SW_JL1793_Page_124

necessaries. There were some reasons for believingCapt. Welbank was now here, to negociate a friend-ship with the British. This afternoon, John Elliott and myself, walkedthree or four miles, to see sixteen Oneida Indians, amongst whom are several principal men, GeorgeDuckwell, Abram, &;c. We had some conversation with them on the advantages of peace, and the bless-ings consequent on being redeemed out of the spiritof war. We also entered a little into the subjects of the existing uneasiness between the Indians andour government. Duckwell, an old man, said, thedispute was about lands west of the Ohio — that hewas at a treaty, held at Fort Stanwix, twenty-fouryears ago, which was a general treaty with all thetribes; and then, the Ohio was agreed to be theboundary. Since which time, he knew of no treaty,where the chiefs who had a right to sell lands, werecollected. I find the Six Nations claim a kind ofsovereignty over the soil, to a great extent south-ward. Abram said, he married his wife amongst theWyandots, and some years ago, they made a visitto see her relations, "and I say, brothers, what youalways go to war — fight 'mericas? They say — if'mericas love peace, give us our lands — stay that side 'hio — shake hands — call brothers; — but if ‘me-ricas come take our country, where deer plenty,turkeys, wild cows — good land — then war — always war." We told him, we never went to war, norour friends, for one hundred and fifty years past —that all men, of all nations, white, red, and black,were our brothers — that one Great Spirit made usall, and was father of us all. They said, Ouch, thatis good, very good. 19th.