46 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



have referred to Corlaer's informal visit when they said, Sep. 24, 

 1659: "■ Brothers, 16 years have now passed since we made the 

 first treaty of friendship and brotherhood between you and all 

 the Dutch, whom we then joined together with an iron chain. 

 Since that time it has never been broken either by us or by our 

 brothers and we have no fear that it will be broken by either 

 side." 



It would be easy to bring other proof that this supposed early 

 Tawasentha council with the Iroquois was never held, but the 

 practical fact remains that Indian trade began at Fort Orange 

 or Albany, and that it speedily penetrated farther. The Min- 

 quas, or Susquehannas, lived on the lower waters of the Sus- 

 quehanna river and were kindred to the Iroquois. They were 

 visited by Capt. Cornells Hendricksen, who made a report of his 

 discoveries, Aug. 18, 1616. Among other things, " he also traded 

 for, and bought from the inhabitants, the Minquaes, three per- 

 sons, being people belonging to this company; which three per- 

 sons were employed in the service of the Mohawks and Machi- 

 cans; giving for them kettles, beads and merchandise." It has 

 been reasonably supposed that these Dutch traders among the 

 Mohawks were taken prisoners by their enemies, the Minquas, 

 and that on their knowledge of the country the maps of 1614 

 and 1616 were partially founded. Farther we know not. 



War between the Mahikans and Mohawks interfered with the 

 Albanv trade at times and in these hostilities the Dutch became 

 involved in 1625. The commander at Fort Orange assisted the 

 Mahikans, but the Mohawks beat the combined party and killed 

 him and six of his men, cooking and eating one of them and 

 sending portions to their villages to show they were superior to 

 the white men. Yet the Mohawks bore no malice. Peter 

 Barentsen visited them a few davs later and thev said thev 

 would not have injured the Dutch had they not meddled with 

 them. After this hostile episode there was no farther trouble. 



The Dutch did not at once sell guns to the Iroquois and were 

 shrewd enough to withhold them from the River Indians when 

 furnishing the others, but whether they sold arrowheads to both 



