HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS 325 



it would Still be wise to punish the troublesome Senecas. They 

 had sent deputies to Johnson with offers of peace, laying the 

 blame on the Delawares and Shawnees. If matters could be 

 arranged, they were ready to join the English and help subdue 

 the authors of the war. The other nations seconded their request, 

 and Johnson favored pacific measures. 



He advised that each confederacy should separately guaran- 

 tee free passage to the English ; that the Senecas should give 

 up the Niagara portage; that the French should be sent away 

 from Michilimackinac, Miami etc., and that the Jesuit missions 

 should be abolished for political reasons. He had given the war 

 belt to the Oneidas and Tuscaroras, who heartily received it, 

 and he hoped much from this. 



At this time the towns on the Susquehanna had quite a mixed 

 population. Thus in September 1763 a Nanticoke chief brought 

 messages to Philadelphia from " The Oneidas, Tuscaroras, Dela- 

 wares, and Munseys, living at Onohoquagey; Nanticokes, Con- 

 eys, Onondagoes, & Mohickons at Chenango ; Cayuga & Mun- 

 sies at Chokenote." 



Dec. 14 six Conestogas were killed and scalped in Pennsylvania 

 by a mob of white men, and a larger mob broke into a workhouse 

 and killed 14 more Dec. 27. On this, the Pennsylvania Council 

 sent 140 Conestogas to New York for safety, but the authorities 

 there refused to receive them and sent them back. 



Hostilities continued. In February 1764 Johnson sent several 

 Iroquois parties, numbering about 200, to the forks and branches 

 of the Susquehanna against the enemy. The first party sur- 

 prised a band of Delawares Feb. 2"/, at the main branch of the 

 river, who were going against the English. The whole band was 

 taken, and among the 41 prisoners was their chief. Captain Bull, 

 a son of Teedyuscung and an active foe. 



Pontiac was still disposed to be hostile at Detroit. Gen. 

 Thomas Gage spoke of him as " a person of extra abilities." He 

 kept two secretaries; one to read letters, and the other to write 

 answers, each being ignorant of wdiat the other did. 



Out of the 41 Delaware prisoners, 14 were sent to New York, 



