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BY an express from his excelleny the governor we
have an account of the following SPEECHES
between his excellency and the Six Nations and Dela-
wares.

AT a council held with the Indians: Present
his excellency the right honourable the earl
of Dunmore, lieutenant and governor of
Virginia, &c. Alexander M’Kee, esquire,
deputy agent, &c. Indians: Delawares, king
Custologa, captain White Eyes, and Pluggy, a Six
Nation chief, and sundry others.

FIRST.

Captain White Eyes spoke.
Brother, I wipe the sweat and dust from your eyes by
this string, and remove the fatigue that you have had
during your journey; and also, I clear and open your
ears, that you may readily comprehend, and hear what
your brothers have now to say to you; I also remove
every concern from your heart, owing to any bad im-
pressions which have been made upon you during your
journey to this place, that you may believe the sincerity
of us towards you, and all our brethren the English.——
A STRING.

SECOND.

Brother, I will now inform you of what I know con-
cerning the Shawanese: Our uncles, the Mohawks, have
been sent by the Shawanese here, in order to know in
what manner they should act so as to be admitted to a
conferrence with their brethren, the English of Virginia:
Our uncles the Mohawks, desire to inform you that the
principal men of that nation continue to hold fast by the
ancient chain of friendship, but that some foolish young
men had loosened their hands therefrom, and that it was
not in their power to prevent them heretofore. Brother,
I have now told you of what our uncles, the Mohawks,
have told us, of what the chiefs of the Shawanese say,
and hope you will be strong, and consider upon what you
may have to say to them, that whenever you chuse to
speak, we may be ready to join you in so doing.———
A STRING.

THIRD.

Brother, I desire you to listen to your brethren, the
Five Nations, and Mohawks, the Wyndots and also
your brethren, the Delawares: These are the people
who have taken pains to keep every thing quiet since those
unhappy troubles. All the western nations are quiet;
but keep their eyes fixed upon this quarter. Brother, I
am rejoiced to see you, as I was troubled and afraid be-
fore; but now my apprehensions are dispersed on seeing
you, which is the cause of my pleasure. Brother, I now
esteem our women and children restored to life upon your
arrival, and that even the foolish young people will have
reason to be thankful on the conclusion of the present
prospect.———A STRING.

FOURTH.

Brother, I desire you to listen to us few of the num-
erous chiefs formerly were of our nations, as the few now
remaining have a due remembrance of the friendship sub-
sisting between our forefathers. Brother, during the
trouble which happened, owing to foolish people, I was
apprehensive it might be the cause of universal trouble, so
as to have shook our amity, and weakened the antient
friendship between us. Brother, I tell you that I am
extremely rejoiced at your arrival here, as you are
esteemed our elder brother; and I hope that, as you have
it amply in your power, you will restore our ancient
friendship, and establish it upon the former good footing;
to promote which we will contribute our weak endeavours
by affording all our assistance.———A BELT.

This is what your brethren have to say to you, who are
here present.

His lordship said:
I am much obliged to you for this mark of your friend-
ship, and I will consider of what you have said, and shall
return you an answer hereafter.

His excellency’s ANSWER to the Delawares and Six
Nation chiefs.
Brethren, I now wipe the tears from your eyes which
you may have shed for the loss of any of your people. I
remove the grief from your hearts which it may have
occasioned; I also clear your ears from any bad reports;
that you may now look upon your brethren, the Vir-
ginians, with friendship, and that you may believe what
I am about to say to you in your hearts, and receive it
with pleasuae.———A STRING.

Brethren, with these trifling goods I cover the graves
of your deceased friends, that the remembrance of your
grief upon that occasion may be buried in total oblivion.
CONDOLANCE PRESENT.

Brethren, Your desire is gratified: I do see clearly,
and the sweat and fatigue I have experienced on my jour-
ney here will be no cause of complaint to me, when I find
an opportunity to convince my brethren, the Delawares
and Six Nations, of my good intentions towards them.
You may be assured, brethren, that as I am now here pre-
sent, I shall be able to hear plainly, and to distinguish
clearly, what is just and unjust between me and my bre-
thren, the Indians.———A STRING.

