92 AUTHENTIC HISTORY 



count was such that we could not sleep until the last time the Governor 

 and his people were up here, and which time we had some hopes given 

 us of adjusting the matter, since the murderers are all dead, save one, 

 who is gone to Messassippi." 



To which the Governor answered : 



That the laws of England were such that whosoever killed a man 

 must run the same fate ; yet considering the previous circumstances to 

 that murder, the length of the time since the account, the distance of 

 place where acted from the Government, and before my coming here^ 

 and the persons all, save one, who is absconded since, are dead, I am 

 willing to forbear further prosecution on enquiring into it, but withal 

 caution you if any such thing hereafter falls out, you may be assured I 

 shall as well know how to do justice, as I have now showed you mercy. 

 For which they return the Governor their hearty thanks, and Opessah 

 assures that if hereafter any such thing should happen, he himself would 

 be executioner, and burn them that should dare do it. 



The Senequois acquaint: 



"That Opessah being thereto solicited by John Hans Steelman, had sent 

 out some of his people, either to bring back or kill Francis De Le Tore 

 and his company. Opessah, he affirms, was entirely innocent, for that 

 John Hans came to his cabin, where he and his ycrung people (who were 

 there going a hunting,) were in council, told him that some of his slaves 

 and dogs (meaning Le Tore and company) were fled, therefore desired 

 him forthwith to send some of his people to bring them back or kill 

 them, and take goods for their trouble, at which motive Opessah being 

 surprised, told him that he ought, by no means, to discourse after that 

 manner before young people who were going to the woods, and might, 

 by accident, meet those people, and therefore ordered him to desist, utter- 

 ly denying his reqiiest." 



The Senoquois also acquainted the Governor that Le Tore had taken 

 a boy from them, and had sold him at New York, and requested the 

 Governor would enquire after him, that he might hear irom him again. 



"The expedition to Canada proved most disastrous.^ Colonel Nichol- 

 son, under whom served Colonels Schuyler, Whiting, and Ingoldsby, mus- 

 tered at Albany two thousand colonists, one thousand Germans, from the 

 palatinate, and one thousand of the Five Nation Indians, who commenced 

 their march towards Canada on the twenty-eighth of August. The troops 

 from Boston, composed of seven veteran regiments, of the duke of Marl- 

 borough's army, one battalHon of marines, and two provincial regiments, 

 amounting to six thousand four hundred men, sailed on board of sixty- 

 eight vessels, the thirtieth of July, and arrived off the St. Lawrence on 

 the fourteenth of August. In ascending the river, the fleet, by the un- 



1 Gordon. 



