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Jacob Lindley's Account, 1793

SW_JL1793_Page_149

be; and as to the right of pre-emption, that the Uni-ted States, and they only, had a right to purchaseIndian lands, south and east of the lakes, they de-nied the king or the United States ever having anysuch right. Upon the whole, it was received as avery contemptible speech by the commissioners, andstrongly marked as British manufacture. The twoIndian messengers had a glass of wine each, andvictuals set. They eat but little, got up and slippedaway, I believe conscious that the contents of theirmessage would not be pleasing. This soon appear-ed to be the case, as the baggage was ordered onboard the Dunmore immediately — some for safetyproposing to sleep on board. It felt exceeding gloomy to Friends. We got to-gether to see if any thing opened further for us todo; which at present does not appear. Thereforesubmit the awful subject to the interposition of theDivine Hand, and turn our eyes towards our respec-tive habitations. This evening the two runners des-patched three days ago to the Indian council, return-ed, with only a verbal message, importing that thefive nations expected us to come forward, and weremoving six miles down the river, to meet us. Whichappeared a cunning manœuvre of one side, or theother. I was somewhat put to a consternation, onhearing Gen. Lincoln express, they had received justsuch an answer as he could have wished. What hismeaning was, I don't know. 17th. Several of our company slept on board the Dunmore last night, others hurrying on board this morning. Two runners were despatched with in-telligence to the Six Nations. About 11 o'clock, we were all on board. My mind felt sorrowful, in