Brethren, I am much obliged to you for the pains you
have taken to heal the sores made by the Shawanese, and
would have been very glad to have now given you a more
favourable answer as to them; but you yourselves must
be well acquainted how little the Shawanese deserve the
treatment of appellation of brethren from me, when in
the first place, they have not complied with the terms pre-
scribed to them by colonel Bouquet (and to which they
assented) of giving up the white prisoners, nor have they
ever truly buried the hatchet; for the next summer after
that treaty they killed a man upon the frontiers of my
government, the next year they killed eight of my people
upon Cumberland river, and brought their horses to their
towns, where they disposed of them (together with a con-
siderable quantity of peltry) to the traders from Penn-
sylvania; some time after one Martin, a trader from my

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government, was killed, with two men, on Hockocking,
by the Shawanese, only because they were Virginians,
at the same time permitting one Elliot to pass, only as
he was a Pennsylvanian. In the year 1771 twenty of my
people were robbed by them, when they carried away
19 horses, and as many hundred skins, with their guns,
clothes, &c. which they disposed of to one Callender and
Spiers, and other Pennsylvania traders, in their towns.
In the same year, on the waters of Kanhawa, in my go-
vernment, they killed Thomas Mann, one of my people,
and wounded his brother; the year following Adam
Stroud, another of my people, his wife, and seven chil-
dren, were most cruelly murdered on Elk waters; in the
next year they killed Richard, another of my people, on
the Kanhawa; a few moons after they killed Russel, one
of my people, and five white men and two negroes, in
Cumberland Gap, and also carried their horses and ef-
fects into their towns, where they were purchased by the
Pennsylvania traders. All these, with many other mur-
ders, they have committed upon my people before a drop
of Shawanese blood was spilt by them, and have conti-
nually perpetrated robberies upon my defenceless frontier
inhabitants, which at length irritated them so far that
they they began to retaliate.; I have now stated the dis-
pute between them and us and leave it to you to judge
what they merit.———A STRING.

Brethren, You desire me to listen to my brethren, the
Five Nations, the Mohawks, the Wyndotts, and also
my brethren the Delawares: I do so with the utmost at-
tention, and am well pleased to return you my thanks for
the pains you have taken, and am extremely happy and
exceeding desirous that the eyes of the western nations,
and all others, may be continually fixed upon me, for
then they will plainly see that my real intention and sin
cere desire is only to do justice to all parties. Brethren,
I hope our pleasure at meeting is mutual, and you may
be assured, from my late proceedings, that my good will
towards you is most sincere, and I rejoice equally with
you at the new life that your women and children have
acquired by my arrival, and I most sincerely wish that
they may long continue in a full enjoyment of peace and
happiness, to which I will most chearfully contribute my
utmost assistance.———A STRING.

Brethren, I am very glad to find that the chiefs of the
different nations have a due and friendly regard to the
friendship formerly subsisting between our forefathers,
which I shall be happy at all times to continue. I am
glad to observe that few (if any) of the foolish people
who have been the authors of the late troubles were in
any wise particularly connected with you; and I hope
that our ancient friendship is too strongly linked to be
broke by a few banditti of a distant nation. I own I am
very much rejoiced at my arrival here, as I hope it will
be the means of adding fresh strength to the ancient chain
of friendship subsisting between us, and particularly so,
as I see your inclinations are to facilitate this good work.
I acknowledge myself your elder brother, and shall upon
every occasion manifest my regard as such towards you;
and I do expect that you will continually look up to me
as your elder brother, from whom you may be assured of
the strongest marks of brotherly kindness, either in peace
or war. And as you may now be certain of protection
from your elder brother, I flatter myself you will conti-
nue to tread the ancient path towards him here, when he
will be answerable that the most ample justice shall be
done you.———A BELT.

At a conferrence held with several of the Delaware and
Mohawk chiefs.

