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CHAP. ply in their return, they found it all fpoiled. This IX. put them in great Diftrefs, fo that they were forced to eat their Shoes; they fent fome of the nimbleft Men forward to Montreal, that Provifion might meet them. As foon as they came near the Settlements they difperfed, every Man running home to eat, fo that they returned to Canada like an Army routed. The French own they loft eighty Men, and had thirty three wounded in this Expedition.

One may wonder how it is poffible for Men to march several hundred Miles in the Wilderness, while the Ground is every where covered with Snow, two or three Feet deep at leaft; but the foremoft march on Snow Shoes, which beat a firm Track for thofe that follow. At Night, when they reft, they dig a Hole in the Snow, throwing the Snew up all round, but higheft towards that Side from whence the Wind blows, fo large, as to contain as many Men as can lye round a Fire: They make the Fire in the Middle, and cover the frozen Ground round it with the fmall Branches of the Fir-Trees. Thus they tell me a Man lyes much warmer, than one imagines that never tried it.

When the Information of the French came to Schenectady, an Exprefs was fent to New York to Coll. Fletcher then Governor there; the Express reached New-York, an hundred and fifty Miles from Albany, the 12th at ten in the Night. The Governor got the City Regiment under Arms by eight the next Morning,

He called out to know who were willing to go with him to the Frontiers, they all immediately threw up their Hats, and anfwered one and all. Indeed the People of this Province have, upon all Occafions, fhewn their Courage and Refolution in Defence of their Country; but the Misfortune is, they are under no Difcipline, and have been feldom led by Men that knew their Duty. The Governor or

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dered an hundred and fifty Voluntiers for this Ser- CHA P. vice, and as many more from Long-Iland. The IX. River then happened to be open by a fudden Thaw,~~~~ which does not, at that Time of the Year, happen once in twenty Years. He embarked three hundred Men in five Sloops, by four in the Afternoon of the 14th, and arrived at Albany the 17th at nine in the Morning. The fame Day the Governor went to Schenectady, and ordered the Men to follow, but before they could get every Thing ready for their March into the Woods, they had an Account, that Major Schuyler was upon his Return. Several Gentlemen of Albany, particularly Mr. Lanfear, a Gentleman of the best Eftate there, went out Voluntiers under Major Schuyler, which I ought not to have forgot.

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Coll. Fletcher made a Speech to the Mohawks at Albany, he blamed their fupine Negligence, in fuffering themselves to be furprised in the Manner they were in Time of War. He told them that they had Reafon to be convinced, that the English were their Friends heartily, by the Number of Men he had marched to their Affiftance in a very little Time, upon the firft Notice. He promised to wipe away their Tears in the Spring, by confiderable Prefents; and that he would, in the mean while, take Care of their Subfiftence, by providing Houfes and Victuals for them. He told them, he doubted they had fome false Brethren among them, that gave the French Information, and favoured their Designs; and in the laft Place, advised them to convince the French, that they had not loft their Courage with this Misfortune.

The Mohawks, in their Anfwer, called Coll. Fletcher by the Name of Cayenguirago; and he was called fo by the Indians always after this. It fignifies a great fwift Arrow, as an Acknowledgement of the Speed he made to their Affiftance. But they appeared, in their Anfwer, to be quite difheartned; they had not, in the Memory of any Man, re

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ceived

CHAP.

X.

ceived fuch a Blow. They faid their Strength was quite broke, by the Continuance of the War; but they added, if all the English Colonies would join, they could ftill eafily take Canada: Their being fo ill armed, was the Reason (they faid) that the French had now escaped.

The French, continued they, arm their Indians compleatly, and furnish them with every Thing neceffary for War, as we find every Time we meet with them.

