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Isaac Coates Journal of Journeys to the Indian Country

SW_IC1799_Page_07

Ninth month 14th, [1799]. After breakfast, pre-pared to set off nine miles down the river to Corn-planter's village,[NOTE.--Genesinguhta, where the travelers met Halliday Jackson and Joel Swayne, as described last week, was on the Allegheny Reservation of the Seneca Indians, on the Allegheny river, just above the line, in New York State. Cornplanter had a village and private reservation of his own,--about 1300 acres,-- down the river, and below the line, in Warren county, Pennsyl-vania. He called it Genesedaga. The town of Kinzua is now on the opposite side of the river.] in order to attend the council be-fore appointed, and nine of us embarked in a canoe to wit: Indian John, Halftown, Halliday Jackson, Joel Swayne, Joshua Sharples, Thomas Stewardson, James Cooper, myself, and Hugh Hartshorn. Had a pleasant sail down the river, and arrived at our des-tined port a little before 11 o'clock, divers of the dis-tant chiefs being collected before we came. Before we sat in council, walked about, viewing some of the Indian cottages and their dress, which would take more time to describe than I am at this time dis-posed to take. About an hour after we arrived, a large horn, something like a French horn, was blown, in order to collect the chiefs and others to council; and in a short time they collected in a part of Cornplanter's house or cabin, perhaps to the num-ber of thirty or more. We all sat down in stillness a short space, when the old chief stood up (his son Henry O'Beil interpreting), and addressed us in sub-stance as follows: Ninth month 14th, [1799]. Brothers, I am glad the good Spirit has favored you all with health in your long journey to come and see us and take us by the hand, so that we may brighten the chain of friendship; and now some of us are collected, we should be glad to hear what you have to say to us. We then informed them that we had taken a long journey to see our young men who were settled among our Indian brothers, and that we had not much that we knew of to say to the Indians; only to know from themselves how they liked our young men being amongst them, and whether they thought they were likely to be useful to them or not. We then had our certificate read and interpreted to them, with which they expressed satisfaction; and we hav-ing agreed upon a short piece of advice or queries to lay before them, which we had in writing, it was read by paragraphs and interpreted to them as follows: Ninth month 14th, [1799]. "Brothers, you have now heard that our coming here was to see how you and our young men who live amongst you are getting along. We are glad the Good Spirit has favored us to meet you in health, and given us this opportunity of taking you by the hand and brightening the chain of friendship. Now broth-ers, we should like to hear from your own mouths if you are quite satisfied with our young men living amongst you. They came here with a hope of being useful, by instructing you in a better way of manag-ing your land and providing for yourselves and your cattle. We desire you to speak freely brothers. It has been some satisfaction to us in riding through your town to see marks of industry taking place; that you are building better and warmer houses to live in; and that so much of your cleared land is planted with corn, potatoes, beans, squashes, cucumbers, etc., and to see these articles kept in good order. Brothers, we observe where your new houses are building, that the timber is very much cut off a rich flat which we wish you encouraged to clear and make it fit for plowing. We believe it to be very good land for wheat, as well as corn, and as the white people are settling around you, the deer and other wild game will grow scarce and more difficult to be taken. We therefore hope that more of your men will assist in clearing land, fencing it, planting it with corn, and sowing it with wheat. You will then have a supply of provision more certain to depend upon than hunting. Broth-ers, we were pleased to see your stock of cattle in-creased; the rich bottoms on the river will be plenty for them to live on in the summer season, but as your winters are long and cold, it will require something for them to live on in the winter. Now the white people keep their cattle on hay, on straw and on corn-fodder. Straw you cannot get until you raise wheat or other grain; the rich bottoms, if they were put in order, would produce a great deal of hay; but for an immediate supply, we think, if as soon as you gather your corn you would cut the stalks close at the ground, bind them up in small bundles, and put them in stack, as our young men do, they would keep the cattle part of the cold weather. Brothers, we are glad to see a quantity of new fence made this summer, near where our young men live, and we would not have you get discouraged at the labor it takes; for if you will clear a little more land every year and fence it, you will soon get enough to raise what bread you want, as well as some for grass to make hay for winter. Brothers, we understand you are desirous to discourage whiskey from being brought amongst you, with which we are much pleased, and should be glad you could entirely keep it away; for to get it, you give your money which you should have to buy clothes with, and to buy oxen and plows with to work your land; and it does not do you any good." After which a solemn silence took place, in which I thought I felt love to flow to the poor natives, accompanied by a strong desire that they might be prevailed upon to wholly decline the drinking of distilled spirits; for truly I think until some reforma-tion in that respect takes place amongst them, the solid ground on which we can expect their profit-able civilization is small; and though I felt as I did, it seemed discouraging to offer anything to them on the occasion, considering my own inability and the imperfect interpreter we had--being one who hath a strong inclination to the evil habit himself. So I had liked to have omitted saying anything, until my friend Joshua Sharples, whispered to me and told me if I had anything to say to them not to omit it. I then addressed them in substance as follows: Ninth month 14th, [1799]. Brothers, your brothers, the Quakers, who have come a long way to see you, believe that the Great Spirit made both white men and red men, and placed them on this great island, gave them many good things to live upon such as grain, flesh, fruit, etc., and