276 



INDIANS. 



« — we now live like frogs, along the banks of the 

 river, and it may be they wish to take all the 

 land, then we shall be driven to jump in and 

 perish.' It was stated that Captain Brandt, at 

 one time, commanded more than fifteen hun- 

 dred Indian warriors, and if on retiring from 

 the American territories, the accustomed savage 

 cruelties of the tomahawk and the scalping 

 knife were committed, it is much to be doubted 

 if such cruelties were either directed or sanc- 

 tioned by this distinguished war chief. He 

 was a man of a shrewd intelligent mind, and 

 translated the Gospel of St. John, with the 

 Book of Common Prayer, into the Mohawk 

 language. In passing through the United 

 States, I met with an American gentleman, who 

 assured me that he was indebted to Captain 

 Brandt for the preservation of his life, when 

 surprised and taken prisoner with a small com- 

 pany during the Revolutionary war, by a de- 

 tached party of Indians. The tomahawk had 

 fallen upon the heads of some of his com- 

 panions, but being fortunate enough to get 

 into the presence of Brandt, he humanely, 

 though with some difficulty, prevented his 

 being tomahawked and scalped. 



The following Indians are settled along the 