The French had got a great Quantity of Furs, and other Peltry, at Mifilimakinak, by their Trade with the Indians; but the Five Nations had fo effectually blocked up the Paffage between that and Canada, that they had remained there useless to the French for feveral Years. The Count de Frontenac, after his Success against the Mohawks, was in Hopes the Five Nations would keep more at home in Defence of their own Caftles, and with thefe Hopes fent a Lieutenant, with eighteen Canadians, and twenty praying Indians, to open the Paffage to Miffilimakinak; but this Party fell in with another of the Five Nations, who entirely routed them, fo that a few escaped only, to give an Account of their Mif fortune; at laft 200 Canoes, loaded with Furs from Miffilimakinak, arrived at Montreal, which gave as univerfal a Joy to Canada, as the. Arrival of the Galleons give in Spain.

CHAP. X.

The Treaties and Negotiations the Five Nations had with the English and French, in the Years 1693 and 1694.

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S by this Time the Reader may be tired with the horrid Scenes of a barbarous War, it may be fome Relief to obferve the Indian Genius in the Arts of negotiating; and fee how a barbarous People, with

out any of the Arts and Sciences in which we value CH A P. our felves, manage their Intereft with the most learn. IX. ed, moft polite, and artificial Nation in Europe. The Five Nations were informed, that the Governor of Canada had received from Europe a very confiderable Recruit of Soldiers, and of all Sorts of Ammunition. This, with the great Lofs the Mobawks had lately fuffered, while they had been amufed by the English with great Hopes, and very little real Affiftance, made the Oneydoes, at laft yield to the Solicitations of the Jefuit Milet, to fend a Meffage to the French for Peace. It is probable he had the Art to influence the People at Albany to favour his Defigns, by giving them Hopes of being included in the Peace, as may be conjectured, from what will appear in the Sequel.

Coll. Fletcher being informed, that the Oneydoes had fent a Meffenger to Canada, fent for the Five Nations to Albany. He spoke to them the third of July 1693.

He first excufed his not meeting them as he had promised, at the Time the Sap begins to run in the Trees, by Reafon of his having received a Commiffion to be Governor of Penfilvania, to which Place he was obliged at that Time to go. He put them in Mind with what Speed he came to their Assistance last Winter, and how effectual, in all Probability, it would have been, had they only retarded the Enemy's March till he could have reached them: He advised them to guard against being drunk, and fhewed them the ill Confequences of it in Time of

War.

Then he said, "I have received Information, "that fome of the Brethren are wavering, and "inclined to Peace with the Enemy; and am af"fured, that fuch Thoughts must arife from the

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Inftigation of the Jefuit Milet, whom fome of "the Brethren have fuffered to live fo long among "them, and whofe only Practice is to delude and L 4 ❝ betray

CHA P." betray them. Let me therefore advise you to remove that ill Perfon from among you.

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In the End he condoled their Dead, and made them a very confiderable Prefent of ninety Guns, eight hundred and ten Pound of Powder, eight hundred Bars of Lead, a Thousand Flints, eighty feven Hatchets, four Grofs of Knives, befides a confiderable Quantity of Cloathing and Provifions. This Prefent, he told them, their King and Queen had fent them, and renewed the Covenant for all the English Colonies.

The King ufually fends them a confiderable Prefent with every new Governor fent to New-York, which is not always applied as it is defigned. If this Prefent had been made fooner, it had been of much more Ufe to the English, as well as to the Five Nations.

The Five Nations the next Day fpoke as follows.

Brother Cayenguirago,

: "We are involved in a bloody War, which "makes us fit in Sorrow and Grief; and being "about to speak of Matters of Importance, we, in "the first Place, clear the Mouth and Throat of "our Interpretefs, by giving her these three Bever

"Skins.

Then they repeated his Excellency's Speech, in Answer to which they faid,

"Brother Cayenguirago, we rejoice, that the great King and Queen of England take fuch "Notice of us, as we find, by the large Prefent "fent us; we return hearty Thanks for the Am"munition efpecially.

"We are glad that our Brother Cayenguirago "renews the Chain, not only between us and this "Government, but likewife with New-England, "Virginia, Maryland and Perfi'vania; it fhall be kept inviolable by us the Five Nations, as long as the Sun fhines. We pray our Brother Cayen

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