THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY
ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
It is noted that the following work from the Miami Archives should be read and
considered within the historical context in which it was composed and printed.
The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or
standards of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, but are, rather,
indicative of thought in that historical moment during which the document was
published.
Conference of the Earl of Bellomont
With the Indians
(Albany, August 26-31, 1700)
Livingston, Robert in: New York
Colonial Documents IV,
(London Documents: XIII), pp. 735-737.
pp. 735, 736, 737.
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The goods at Albany shall be afforded as cheaply as possibly. |
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As to the cheapness of goods here at Albany which you also mentioned yesterday, I promise you that care shall be taken that the goods shall bee afforded as reasonably as can be expected; you your selves know that the Trader must have some advantage by his goods, or he cannot live; but that advantadge ought to be within reason. |
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He takes the restoring of Smith, very kindly. |
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I take it kindly that you have restored Charles Smith; but I must caution you never hereafter to suffer any of your people to cômit the least hostility on any of the King's subjects, either in their persons or goods, for the King our master will not |
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hold himself obliged to relieve or protect you, if you do any violence or injury to his English subjects. I have some complaints at this time made to me of mischief lately done, by some of your people, in killing their cattle above Schanegtade; |
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And desires reparation may be made for the Cattle killed at Schanetade. |
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I desire you will inquire into the matter and take such order that reparation may be done the people that have been so wronged; the English lawes are the best law's in the world, and in all English governments justice is exactly done upon all people indifferently, upon the rich as well as the poor. |
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He desires guides for Col. Romer, & that some of the Sachems may meet and advise with him in the Onondage country. |
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I desire you will send three or four of your Onnondage nation along with Col. Romer the King's Ingeneer to be guides to him into that country and likewise to guard him from any danger that may happen; and I could wish some of your Sachems would meet him there that he might advise with you about the properest place for erecting a Fort; I mean such a place as will by it's situation best command the passes into that country, so to cover you from the inroades of the French and Indians. |
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Tomorrow he will give them the King's present. |
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To morrow I intend to give you the King's present, and shall then dispatch you, that you may return to your families. |
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ROBERT LIVINGSTON,
Sêcry |
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Albany the 29th of August 1700. |
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A private conference |
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At a private conference which the Earl of Bellomont had with two of the principall Sachems of each of the Five Nations of Indians, and one of the Protestant Maquase. |
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PRESENT- |
Col. Peter Schuyler |
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Col. Abraham de Peyster |
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E. of Bellomont's proposalls. |
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His Lordship proposes to them as follows:- |
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Brethren |
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You must needs be sensible that the Dowaganhaes, Twichtwichs, Ottawawa, & Dionondades and other remote Indians are vastly more numerous then you Five Nations, and that by their continuall warring upon you they will in a few yeares totally destroy you. I should therefore |
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That a trade may be fixed with the Dowaganhaes &c |
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think it prudence and good policy in you to try all possible means to fix a trade and correspondence with all those nations by which meanes you would reconcile them to your selves, and with my assistance I am in hopes in a short time they might be brought to be united with us in the Covenant Chain, and then you might at all times without any sort of hazard goe a hunting into their country, which I understand is much the best for |
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And some of them persuaded to come to the Earl of Bellomont |
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(page 736) Beaver hunting; I wish you would try to bring some of them to speak to me, perhaps I might prevail with them to come and live amongst you, and I should think myself obliged to reward you for such a peece of service, as I tender your good advantage and will alwayes use my best endeavour to preserve you from all your enemies. |
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That they will employ 200 of their Indians to work at the Fort for the same pay with the English. |
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2 I expect you that are Sachems will use your authority over your young men to engage two hundred of them to help to work at the Fort, and I will employ two hundred English to work at it allso, and I propose to give to your young men the same reward that the English shall have, and I am in hopes the Fort will be done in three months at most. 'Tis for your interest and security alone that I propose the building the Fort; therefore it behoves you to give your helping hand thereunto. I must tell you that when this Fort is built and furnished with gunns and ammunition as I intend it, you will have no reason to bee afraid of the garrison of Cadarachqui or any other enemy that shall attacque you on that side. |
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3 You your selves have already own'd to me that you like the Protestant religion better than the Popish; you have likewise declared your aversion and dislike to the Jesuits way and method of making converts by artifice and fraud; you will alwayes bee troubled by them, and they will bee endeavouring to allure you, and if they faile therein, they are wicked enough to destroy you by poy[s]on. Therefore your best way to be ridd of them and all their contrivances is to make prisoners of them as often as they come into your country, and bring them to mee, and for every such |
