SUPPOSED WELCH INDIANS. 135 



After pafling the mountains 'they entered a fine fertile tra& Traditional ac- 



©f land, whicli-'havimr travelled through tor levcra! days, they' coant ; )f A inhabi - 



. , ■ s ,. J / tants of America 



accidentally met with three white men in the ■ Ittttian oreis. fuopofrd to have 

 Griffith immediately undcrftood their language, as it was ofjg' in:lte<i ^om 

 pure Welch, though they oceafionally made ufe tit' a few words 

 with which he was not acquainted. However, as it happened 

 to be the turn of one of his Shawnees companions tO*a& as 

 (poke fm an or interpreter, he vprel'erved a profound iiler.ee, 

 and never, gave them any intimation that he underftood the 

 language of their new companions. 



After proceeding with them; foqr or five days journey, they 

 came to the village of thefe white --men, where they found 

 that die whole nation was of thte fame colour, having all the 

 iLuropeah complexion. 'The'three men took them through 

 their villages for about the fpace of fifteen miles; .when ^hefy 

 came to the council-houfe, at which an atfembly of the king 

 and chief men of the nation was immediately held. The 

 council lafted three days, and as the Grangers were not fup- 

 pofed to be acquainted with their language, -they were fuf- 

 fered to be prefent at thei-r deliberations,. 



, Tbe great queftion before the council was, what conduct 

 fiiould be obferved towards the grangers. From their fire- 

 arms, their knives, and their tomahawks, it was concluded that 

 they were a warlike people. It was conceived, that they were 

 font to look out for a country for their nation ; that it" they were 

 <u tiered to return, they might expect a body of powerful in- 

 vaders;, but that if ihefe fix men were put to death, nothing 

 would be known of their country, and they would It i 11 enjoy 

 their pofle'Jions in fecurity. It was finally determined that they 

 mould be put to death. 



Griffith then thought it was time for him to fpeak. He ad- 

 drefled the council in the WelPn language, tie informed them, 

 that they had not been fent by any nation ; that they were 

 actuated merely by private ouriofity, they had no-^oftile in- 

 tentions; that it was their with to trace the Mufouri to its 

 fource; and that they mould return to their country fatisfied 

 with the difcoveries they had made, witiiout any wifh to dis- 

 turb the repofe of their new acquaintances. 



An inftantaftonilhmetu glowed in the countenances, not only 

 of the council, but ot his Shawhees companions, who clearly 

 faw that he was uoderftood by the people of:the country. : Full 



confidence 



