552 INDIAN LAND CESSIONS IN THE UNITED STATES [eth.ann. 18 



A "Deed from the Five Nations to the King, of their Beaver Hunt- 

 ing Ground," made at Albany, New York. July 19, 1701. This, which 

 is somewhat peculiar, is as follows:' 



To all Christian & Indian people in this parte of the world and in Europe over 

 the great salt waters, to whom thi; presents shall come— Wee the Sachims Chief 

 men, Capf' and representatives of the Five nations or Cantons of Indians called 

 the Maqiiase Oneydes Onnandages and Sinnekes living in the Government of New 

 Yorke in America, to the north west of Albany on this side the Lake Cadarachijui 

 sendeth greeting — Bee it known unto you that our ancestors to our certain knowl- 

 edge have had, time out of mind a fierce and bloody warr with seaven nations of 

 Indians called the Aragaritkas - whose Chief cnuiand was called successively Choha- 

 hise — The land is scituate lyeing and being northwest antl by west from Albany begin- 

 ning on the south west' side of Cadarachqui lake and includes all that waste Tract 

 of Land lyeing between the great lake off Ottowawa^ and the lake called by the 

 natives Sahiquage and by the Christians the lake of Swege' and runns till it butts 

 upon the Twichtwichs and is bounded on the right hand by a place called Quadoge^ 

 conteigning in length about eight hundred miles and in bredth four hundred miles 

 incluiling the country where the bevers the deers. Elks and such beasts keep and 

 the place called Tieugsachrondio, alias Fort de Tret or Wawyachteuok and so runs 

 round the lake of Swege till you come to place called Oniadarondaquat which is 

 about twenty miles from the Sinuekes Castles which said seaven nations our prede- 

 cessors did four score years agoe totally conquer and subdue and drove them out of 

 that country and had peaceable and quiet possession of the same to hunt beavers 

 (which was the motive caused us to war for the same) for three score years it being 

 the only chief place for hunting in this parte of the world that ever wee heard of 

 and after that wee had been sixty years sole masters and owners of the said land 

 enjoying peaceable hunting without any internegation, a remnant of one of the 

 seaven nations called Tionondade whom wee had expelled and drove away came and 

 settled there twenty years agoe disturbed our beaver hunting against which nation 

 wee have warred ever since and would have subdued them long ere now had not they 

 been assisted and succoured by the French of Canada, and whereas the (iovernour of 

 Canada aforesaid hath lately sent a considerable force to a place called Tjeughsagh- 

 ronde the principall passe that commands said land to build a Forte there without 

 our leave and consent, by which means they will possess themselves of that excellent 

 country where there is not only a very good soile but great plenty of all maner of 

 wild beasts in such quantities that there is no maner of trouble in killing of them 

 and also will be sole masters of the Boar' hunting whereby wee shall be deprived 

 of our livelyhood and siibsistance and brought to perpetual bondage and slavery, 

 and wee having subjected ourselves and lands on this side of Cadarachqui lake wholy 

 to the Crown of England wee the said Sachims chief men Capt"" and representa- 

 tives of the Five nations after mature deliberation out of a deep sence of the many 

 Eoyall favours extended to us by the jiresent great Monarch of England King Will- 

 iam the third, and in consideration also that wee have lived peaceably and quietly 

 with the people of albany our fellow subjects above eighty years when wee first 

 made a firm league and covenant chain with these Christians that first came to set- 

 tle Albany on this river which covenant chain hath been yearly renewed and kept 

 bright and clear by all the Goveruours successively and many neighbouring Govern- 



'Kew York Colonial Docnraents, vol. iv, p. 908. 



^HuroDB. 



^Northwest. See next page, line 12. 



■• Lake Huron. 



'Lake Erie. 



^ At the head of Lake Michijian. Mitchell's Map of Xorth America, 1755. Now, Chicago, according 

 to Map of the British Dominions in North America, 1763, prefixed to Oharlevoix't Voyages, S°, Doblin, 

 1766. 



'.Sic. (,tuery — Beaver.' 



