46 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 
have referred to Corlaer’s informal visit when they said, Sep. 24, 
1659: “Brothers, 16 years have now passed since we made the 
first treaty of friendship and brotherhood between you and all | 
the Dutch, whom we then joined together with an iron chain. i 
Since that time it has never been broken either by us or by our 
brothers and we have no fear that it will be broken by either 
side.” 3 
It would be easy to bring other proof that this supposed early | 
Tawasentha council with the Iroquois was never held, but the’ 
practical fact remains that Indian trade began at Fort Orange 
or Albany, and that it speedily penetrated farther. The Min- || 
quas, or Susquehannas, lived on the lower waters of the Sus- | 
quehanna river and were kindred to the Iroquois. They were 
visited by Capt. Cornelis Hendricksen, who made a report of his_ | 
discoveries, Aug. 18,1616. Among other things, “ he also traded 
for, and bought from the inhabitants, the Minquaes, three per- 
sons, being people belonging to this company; which three per- | 
sons were employed in the service of the Mohawks and Machi- 
cans; giving for them kettles, beads and merchandise.” It has 
been reasonably supposed that these Dutch traders among the 
Mohawks were taken prisoners by their enemies, the Minauas, | 
and that on their knowledge of the country the maps of 1614 | 
and 1616 were partially founded. Farther we know not. : 
War between the Mahikans and Mohawks interfered with the 
Albany trade at times and in these hostilities the Dutch became 
involved in 1625. The commander at Fort Orange assisted the 
Mahikans, but the Mohawks beat the combined party and killed 
him and six of his men, cooking and eating one of them and 
sending portions to their villages to show they were superior to 
the white men. Yet the Mohawks bore no malice. Peter 
3arentsen visited them a few days later and they said they 
would not have injured the Dutch had they not meddled with 
them. After this hostile episode there was no farther trouble. 
The Dutch did not at once sell guns to the Iroquois and were 
shrewd enough to withhold them from the River Indians when 
furnishing the others, but whether they sold arrowheads to both 
