HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS 297 



This was thought a mistake, as La Salle discovered the river 

 when no Iroquois were there, but only Shawnees, who were 

 friends of the French. The Iroquois claim was from the Erie 

 conquest. The Cherokees had killed i8 Iroquois, and Jonquiere 

 wished the latter to make war on them, thinking this would 

 help the French. He died May 17, 1752, and was succeeded by 

 De Longueuil. 



War parties went against the Cherokees in 1752. In that year 

 three Moravians visited Onondaga, and there were French tra- 

 ders there from time to time. J. Martin Mack, Gottfried Rundt, 

 and David Zeisberger left Bethlehem for that place, via New 

 York, July 26, reaching there Aug. 20. Mack soon returned, 

 leaving the others to study the language, and from them we have 

 a list of the Tuscarora towns. These were Canaseraga, Gana- 

 tisgoa afterward contracted to S'ganatees, Tiachsochratota, and 

 Tiochrungwe. Johnson came there that year, but only as a 

 trader, buying ginseng largely. They returned Nov. 25. Many 

 Indians were employed in digging ginseng and the visiting 

 Moravians got part of their supplies in this way. 



In April 1753, runners came to Johnson from Onondaga to 

 say that French and Indians were assembling at Oswegatchie, 

 equipped for war. They would send word whether they were 

 coming against them or the Ohio Indians. Soon after a French 

 army passed Oswego on the way to the Ohio, to make good their 

 claims there, even by force. On account of these grasping claims, 

 many Indians left Oswegatchie. 



Andrew Montour went to Onondaga that year to invite the 

 Iroquois to a council at Winchester Va., but they declined going. 

 Conrad Weiser also came to the Mohawks by way of New York, 

 intending to go to Onondaga, and said the Six Nations were 

 afraid of the French. Johnson showed him his commission as 

 Indian superintendent and treated him kindly, saying he might 

 go on, but seeming not to wish this. Governor Clinton was 

 pleased that he went no farther. When Montour was at Onon- 

 daga in February, he '' said he saw plainly the Indians were 

 frighted, and that there was a Strong Party for the French 



