SW_WH1793_Page_104

An Account of the Commissioners of Pennsylvania who were appointed by Government to explore the Back Country, &;c. in 1796. On their arrival in the town in which the Corn-planter usually resides, they communicated to him, and the men of the town, the errand on which they came. After receiving a welcome, and an approba-tion of their business, the Commissioners retired, and were about to proceed forward, when they were again called to the Council House, where an elderly Indian woman, in the presence of the Corn-planter and his Council, gave in charge to the Commissioners to inform your Excellency, That, in the Seneca Nation, the women have as much to say in Council as the men have, and in all important business have equal authority; that all affairs of trade and agriculture are under the soledirection of the women; that having learned fromtheir Wise Men that the business they came on wasa search after a better road into their country thanthe usual trading path, the women had judged it proper to express their approbation of that measure, which they saw was equally advantageous to theSenecas, by lessening the expense of carriage, as to the white people; that they were sensible that since the game was going from among them, their menhad been less successful in hunting than formerly,yet they hoped their trade was well worth theirattention; that the proposals made last Spring bythe Chiefs of their Nations, for introducing the ploughamong them, had been considered and approved bythe women, who had the greatest interest in it, asthe labour fell wholly on them; that they had alsoapproved of the request for teachers to be sent amongthem to instruct their young people; that if thesewere done, they hoped that their Nation might be-come one people with the Americans, and the Senecas would then enjoy the advantages which they per-