1763, July.] ANOTHER PARLEY. 23 



whom were Shingas, Turtle's Heart, and others, 

 who had hitherto maintamed an appearance of 

 friendship. Being admitted to a council, one of 

 them addressed Captain Ecuyer and his officers 

 to the following effect : — 



" Brothers, what we are about to say comes from 

 our hearts, and not from our lips. 



" Brothers, we wish to hold fast the chain of 

 friendship — that ancient chain which our fore- 

 fathers held with their brethren the English. You 

 have let your end of the chain fall to the ground, 

 but ours is still fast within our hands. Why do 

 you complain that our young men have fired at 

 your soldiers, and killed your cattle and your 

 horses'? You yourselves are the cause of this. 

 You marched your armies into our country, and 

 built forts here, though we told you, again and 

 again, that we wished you to remove. My Broth- 

 ers, this land is ours, and not yours. 



" My Brothers, two days ago we received a great 

 belt of wampum from the Ottawas of Detroit, and 

 the message they sent us was in these words : — 



" ' Grandfathers the Delawares, by this belt we 

 inform you that in a short time we intend to pass, 

 in a very great body, through your country, on our 

 way to strike the English at the forks of the Ohio. 

 Grandfathers, you know us to be a headstrong 

 people. We are determined to stop at nothing; 

 and as we expect to be very hungry, we will seize 

 and eat up every thing that comes in our way.' ^ 



" Brothers, you have heard the words of the 



1 This is a common Indian metaphor. To destroy an enemy is, in 

 their phrase, to eat him. 