Intelligence received from captain Pipe.
At my arrival at the lower Shawanese towns, I was
told by the Corn Stalk that he was much rejoiced to hear
from his brethren, the white people, in the spring, upon
the first disturbances; that he had, in consequence there-
of, ordered all his young people to remain quiet, and
not to molest the traders, but to convey them safe to
their grandfathers, the Delawares, where they would be
safe. The Shawanese chiefs declared they were well
pleased to hear from their brethren, the English, and
that they had spoke to all their young people to remain
quiet. Upon his arrival at the Standing Stone, he sent
word to the Shawanese to assemble their counsellors, but,
as they were out a hunting, it could not be immediately
effected. The principal warriors always listened to the
chiefs, and had no hostile intentions. The mischiefs
which had been done were perpetrated by the foolish
young people, but that now, as soon as they were as-
sembled, they would be able to prevent any thing of that
nature for the future. The Shawanese told me that a
party of Twightwees, one of Taawas, and a party of
Wyndots, were as far advanced, on their way to war
against the white people, as their towns; but that they
had advised them to return; that they expected the war,
which threatened then, would be extinguished, as they
now endeavoured at peace.

Pluggy, a Mohawk, who was questioned whether he
knew of these parties, said that some hunters who were
of the Wyndots and Taawas, came to the Shawanese
towns to hear news, but were sent back.

Speech of the Mohicons to the Shawanese.
Brethren, Formerly you came to us on the other side
of the mountains, and told us we were your older
brothers, desiring us to come over and shew ourselves to
your grandfathers, the Delawares, that they might know
our relationship: We did so, and as one people held fast
the same chain of friendship; but now we see you only
holding by one hand, whilst you keep a tomhawk in the
other. We desire you therefore to sit down, and not be
so haughty, but pity your women and children: We
therefore take the tomhawk out of your hands, and put
it into the hands of your grandfathers, the Delawares,
who are good judges, and know how to dispose of it.

The Shawanese answer.
Brethren, We are glad to hear what you have said, and
that you have taken the tomhawk out of our hands; and

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given it to our grandfathers, the Delawares; but for
our parts, we are not sensible that we have had the tom-
hawk in our hands. It is true some foolish young people
may have found one, out of our sight, hid in the grass,
and may have made use of it; but that tomhawk which
we formerly held, has been long since buried, and we
have not since raised it.

There was a great deal of consultation amongst the
different nations while I was at their towns, but nothing
particularly relative to what is now in question.

Colonel Stephen demanded of captain Pipe how he
was received by the Shawanese, who says, that he ar-
rived there about noon, and after having cleared their
eyes and opened their ears, in the common form, that
they had a great dance, and afterwards came to him;
and, upon hearing what he had to say, expressed their
satisfaction by saying, they hoped their friendship was
now renewed. Though he heard some of the young
people expressing a threatening at the Delawares so much
interfering in their quarrel with the white people; that
if they had any thing to say, they wondered why the
white people did not come themselves to speak.

The Delawares said, that as the sentiments of the
Shawanese were now known, that if the governor had
an inclination, they would join him in any thing he had
to offer to them for the promotion of peace and the re-
storation of harmony to the country.

REPLY of the MOHAWKS, and DELAWARE CHIEFS, to
his Lordship’s answer: Present captain White Eyes, captain Pipe,
captain Wingenum, Delawares; captain Pluggy, and Big Apple Tree,
Mohawks. Captain White Eyes spoke in behalf of the Delawares.
BROTHER, Your brethren, here present, are very happy to have
heard your good speeches, and are glad to find that you acknowledge
yourself their elder brother. We acquainted you that our sincere desire
was, that the peace between us, and our brethren the English, should
be upon a lasting footing. We now are convinced that it will be upon a
sure and permanent foundation, as our children may have an opportunity
of being instructed in the christian religion. We shall acquaint all the
tribes of Indians of what has here passed between us, and we are satis-
fied that it will be very satisfactory to them, to hear the good talk from
our older brother. For my part, I can assure you, brother, that, for my
tribe, I can answer, even for the foolish young people thereof, that they
will not be the cause of any disturbance in any manner whatever here-
after, either by theft or otherwise, or given cause of any trouble to your
people. The chiefs of the other tribes of our nation will confirm what I
have now said as soon as they have an opportunity.———A STRING.

