Friends now made them fully acquainted with the nature of their mission, that it was in order to improve the condition of the Indian natives, and to teach them the ways of good and honest white people, that they, with their wives and children, might be enabled to live more comfortably, and be relieved from the distresses and difficulties to which they had been subjected by their old habits and modes of living—that these young men had concluded to leave their friends and comfortable dwellings, and remain for a time in the Indian country, in order to instruct them in the cultivation of their land, in the raising and managing of cattle, and also to example them in a life of sobriety and industry. They were also informed, that Friends had a variety of farming utensils, carpenters’ tools, &c. coming up the river, in a boat, which were intended for their benefit, in a hope, that the Indians, with Friends’ instruction, would diligently apply themselves to the use of them, that by so doing they might come to reap the plentiful fruits of industry; and that this was the sole object Friends had in view, having no desire for their lands, their skins, their furs, or any other part of their substance.
To these propositions the Indians seemed to express a general assent; but took the subjects under serious consideration, until next day, when near evening they admitted Friends again to the council house, when Cornplanter on behalf of the natives made a reply, from which we extract the following.
“Brothers, the Quakers, listen now to what I am going to say to you. You know, brothers, the red people are poor; they are not like the white people. The Great Spirit has made them of another language, so that it is very hard for us to understand one another plainly, as we have no good interpreter.
“Brothers, we suppose the reason you came here was to help the poor Indians in some way or other, and you wish the chiefs to tell their warriors not to go on so bad as they have done heretofore, and you also wish us to take up work like the white people, and cultivate our land. Now brothers, some of our sober men will take up work and do as you say, and if they do well, then will your young men stay longer amongst us, but some others will not mind what you say.
“Brothers, we cannot say a word against you. It is the best way to call Quakers brothers. You never wished our lands, therefore we are determined to learn your ways, and these young men may stay here two years, and then if they like it and we like it, your young men may stay longer.”
In reply they were informed, that the young men would want some house to live in, and a piece of land to work, in order to set the Indians an example and raise something for themselves to live upon; but that the land should still be the Indians’, and all the improvements they put upon it should be theirs, when Friends left it. They were also informed that the tools and implements of husbandry which were intended for their use, would be under the care of the young men, to lend to such Indians as wanted to use them, rather than to distribute them among them as presents; offering this reason, “that if they were given to them some of them might barter them away for whiskey,” as divers instances of intoxication had been noticed among them.
On the twenty-first of the Fifth month, Friends, with Cornplanter in company, and several other Indians, passed up the river about nine miles in canoes, in order to look out for a settlement. They came to an ancient village called Genesinguhta, which was nearly deserted by the Indians—only three or four families remaining. The bottoms along the river side appeared fertile, though much grown over with bushes, and covered with abundance of fallen timber. Yet it was considered the most eligible place for Friends to settle, in order to be of benefit to the Indians, as it was on the land belonging to the nation, and where they intended to have a reservation located of forty-two square miles.
This conclusion being proposed to Cornplanter, and he queried with, “whether he was willing Friends should start their fence at the river side,” and enclose a piece of land they pointed out to him—to which he replied, “I told you, brothers, the land was all before you, to choose where you please; but he thought that was the best place for Friends to settle, and this man, said he, (in whose house they then were) is very glad you are going to settle so near him—he is very sober man, he is like you, he drinks no whiskey.” He was then inquired of whether Friends might have liberty to cut timber in the woods for the use of the farm, to which he replied, “I wish you would cut all the trees down, and I will give you another liberty, if you see a deer you may shoot him, and you may catch fish in the river.”
The place being finally agreed upon, several old Indian cabins were included in it, and one occupied by a family, which was well situated to accommodate Friends; the owners of it were amply compensated. The family immediately moved out their goods and chattels, which (though apparently some of their best livers,) consisted chiefly in homony blocks and pounders, a brass, kettle or two, some wooden bowls, and ladles, a leathern sack of bear’s oil, a basket of corn, some blankets, and a few deer skins.
On the twenty-third of the month, Friends settled in their new habitation and made some preparations for a garden. The women of Cornplanter’s village, to show their hearty and good will in the undertaking, had previously made a collection of some seed—corn, potatoes, beans, squashes, and a variety of other garden seeds which they presented as a present to Friends, observing “that it was very hard to come so far and have nothing to begin with.”