hv_sansomj_letters_1796_031

Oneida Castle, 7th. Mo 1796 My dear Friends, On the eve of our departure from the Oneida Reservation, which, tho' really no more than going on from the main stage of our Journey, feels a little like the outset for Home, I sit down to gather up the fragments I may have scattered by trusting to memory, from week to week, for the irregular narrative; that no thing may be lost, either important or interesting. If the consequence should be a repetition of any thing mentioned before, you will remember the motive, and read the faster. Imprimis, The name of the Chief left blank on No. 3. is David Neshounhut, the latter received from his Ancestors, who it seems were Man that could shoot the birds with one arrow. After the first conference with the Oneidas mentioned in No 4 or 5 the Women sent us a message, by the Chief Speaker, that they had heard all our words, and hoped their Husbands would keep to them as far they were all very good. All the time we were at Hendrick Aupautmut's the Indians of the Neighborhood were continually sending in strawberrys, milk, butter, and sometimes meal, and otherwise manifesting their love and regard. One of his Daughters was at a conference ten days ago, a mile from her home, and was delivered of a Boy that afternoon; which she brought herself the night before last to our lodging to tell us she had called him after one of us: I leave you to guess which. We have the unexpected satisfaction to find the People of the Neighborhood of all Ranks so favorably disposed, both toward us, and the Indians, as to bid us good speed in our arduous undertaking, and even the Preiby terrain Cler-gy, who have been long labouring among them, assure us they are convinced by experience, that the only way to make Christians of them effectually is to civilize them, if that be possible. We have agreed to settle Jacob Taylor, Enoch Walker, and Henry Simmons, near Oneida Castle, and the Indians have assigned them an excellent piece of land to go work upon, adjacent to