The Indian Wars, 1784-1787 121 



the Miamis the hostile party was still stronger. A 

 few Indians would come to one of the forts and 

 make a treaty on behalf of their tribe, at the very 

 moment that the other members of the same tribe 

 were murdering and ravaging among the exposed 

 settlements or were harrying the boats that went 

 down the Ohio. All the tribes that entered into the 

 treaties of peace were represented among the dif 

 ferent parties of marauders. Over the outlaw 

 bands there was no pretence of control; and their 

 successes, and the numerous scalps and quantities 

 of plunder they obtained, made them very danger 

 ous examples to the hot-blooded young warriors 

 everywhere. Perhaps the most serious of all ob 

 stacles to peace was the fact that the British still 

 kept the lake posts. 8 



The Indians who did come in to treat were sullen, 

 and at first always insisted on impossible terms. 

 They would finally agree to mutual concessions, 

 would promise to keep their young men from ma 

 rauding, and to allow surveys to be made, provided 

 the settlers were driven off all lands which the In 

 dians had not yielded; and, after receiving many 

 gifts, would depart. The representatives of the 

 Federal Government would then at once set about 

 performing their share of the agreement, the most 

 important part of which was the removal of the 

 settlers who had built cabins on the Indian lands 

 west of the Ohio. The Federal authorities, both 



8 Do., Letters of H. Knox, No. 150, Vol. 1, pp. 107, 112, 115, 

 123, 149, 243, 269, etc. 

 VOL. VII, 6 



