160 THE IROQUOIS INVASION. [1687-88. 



you shall be att Albany. What you alleage con- 

 cerning my assisting the Sinnakees (Senecas) with 

 arms and ammunition to warr against you was 

 never given by mee untill the sixt of August last, 

 when understanding of your unjust proceedings 

 in invading the King my Master's territorys in a 

 hostill manner, I then gave them powder, lead, and 

 armes, and united the five nations together to de- 

 fend that part of our King's dominions from your 

 jnjurious invasion. And as for offering them men, in 

 that you doe me wrong, our men being all buisy then 

 at their harvest, and I leave itt to your judgment 

 whether there was any occasion when only foure 

 hundred of them engaged with your whole army. 

 I advise you to send home all the Christian and 

 Indian prisoners the King of England's subjects 

 you unjustly do deteine. This is what I have 

 thought fitt to answer to your reflecting and pro- 

 voking letter." * 



As for the French claims to the Iroquois country 

 and the upper lakes, he turned them to ridicule. 

 They were founded, in part, on the missions estab- 

 lished there by the Jesuits. " The King of China,' ' 

 observes Dongan, " never goes anywhere without 

 two Jessuits with him. I wonder you make not 

 the like pretence to that Kingdome." He speaks 

 with equal irony of the claim based on discovery : 

 " Pardon me if I say itt is a mistake, except you will 

 affirme that a few loose fellowes rambling amongst 

 Indians to keep themselves from starving gives the 

 French a right to the Countrey." And of the claim 



i Dongan to Denonville, 9 Sept., 1687, in N. Y. Col. Docs., III. 472. 



