1690.] THE IROQUOIS IN COUNCIL. 199 



not to listen to the envoys from Canada. When he 

 had ended, they spent some time in consultation 

 among themselves, and at length agreed on the 

 following message, addressed to Corlaer, or New 

 York, and to Kinshon, the Fish, by which they 

 meant New England, the authorities of which had 

 sent them the image of a fish as a token of 

 alliance : 1 — 



" Brethren, our council fire burns at Albany. 

 "We will not go to meet Onontio at Fort Frontenac. 

 We will hold fast to the old chain of peace with 

 Corlaer, and we will fight with Onontio. Brethren, 

 we are glad to hear from you that you are pre- 

 paring to make war on Canada, but tell us no 

 lies. 



" Brother Kinshon, we hear that you mean to 

 send soldiers against the Indians to the eastward ; 

 but we advise you, now that we are all united 

 against the French, to fall upon them at once. 

 Strike at the root : when the trunk is cut clown, 

 all the branches fall with it. 



" Courage, Corlaer ! courage, Kinshon ! Go to 

 Quebec in the spring ; take it, and you will have 

 your feet on the necks of the French and all their 

 friends." 



Then they consulted together again, and agreed 

 on the following answer to Ourehaoue and Fron- 

 tenac : — 



" Ourehaoue, the whole council is glad to hear 

 that you have come back. 



1 The wooden image of a codfish still hangs in the State House at 

 Boston, the emblem of a colony which lived chiefly by the fisheries. 



