54 AUTHENTIC HISTORY OF LANCASTER COUNTY. 



and a Present now and then for the Eelief of their Necessities, which 

 have in some measure been brought upon them by their Intercourse 

 with us, and by our yearly extending our Settlements, will probably tye 

 them more closely to the British Interest. This has been the Method of 

 Newyork and Pennsylvania, and will not put you to so much Expense 

 in Twenty Years as the carrying on a War against them will do in One. 

 The French very well know the Importance of these Nations to us, and 

 will not fail by Presents and their other usual Arts to take advantage 

 of any Misunderstandings we may have with them.^ 



" But I will detain You, Gentlemen, no longer. Your own Superior 

 knowledge will suggest to You more than I can say on this Subject. 



"Friends and Brethren, Sachems or Chiefs of the Indians of the Six 

 Nations : 



"These, Your Brethren of Virginia and Maryland, are come to enlarge 

 the Fire, which was almost gone out, and to make it burn clearer to 

 brighten the Chain which had contracted some rust, and to renew their 

 Friendship with you which it is their desire may last so long as the Sun, 

 the Moon, and the Starrs shall give light. Their Powers are derived 

 from the Great King of England your Father, and whatever conclusions 

 they shall come to with you will be as firm and Binding as if the Gov- 

 ernors of these Provinces were themselves here. I am your Brother, 

 and which is more, I am your true Friend. As you know from Expe- 

 peprience that I am so, I will now give you a few words of Advice : Re- 

 ceive these your Brethren with open Arms; Unite yourselves to them 

 in the Covenant Chain, and be you with them as one Body and one 

 Soul. I make no doubt but the Governor of Canada has been taking 

 pains to widen the Breache between these your Brethren of Virginia 

 and you ; but as you cannot have forgot the Hatred the French have 

 always borne to your Nations, and how kindly on the contrary you have 

 been treated, and how Faithfully you have been protected by the Great 

 King of England and his Subjects, you will not be at a loss to see into 

 the Designs of that Governor. He wants to divide you from Us, in order 

 the more easily to destroy you, which he will most certainly do if you 

 suffer yourselves to be deluded by him. 



"As to what relates to the Friendship establish'd between the Gov- 

 ernment of Pennsylvania and your Nations, I will take another day to 

 speak to you upon it." 



1 The two preceeding Paragraphs were allow'd by the Commissioners of Virginia, 

 whilst they were at Philadelphia, to be very Proper to be spoken by the Governor of 

 Pennsylvania at the opening of the Treaty, but taking up an Opinion from what passed 

 at the first Friendly Interview with the Indians, that they would not make any Claim 

 upon Lands within the Government of Virginia, the Governor consented to decline 

 speaking to them in the Presence of the Indians. 



