LANCASTKR COrXTT. 175 



for building a fort at Niagara Falls, but they had since 

 declined it ; he knew not for what reasons ; and they 

 (the French) had sent to his town (the Isanandonas) this 

 last winter a great deal of powder to be distributed 

 among them, but nothing was done upon iL Being 

 particularly asked whether the French had ever treated 

 with tliem about any of their lands, or whether the 

 Idians had ever granted the French any* He answered, 

 no ! tliat his people knew the French too well to treat 

 with diem about lands ; they had never done it, or ever 

 gi'anted them any upon any account whatsoever, and of 

 this he said, we might assure ourselves. Thus the day 

 was spent in such discourses, with a pipe and some 

 small mixed liquors, and the next morning Ghesaont, 

 with the rest of his company, returning from the Indian 

 town to John Cartledge, took their leaves very affec. 

 tionately, with great expressions of thankfulness to the 

 Governor and this Government for their kind receptioiL" 

 Siiortly after the treaty held at Conestoga, the Go- 

 vernor received mforniaUon that the Indians were likely 

 to be disturbed by the secret and miderhanded practices 

 a{ persons, both from INIarj'land and Philadelphia, who, 

 under tlie pretence of finding a copper mine, were about 

 to survey and take up lands on the other side of the Sus-. 

 quehannah, contrary to a former order of Government; 

 Keith determined to prevent this. He not only sent a 

 special messenger with a writ under the lesser seal, but 

 himself went to the upper parts of Chester county to 

 locate a small quantity of land, for which he purchased 

 an original proprietaiy right ; on his v/ay, he understood 

 that some persons were actually come with a Mary land 

 7-ighJ: to survey lands upon the Susquehamia, fifteen 

 miles above Conestoga; he pursued his course directly 

 to that place, and fortunately arrived but a very 



