LANCASTER COUifTY. 51 



^ CHAPTER V. 



Oause of disquietude among the Indians — Indians at Conestogo send a 

 messenger to the Council — Mitchel and other Europeans intrude upon the 

 Indians — Governor Evans' explanation of Mitchcl's course — Critical junc- 

 ture — Evans re-called — Gookin appointed Governor — Penn's embarraae- 

 ment — Penn mortgages the province — Quit-rents — Emigration impeded 

 — Gookin sends a message to the Indians at Conestogo — Mingoes and 

 others appear in Philadelphia — Gookin's visit to Conestogo — Swediah 

 Missionary at Conestogo — His sermon and Indian chiefs answer — 

 French and Worley on a message to Conestogo. 



The disquietude among the Indians still was such as 

 to render it necessary, shortly after the Governor's 

 return, to despatch a message to them by Martin Char- 

 tier, who was returning from Philadelphia to his trading 

 ■tation among the Shawanois, at Pecquea, near Cones- 

 togo. The great uneasiness among them was frequently 

 occasioned by non-licensed and non-resident transient 

 traders and speculators among them, or those who sought 

 to mend their future fortunes by seeking out, locating 

 and purchasing the choice vacant lands from the proprie- 

 tary's commissioners. Such appears to have been the 

 case about Conestogo, in 1707. Among those, at this 

 time, was one Lewis Mitchel, or Michelle, who was em- 

 ployed and sent out, about the year 1703 or 4, by the 

 Canton of Bern, in Switzerland, to search for vacant 

 lands in Pennsylvania, Virginia or Carolina.* 



The Indians^ at Conestogo, sent a message to the 

 council, by Harry, the interpreter. The Governor was 

 absent. The council convened to receive the message in 

 form. As his credentials, Harry laid upon the hoard six 

 loose strings of wampum, and declared that he was sent 



*WilUamson,I. C. 6. 



5* 



