures.
2d.—Pesquitomen said to me, “you have led us this way, through the fire; if any mischief should befal us, we shall lay it entirely to you; for we think it was your doing, to bring us this way; you should have told us at Easton, if it was necessary we should go to the general.”
I told him, “that I had informed the great men, at Easton, that I then thought it would be best not to let them go from thence, till they had seen the general’s letter; and assured them that it was agreeable to the general’s pleasure.”
3d.—Pesquitomen began to argue with captain Bull and Mr. Hays, upon the same subject, as they did with me, when I went to them with my first message; which was, “that they should tell them, whether the general would claim the land as his own, when he should drive the French away? or, whether the English thought to settle the country? We are always jealous the English will take the land from us. Look, brother, what makes you come with such a large body of men, and make such large roads into our country; we could drive away the French ourselves, without your coming into our country.”
Then I desired captain Bull and Mr. Hays to be careful how they argued with the Indians; and be sure to say nothing, that might affront them; for it may prove to our disadvantage, when we come amongst them. This day we came to Rays-town,[81] and with much difficulty got a place to lodge the Indians by themselves, to their satisfaction.
4th.—We intended to set out, but our Indians told us, the Cherokees had desired them to stay that day, as they intended to hold a council; and they desired us to read over to them the governor’s message; which we accordingly did. Pesquitomen, finding Jenny Frazer there, who had been their prisoner, and escaped, spoke to her a little rashly. Our Indians, waiting all the day, and the Cherokees not sending to them, were displeased.
5th.—Rose early, and, it raining smartly, we asked our Indians, if they would go; which they took time to consult about.