That lead to bewilder, and dazzle to blind.—Beattie.
It had been originally agreed that a certain sum should be given to the Indians, or rather its value in goods, to compensate them for their trouble and time in coming to these conferences; that their expenses should be paid during their stay; and that all their kettles, guns, and hatchets should be mended for them; and the speakers took good care to remind the colonists of these claims, and to have them duly discharged. As it may be interesting to many to see what sort of goods were given on these occasions, we may take the following as a specimen, which were delivered to them at the conference of 1742, in part payment for the cession of some territory.
| 500 | pounds of powder. | 60 | kettles. |
| 600 | pounds of lead. | 100 | tobacco tongs. |
| 45 | guns. | 100 | scissors. |
| 60 | Stroud matchcoats. | 500 | awl blades. |
| 100 | blankets. | 120 | combs. |
| 100 | Duffil matchcoats. | 2000 | needles. |
| 200 | yards half-thick. | 1000 | flints. |
| 100 | shirts. | 24 | looking-glasses. |
| 40 | hats. | 2 | pounds of vermilion. |
| 40 | pairs shoes and buckles. | 100 | tin pots. |
| 40 | pairs stockings. | 1000 | tobacco pipes. |
| 100 | hatchets. | 200 | pounds of tobacco. |
| 500 | knives. | 24 | dozen of gartering. |
| 100 | hoes. | 25 | gallons of rum. |
In another list we find no less than four dozens of jew’s harps. Canassateego, on the delivery of the above goods, made a speech which lets us into the real notions and feelings of the Indians on what was going on in that day. “We received from the proprietor,” said he, “yesterday, some goods in consideration of our release of the lands on the west side of Susquehanna. It is true, we have the full quantity according to agreement; but, if the proprietor had been here in person, we think, in regard to our numbers and poverty, he would have made an addition to them. If the goods were only to be divided amongst the Indians present, a single person would have but a small portion; but if you consider what numbers are left behind equally entitled with us to a share, there will be extremely little. We therefore desire, if you have the keys of the proprietor’s chest, you will open it and take out a little more for us.
“We know our lands are now become more valuable. The white people think we don’t know their value; but we are sensible that the land is everlasting, and the few goods we receive for it, are soon worn out and gone. For the future we will sell no lands but when Brother Onas is in the country; and we will know beforehand the quantity of goods we are to receive. Besides, we are not well used with respect to the lands still unsold by us. Your people daily settle on our lands, and spoil our hunting. We must insist on your removing them, as you know they have no right to settle to the north of the Kittochtinny Hills.”
As it was necessary to conciliate them, more goods were given and justice promised. On the other hand, the English complaining of the Delawares having sold some land without authority from the Six Nations, on whom they were dependent, Canassateego pronounced a very severe reprimand to the Delawares, and ordered them to do so no more.
At the conference of 1744, the Indians gave one of those shrewd turns for their own advantage to the boastings of the whites, which shew the peculiar humour that existed in the midst of their educational gravity. The governor of Maryland vaunting of a great sea-fight in which the English had beaten the French; Canassateego immediately observed: “In that great fight you must have taken a great quantity of rum, the Indians will therefore thank you for a glass. It was handed round to them in very small glasses, called by the governor French glasses. The Indians drank it, and at the breaking up of the council that day, Canassateego said, “Having had the pleasure of drinking a French glass of the great quantity of rum taken, the Indians would now, before separating be glad to drink an English glass, to make us rejoice with you in the victory.” It was impossible to waive so ingenious a demand, and a large glass, to indicate the superiority of English liberality, was now handed round.
In this conference, the Indians again complained of the daily encroachments upon them, and of the inadequate price given for the lands they sold. The Governor of Maryland boldly told them that the land was in fact acquired by the English by conquest, and that they had besides a claim of possession of 100 years. To this injudicious speech the Indians replied with indignation, “What is one hundred years in comparison of the time since our claim began?—since we came out of this ground? For we must tell you that long before one hundred years our ancestors came out of this very ground, and their children have remained here ever since. You came out of the ground in a country that lies beyond the seas; there you may have a just claim; but here you must allow us to be your elder brethren, and the lands to belong to us long before you knew anything of them.” They then reminded them of the manner in which they had received them into the country. In figurative language they observed, “When the Dutch came here, above a hundred years ago, we were so well pleased with them that we tied their ship to the bushes on the shore; and afterwards liking them better the longer they stayed with us, and thinking the bushes too slender, we removed the rope and tied it to the trees; and as the trees were liable to be blown down, or to decay of themselves, we, from the affection that we bore them, again removed the rope, and tied it to a strong and high rock (here the interpreter said they mean the Oneido country); and not content with this, for its further security, we removed the rope to the big mountain (here the interpreter said, they mean the Onondaga country), and there we tied it very fast, and rolled wampum about it, and to make it still more secure, we stood upon the wampum, and sat down upon it to defend it, and to prevent any hurt coming to it, and did our best endeavours that it might remain for ever. During all this time the Dutch acknowledged our right to the lands, and solicited us from time to time, to grant them parts of our country. When the English governor came to Albany, and we were told the Dutch and English were become one people, the governor looked at the rope which tied the ship to the big mountain, and seeing that it was only of wampum and liable to rot, break, and perish in a course of years, he gave us a silver chain, which he told us would be much stronger, and would last for ever.
“We had then,” said they pathetically, “room enough and plenty of deer, which was easily caught; and though we had not knives, hatchets, or guns, we had knives of stone, and hatchets of stone, and bows and arrows, which answered our purpose as well as the English ones do now, for we are now straitened; we are often in want of deer; we have to go far to seek it, and are besides liable to many other inconveniences, and particularly from that pen-and-ink work that is going on at the table!” pointing to the secretary. “You know,” they continued, “when the white people came here they were poor—they have got our lands, and now they are become rich, and we are poor. What little we get for the land soon goes away, but the land lasts for ever!”
It was necessary to soothe them—the governor had raised a spirit which told him startling truths. It shewed that the Indians were not blind to the miserable fee for which they were compelled to sell their country. “Your great king,” said they, “might send you over to conquer the Indians; but it looks to us that God did not send you—if he had, he would not have placed the sea where he has, to keep you and us asunder.” The governor addressed them in flattering terms, and added, “We have a chest of new goods, and the key is in our pockets. You are our brethren: the Great King is our common Father, and we will live with you as children ought to do—in peace and love.”