Peter Penet among the Oneida Indians. 285 



" Brother : It is beyond a doubt that the Great Spirit 

 above, put it into the mind of my father, the French, to 

 assist the injured and distressed at this critical moment. 

 You also, my brother, have partaken of the advantages of 

 an alliance with that nation equally with us, the Oneidas, 

 his children. 



"As we have nothing to give our father the French 

 gentleman, but our mind and our thanks, by this, (present- 

 ing a large belt to Mr. Penet), we express our gratitude 

 and return him the thanks of our nation. 



" Suffer me now to express our wish to both of you, 

 representing, as I may say, Nations, that you exert your- 

 selves to preserve the friendship and strengthen the alliance 

 between you. I know that you have respectively that 

 power, and that government will bind nations together. 

 I also know, that every nation throughout the world, is 

 liable to changes and subversion, and it is possible, that at 

 some future period, the Evil Spirit may destroy this con- 

 nection between you. It requires, therefore, your utmost 

 circumspection to preserve it." 1 



In consequence of this stipulation, the Oneida treaty of 

 September 22, 1788, was made to embrace the following 

 article : 



***** " And further, that the people of the 

 State of Xew York, shall, as a benevolence from the 

 Oneidas to Peter Penet, and in return for services rendered 

 by him to their nation, grant to the said Peter Penet, of 

 the said ceded lands lying to the northward of the Oneida 

 lake, a tract of ten miles square, wherever he shall elect 

 the same." 2 



From the speech of Good Peter we infer, that the pre- 

 tensions of Penet, as a representative of the king of 

 France, were of the most extravagant kind, and that in 

 the mind of the orator, there was no distinction of rank; 



1 Indian Treaties of New York, i, 235, 236. 



2 lb., 245. 



[Trans. t\] 37 



