^gS NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



among the Indians, and the Senecas particularly were in their 

 Interest." He was there again in August with messages from 

 Virginia and Pennsylvania. 



Gov. Danvers Osborne dying suddenly, Gov. James De- 

 lancey succeeded him and Colonel Johnson was sent to Onon- 

 daga to bury the hatchet, which had not been formally done 

 and the Iroquois were sensitive on these points. Governor 

 Delancey said: 



I thought it would be for His Majesty's Service that once in 

 some years a person with a publick character and some small 

 present should be sent up to Onondago which is the place of the 

 General meeting of the five Nations. 



Johnson entered Onondaga Castle Sep. 8, 1753, being met by 

 the sachems a mile from the town. Kaghswughtioni, or Red 

 Head, made a speech, to which Johnson replied, condoling the 

 deaths of three noted sachems. It was a saying among them that, 

 when the fire went out at Onondaga, they would no longer be a 

 people. It now burned low, and he came to rekindle it. They 

 thanked him for speaking in their manner. He found some 

 Frenchmen there and came by the lake himself. In May he had 

 referred to a council held at Onondaga a year earlier, in which 

 the Six Nations resolved not to go to Virginia, but were willing 

 to treat with that colony at Albany. He did not understand 

 what was meant by a conference at Logstown. Not an Iro- 

 quois had gone there, and, if wampum was left, it must have been 

 with the Shawnees. Mere messages were valueless, " unless 

 attended or confirmed by a string or belt of wampum, which they 

 look upon as we our letters, or rather bonds." 



In December Arent Stephens took a message to both castles 

 of the Mohawks, and the Oneidas and Tuscaroras, with which 

 they were well pleased. A trusty Onondaga bore it to the others. 



The French attempts on the Ohio failed that year, but would 

 be resumed the next, and the Iroquois could not resist. It was 

 said that Picquet at first wished to have his fort on Onondaga 

 lake. The previous year the French had sent Caughnawagas 

 among the Six Nations to promote war against the southern 



