"He stayed among them some time and endeavoured to instruct them in the Christian Religion. He at length proposed to go back to his own Country, and return to them with some other Teachers, who would be able to instruct them in their own Language; to which proposal they consenting, he accordingly set out from thence, and arrived in Britain, with full intention to return to them with some of his Country-men in order to teach these Indians Christianity. But I was acquainted that not long after his arrival he was taken sick, and died, which put an end to his schemes.[hh]
[Footnote hh: Mr. Jones says that he was taken Prisoner by the Indians in 1660, and continued with them 4 months. His Narrative is dated 1685-6, and he then lived at New York, or within 12 Miles of it. It is not at an likely therefore that he returned to Britain, and died here. See pages, 16, 17, and 26.]
"Sutton farther told us that among the Delaware Tribe of Indians, he observed their Women to follow exactly the Custom of the Jewish Women, in keeping separate from the rest Seven Days at certain Times as prescribed in the Mosaic Law; that from some Old Men among them he had heard the following Traditions: That of old Time their people were divided by a River, and one part tarrying behind;[ii] that they knew not for certainty, how they came first to this Continent, but account thus for their coming into there parts, near where they are now settled: That a King of their Nation, when they formerly lived far to the West, left his Kingdom to his two Sons; that the one Son making War upon the other, the latter thereupon determined to depart and seek some New Habitation; that accordingly he set out accompanied by a number of his people, and that after wandering too and fro for the space of 40 Years,[kk] they at length came to Delaware River, where they settled 370 Years ago. The Way, he says, they keep an account of this, is by putting on a Black Bead of Wampum every Year since, on a Belt they have for that purpose.
[Footnote ii: Does not this Tradition refer to the passages of the Israelites over Jordan into the Land of Canaan under the Conduct of Joshua?]
[Footnote kk: The unsettled State of North Wales, the Departure of Madog, and his Travels before he finally Settled, seem implied in the above Account, or it may be a confused Tradition of the Travels of the Israelites in the Wilderness.]
"He farther added that the King of that Country from whence they came, some Years ago, when the French were in possession of Fort Duquesne, sent out some of his People, in order if possible, to find out that part of their Nation that departed to seek a new Country, and that these Men after seeking six Years, came at length to the Pickt Town on the Oubache River, and there happened to meet with a Delaware Indian, named Jack, after the English, whose Language they could understand; and that by him they were conducted to the Delaware Towns where they tarried one year, and returned; that the French sent a White Man with them properly furnished to bring back an Account of their Conntry who, the Indians said, could not return in less than 14 Years, for they lived a great Way towards the Sun setting. It is now, Sutton says, about 10 or 12 Years since they went away. He added that the Delawares observe the Feast of first Fruits, or the green Corn Feast. So far Sutton."[ll]
[Footnote ll: Journal of a Two Month's Tour, &c. by Charles Beatty. A. M. dedicated to the Earl of Dartmouth. London. 1768. p. 24, &c. Note.]
Before I make any Remarks on the above long Extract I will produce another Evidence of late Date, to confirm the Truth of Mr. Jones's Narrative. It is an Accouut given by Captain Isaac Stewart, taken from his own Mouth, in March 1782, and inserted in the Public Advertizer, 0ct. 8th, 1785.
"I was taken Prisoner about 50 Miles to the West-ward of Fort Pitt, about 18 Years ago by the Indians, and was carried by them to the Wabash with many more White Men who were executed with Circumstances of horrid Barbarity. It was my good Fortune to call forth the Sympathy of what is called the good Woman of the Town, who was permitted to redeem me from the Flames, by giving, as my Ransom, a Horse.
"After remaining two Years in Bondage among the Indians, a Spaniard came to the Nation, having been sent from Mexico on Discoveries. He made Application to the Chiefs for redeeming me and another White Men, who was in a like Situation, named John Davey (David) which they complied with. And we took our Departure in Company with the Spaniard to the Westward, crossing the Mississipi near Rouge or Red River, up which we travelled 700 Miles, when we came to a Nation of Indians remarkably White, and whose Hair was of a reddish Colour, at least, mostly so. They lived on the Banks of a Small River which is called the River Post. In the Morning of the Day after our Arrival, the Welsh Man informed me that he was determined remain with them, giving us a Reason, that he understood their Language, it being very little different from the Welsh. My Curiosity was excited very much by this Information, and I went with my Companion to the Chief Men of the Town, who informed him in a Language that I had no knowledge of, and which had no affinity to that of other Indian Tongues that I ever heard, that their Fore Fathers of this Nation came from a Foreign Country, and landed on the East Side of the Mississipi, describing particularly the Country now called Florida, and that on the Spaniards taking possession of Mexico, they fled to their then Abode. And as a proof of the Truth of what he advanced, he brought forth Rolls of Parchment, which were carefully tied up in Otter's Skins, on which were large Characters written with blue Ink. The Characters I did not understand, and the Welsh Man being unacquainted with Letters, even, of his own Language, I was not able to know the meaning of the writing. They are a bold, hardy, and intrepid people, very Warlike, and the Women beautiful when compared with other Indians."