HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK IROQUOIS 34I 



north were reliable men. The Shawnees, he said, had no title 

 to the north side of the Ohio where they lived, " having been 

 often moved from place to place by the Six Nations." When 

 this council met the Piankashaws, Kickapoos and Wabash 

 Indians did not attend because the Six Nations had killed some 

 of their people the year before. The absentees were reproved, 

 and messages were sent them. The bad belts sent by Guastarax, 

 the Seneca chief, were called for, but had been stopped by the 

 Cherokees. Other bad belts were produced, one of them being 

 a French belt, among the largest Johnson had ever seen. 



Those present promised to come to Onondaga and bring all 

 the belts, but were not there at the appointed time. Johnson 

 proposed they should bring the Ohio Senecas nearer home. 

 There were difficulties. Traders needed regulating, and fron- 

 tiersmen were lawless and troublesome. A secret alliance was 

 in progress in the southwest, and with a view to this some Shaw- 

 nees and Delawares proposed sending a deputation to England, 

 to say that the Six Nations were unfriendly to them and ask to 

 be freed from their rule. 



The latter sent to require their emigrants to live nearer home 

 and then called a council at Onondaga, which was held the next 

 winter, where they convinced the Senecas of their misconduct. 

 It was of the utmost importance to have the friendship of the 

 Iroquois in case of war, for they could be the best of friends 

 or most dangerous of enemies. This was particularly so with 

 the Senecas, whose belts had done harm. 



In 1773 the Six Nations said they had summoned the Pian- 

 kashaws and other troublesome western nations to the great 

 fireplace at Onondaga ■ " We have already called upon them 

 twice, and agreeably to our ancient customs shall do so the third 

 time, before we strike." They objected to being called to account 

 '. for the death of every lawless trader. The French were more 

 reasonable. 



Johnson again complained of the pioneers, who generally had 

 ; a prejudice against all Indians, and the Indians were disposed to 

 ' retaliate. So some of the upper Senecas had killed four French- 



