OF LAXCASTBR COUNTY. 21 



among enemies, and had been obliged to save liimself by flight; and so 

 had lost all. This was true, in part; for he had disposed of some of his 

 things among the Irish for strong liquors. Upon further talk, he told 

 me very cheerfully, 'that God fed everything which had life, even the 

 rattle snake itself, though it was a bad creature; and that God would 

 also provide, in such a manner that he should get alive to Onondacjo ; he 

 knew for certain that he should go thither ; that it was visible God was 

 with the Indians in the wilderness; because they always cast their care 

 upon him ; but that, contrary to this, the Europeans always carried bread 

 with them.' He was an Onondago Indian; his name was OnontagJceta; 

 the next day we traveled in company; and the day following I provided 

 him with a knife, hatchet, flint, and tinder, also shoes and stockings, and 

 sent him before me, to give notice to the council, at Onondago^ that I was 

 coming; which he truly performed, being got thither three days before us. 

 '"Two years ago I was sent by the Governor to ShamoUn, on account 

 of the unhappy death of John Armstrong^ the Indian trader^ (about 174:4). 

 After I had performed my errand, there was a feast prepared; to which 

 the Governor's messengers were invited: there were about one hundred 

 persons present, to whom, after we had in great silence devoured a lat 

 bear, the eldest of the chiefs made a speech, in which he said, 'that, by 

 a great misfortune three of their brethren, the xvhite men, had been killed 

 by an Indian; that nevertheless the sun was not set, (meaning there was 

 no war); it had only been somewhat darkened by a small cloud, which 

 was now done away; he that had done evil was like to be punished, and 

 the land to remain in peace: therefore he exhorted his people to thanh- 

 f Illness to God; and thereupon he began to sing with an awful solemnity, 

 but without expressing any words ;- the others accompanied him with their 

 voices: after they had done, the same Indian,. with great earnestness, or 

 fervor, spoke these words: ^Thanks, thanks, he to thee, thou great Lord of 

 the loorld, in that thou hast again caused the sun to shine, and, hast dispersed^ 

 the dark cloud — the Indians are thine.'' "' 



"The strongest passion of an Indian's soul is revenge. To gratif}^ it, 

 distance, danger, and toil are held as nothing. But there is no manliness 

 in his vengeance. He loves to steal upon his enemy in the silence of the 

 forest, or in his midnight slumbers, and to glut himself, like a ravenous 

 wolf, in undistinguished slaughter. In war, not even the captive was 

 spared, unless he were adopted to supply the place of a deceased member 

 of the capturing nation. If not thus preserved, he was destined to per- 

 ish, in protracted torture, under the hands of women and children. On 

 the other hand, hospitality and respect for the property of others, were 

 their distinguishing virtues. Strangers were treated Avith great attention 

 and kindness, their wants liberally supplied, and their persons considered 

 sacred. To the needy and suffering of their own tribes they cheerfully 



