248 TRANSACTIONS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VOL. V. 



occasion the Americans brought a body of Indians into the field some 

 of whom were taken prisoners in the pursuit. Brant entered New York 

 with the victorious army and witnessed the incendiary fires by which one- 

 fourth of the city was laid in ashes. 



He had at first formed the project of proceeding up the Hudson as 

 far as Albany ; whence he hoped to be able to make his way to the 

 villages of his tribe, which he learned was quite inactive, apparently 

 waiting for instructions or overawed by numbers. He lingered at New 

 York nearly two months longer in the hope that a passage might be 

 opened for him in that direction, but finding then that there appeared 

 to be little prospect of this, he requested General Howe's permission to 

 attempt to penetrate through the enemy's country to the Susquehanna 

 where the nearest villages of the Six Nations were to be found, a dis- 

 tance of more than 200 miles. This would have been a dangerous 

 undertaking for a white man ; it was doubly dangerous for an Indian* 

 Although he warmly approved of the service which Brant proposed to 

 render by this daring journey, Howe is said to have given his consent 

 very reluctantly owing to the evident risk attending it. All his instruc- 

 tions were given verbally for fear of capture, and Colonel Johnson 

 authorized him to have a belt of wampum made as soon as he reached 

 his destination, which he was to speak upon and deliver in his name. 



It was not until nearly the end of November that Brant left New 

 York accompanied by Captain Gilbert Tice of the Indian Department. 

 They crossed the Hudson at Kingsbridge, adroitly passed the enemy's 

 lines in the dark, and struck directly for the Susquehanna. But as they 

 had a great extent of hostile country to pass through, swarming with 

 patrols and armed parties of the enemy, they were forced to conceal 

 themselves during the day and travel by night only, until they reached 

 the Indian village of Oquago on that river. They were warmly 

 welcomed by the inhabitants to whom Brant was already well known. 

 Upon learning his wishes they almost unanimously agreed to put them- 

 selves under his command and act against the Americans. He next 

 went to the Delaware settlement on the west branch, of the Susquehanna 

 where he was equally successful. Four days journey then took him to 

 Chenussio (Genesee), the first village of the Senecas. Here again he was 

 well received and promised assistance. After a march of three days 

 from Chenussio, he arrived at Fort Niagara which he designed to make 

 his base of operations. From Colonel Butler, the acting Superintend- 

 ent of the Indians, he met with rather a chilling reception, probably 

 due to the fact that that officer had received peremptory instructions to 

 prevent the Indians from making any attack or committing the slightest 