BROTHER, as your brethren the Shawanese, are desirous to speak to
you by themselves, I hope you will listen to them. I will desire them
to speak to you; and that you may there have an opportunity of speak-
ing together, I would be glad to acquaint them when they could see you,
to enter into conference. I am much obliged to you for the promise you
have given me that justice shall be done us in the trade here, and that
proper persons shall be appointed to see that we are fairly dealt with. I
shall acquaint the young men with it, that they may come to trade in
their usual manner.

The BIG APPLE TREE Mohawk spoke.
BROTHER, this day it has pleased God that we should meet together;
we who are sent on behalf of another nation. The Shawanese told me
that they heard there was something yet good remaining in the heart of
the Big Knife. They desired me to take their hearts into our hands,
and speak strongly on their behalf to the Big Knife. I am glad the Shaw-
anese, my younger brethren, have desired me to undertake this business,
if I can serve them; and I am equally rejoiced at the appearance thereof,
from your good speeches. You may be assured, that as they have de-
livered themselves into our care, we shall do our endeavour to induce them
to pursue proper measures to restore peace. You may be also assured that
your brother, the chief of the Wyndots, will also assist me in taking care
that our younger brothers, the Shawanese, act a prudent part. Where-
soever, brother, you build your council fire, to speak to the Shawanese,
you may be assured that we, the Mohawks, with our brethren the Wyn-
dots, will come with them to speak also, and that we hope peace then
will be restored and established on a permanent footing.——A STRING.

His LORDSHIP’s answer.
BRETHREN,
I shall consider of what you have said, and will give you an answer
this afternoon.

His lordship’s ANSWER to their REPLY.
Brethren, I am glad to find that what I have said in our late confer-
rence has been satisfactory to you; and you may be assured that whatever
I have promised shall be confirmed, so that my actions shall convince you
of the sincerity of my heart. I am glad to find you have a desire of in-
structing your children in the christian religion, which will be the cause
of peace remaining between us on a lasting footing, and of adding happi-
ness to your own nation.———A STRING.

Brethren, I have already informed you, of the evil disposition of the
Shawanese towards us, but to convince you how ready the Big Knife is to do
justice, at all times, even to their greatest enemies. At the request of
my good brethren, the Six Nations, and you, the Delawares, I will be
ready and willing to hear any good speeches which the Shawanese may
have to deliver to me, either at Whelin (where I soon purpose to be) or
if they should not meet me there, at the Little Kanhawa, or some where
lower down the river.———A STRING.

Brethren, the Mohawks, You will hear, by my speech to my younger
brethren, the Delawares, that I am prevailed upon to listen to the Shaw-
anese, notwithstanding their bad behaviour towards my people; and as I
am prevailed upon merely by the confidence I repose in the friendship of
by brethren the Wyndots, and Five nations, I expect this will be looked
upon as a strong proof of my regard towards them. And as it is your
wish, I will meet the Shawanese at one of the places mentioned in my
answer to my younger brethren, the Delawares, provided they are led to
the council fire by my brethren the Mohawks, the Wyndots, and the
Delawares, as I shall be satisfied, that whatever they may then promise,
you, my brethren, will see them strictly adhere to.———A STRING.

The Delawares reply.
Brother, We are much rejoiced to hear what you have
now said, and believe it to be sincere; and you may be
satisfied that I, in behalf of my people, will endeavour
to convince you that we are so. When the Delawares,
the Six Nations, the Shawanese, and you, our elder
brother, meet together, you will then see who are sin-
cere in their friendship: In a short time it will be seen;
for those who are determined on good will not fail to
meet you. I shall speak to the Shawanese, and, if their
intentions are equal to their professions, they will see you.
but, on behalf of my people, I promise to meet you.
This is all I have to say at this time; but you may be
certain that myself, captain Pipe, and captain Winginum,
will wait on you.

We also learn, on the best authority, that his excel-
lency intends to return to this city in time to meet the
general assembly on the third day of next month, to
which time they were prorogued by his excellency’s last
proclamation.

WILLIAMSBURG:
Printed by JOHN PINKNEY, for the benefit of
CLEMENTINA RIND’S children.