HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK IROOUOTS 2^1 



At Albany Aug. 2, 1684, the Onondagas and Cayiigas made 

 proposals to Governor Howard of Virginia and Governor Dongan. 

 They called the former by a name derived from his own, Asha- 

 regowa, or Big Knife. As provinces, Virginia was Aragiske, and 

 Maryland, Jaquokranaegare. To the Duke of York they gave 

 sovereignty over their Susquehanna lands above Washinta or the 

 falls. They said : 



Wee have putt all our land and our selfs under the Protection of 

 the great Duke of York, the brother of your great Sachim ; We 

 have given the Susquehanne River which we wonn with the 

 sword to this Government and desire that it may be a branch of 

 that great tree that grows here. 



In 1686 the Iroquois were still seeking the Ottawa alliance as 



agents for English traders. Governor Dongan had a sense of 



Iroquois importance : 



The five Indian Nations are the most warlike people in 

 America, & a bulwark between us & the French & all other 

 Indians. . . All the Indians in these parts of America are 

 Tributareys to them. 



Golden said of the tribute paid them : 



Two old Men commonly go about every Year or two, to receive 

 this Tribute ; and I have often had Opportunity to observe what 

 Anxiety the poor Indians were under, while these two old Men 

 remained in that Part of the Country where I was. An old 

 Mohawk Sachem, in a poor Blanket and a dirty Shirt, may be 

 seen issuing his Orders w^ith as arbitrary an Authority, as a 

 Roman Dictator. 



Regarding the proposed intercourse with the Ottawas, Charle- 

 voix said : " Nothing was fraught with greater danger than this 

 opening of trade between New York and the nations whom we 

 had till now regarded as our most faithful allies." Father Lam- 

 berville had been away from Onondaga for a short time, and De 

 Nonville sent him back with presents. It was high time, for 

 Governor Dongan's men had been busy and the Onondagas were 

 suspicious and angry. Charlevoix said : 



His presence in a moment changed the face of afifairs. He 

 spoke to the chiefs with that frankness and that insinuating man- 

 ner that had won him the esteem and affection of that nation ; 

 he dispelled almost all the suspicions that had been instilled into 

 them. 