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That they seize on all Jesuits & send them prisoners to Albany, where they shall have 100 pieces of Eight for every Jesuit. |
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Popish priest and Jesuit which you shall bring to this town and deliver up to the Magistrates, you shall have one hundred peeces of Eight pay'd you down in ready money, as a reward. Wee have a law in this Province for the seizing and securing all Popish Priests and Jesuits and I would very gladly put that law in execution against those disturbers of mankind, and I hope you will take speciall care to comply with my desire herein if you will do an acceptable service to the King and will deserve the continuance of my friendship. |
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ROBERT LIVINGSTON,
Sêcry |
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Albany 30th of August 1700. |
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PRESENT- |
the three Gent. aforesaid. |
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The same elleven Sachems that were conveen'd yesterday at the private Conference, to wit, two of each Nation and one of the Protestant Maquase Indians waited upon His Excellency the Earl of Bellomont this morning and brought one more from each Nation with them, alleadging all businesse of moment was to be transacted by the Three Ensigns that the Five Nations consisted of, to witt, the Bear, the Wolf, and the Turtle; and therefore one from each of these tribes or ensigns in each Nation was to be present. |
Sadeganaktie Speaker.-
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Indians answer. |
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Brother Corlaer. |
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Wee are now come
to answer to those heads your Lordship proposed to us yesterday, which are of
great moment and consequence, and that concerning the bringing the Jesuits
prisoners hither that do come to our Country is none of the least. You advise
us to make peace with the remote Indians and to draw our own Indians back
from Canada, and at the same (page 737) time to bring the
Jesuits that come to our country, prisoners hither. These three heads do not
well consist and agree together; therefore wee are of opinion it will be more
adviceable first to conclude a firm peace with the Dowaganhaes and other
remote Indians and then see to draw back our Indians from Canada that are
debauch'd thither, before wee meddle with or disturb the Jesuits; for there
are severall of these remote Indians vizt. Stiagigroone,(see fn. 1) Assisagigroone,(see fn. 2)
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That should they seize on the Jesuits, it might hinder their treaty with the Dowaganhaes &c and keep their Indians from returning. |
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to the number of Sixteen, that have already agreed to come and live among us, and if they do hear that wee commit any rudeness to the French Jesuits, that will put a stop not only to the said treaty, but exasperate our people that are at Canada, and obstruct their coming over to us. Therefore our conclusion is, first to wait |
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the said farr or remote Indians their coming, before wee put that in execution which your Lordship proposes about the Jesuits; |
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But they will forbid them coming into their Country. |
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but if any Jesuit or Popish Priest do come into our country before the treaty with the remote Indians be concluded, wee will send them back and forbid them to come into our Castles; and what wee have promised your Lordship concerning our adherence to the Protestant religion, wee stand to it and will ever abide to those principles. |
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The Sachems are consulting on the other proposals. |
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As to that head relating to our children's being instructed to read and write English and Indian at New York, the Sachems that are now on the hill are consulting about it, and wee will when wee are all conven'd together, return your Lordship our answer as allso concerning the guides or guard for Col. Romer the King's Ingineer to Onnondage and concerning the number of men that are to assist us at the making of the Fort there, and also concerning what Sachems are to go to pitch upon the place, where the Fort is to be erected in the Onnondage country: all which is referred to those Sachems that are now upon the Hill to report to your Lordship. |
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His Lordp desired to know the French message this last summer |
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His Lordship ask'd whether these Sachems that were now conveen'd would give his Lordship an account of the message Monsr Marricour and Bruyas the Jesuit and the rest of the French, brought from Canada to Onnondage this summer, or if they would give it when all the Sachems were conveen'd. |
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which they promis'd in a full conference. |
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The Sachems replyed when all the Sachems were together they would give his Lordship an account of it. |
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The Onnondage Fort to receive 200 men, of which my Lord desired in case of war, 100 might be Indians. |
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His Lordship told them further that he design'd the Fort to bee built at Onnondage should be so big as to receive two hundred men, in which there should bee alwayes a hundred English, and ask'd the said Sachems if a war should break out, whether they would send one hundred men of theirs to assist the keeping of said Fort; since it would not be like their forts, but a fort with canon, built strong for defence. |
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To which they promised an answer. |
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The Sachems answered that when all the Sachems were conveen'd together they would answer this point. |
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A Little while after Sadeganaktie the Speaker rose up and sayd:- |
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when they had consulted the young men. |
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As to what you proposed just now of sending in a hundred men to defend the Fort upon a warr with the French, wee desired to bee excused from giving any positive answer to that, because it is the young men must do the service, and they must be consulted about it. |
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VOL. IV. |
93 |
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