312 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



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they received, was, that the English arm 

 amounted to five thousand ; and they concluded 

 it would be the safest to return to their advan- 

 ced posts, and receive them there. If Charle- 

 voix, the French historian, is to be credited,, 

 the Indians of the five nations were doubtful 

 vvhether the complete success of the English 

 army would be best for them. Upon the au- 

 thority of father Mareuil, who had been a pris- 

 oner at Albany, he relates that a grand council 

 of Indians was held at Onondago, that one of 

 their old men made a speech in the council, 

 and asjvcd them whether they were not sensible 

 tliat they were situated between two powerful 

 nations,, either of which were able to extirpate 

 their tribes ; and would not fail to do it, when 

 either of them had fully subdued the other. . 

 He then advised them not to adopt any measures 

 that would tend to destroy their own importance * 

 and. independence; but to pursue their formerpo- 

 licy, and. to be at peace or war with either nation^:, 

 as should best tend to keep up the contest be- 

 tween them. The speech and policy of the 

 aged Sachem made a great impr-^ssion on the, 

 assembly ; and according to Mareuil, the Indi- 

 ans were not active in assisting Nicholson, but 

 rather wished to pollute the water from which 

 his army drank, and to impede their progress. 

 But whatever might be the circumstances, an 

 event in Portugal put an end to the whole ex- 

 pedition. And the plan concerted and urged 

 by the British ministry served no other purpose 

 than to produce the loss of a great part of Nich- 

 olson's army, to entail a heavy debt on the En- 

 glish colonies, to dishonour them in the view 



