Transcribe Browse revision history View notes

Transcription

Washington had sent Captains Pasteur & Prior on good [undecipherable]; and [undecipherable] there was any thing in the former's heart, he intreated him to speak it out [undecipherable] that the Laques, Foxes, and others with him, had never taken up the Tomahawk to strike the Americans; though invited to it by the Indians English at Detroit, who had likewise invited several other nations - that perhaps the English would come upon his Lands, and on the lands of red people with him, and they might possibly kill him - but he would [undecipherable] his lands to Congress to protect - that the Laques [undecipherable] are afraid to go Congress, but that he would address a letter to Captains Pasteur and [undecipherable] to inform Congress of the good intentions of those Indians, and hoped that he and Captain Prior would take pity on his people - that should they be hereafter invited by General Washington to go see him, they would throw away their bodies to go - That the Spaniards and other white people are now fighting among themselves, and that the Tomahawk has been offered to his and various other nations, but that their answers ever been "Let them fight their own battles, and us keep our lands in peaces." - that he intreated Captains Pasteur and Prior to make their hearts glad on going home, by giving the presents of goods, guns and ammunition" (Here he presented Captain Pasteur with five short strings of white wampum, bound together at one end with green ribbon, and proceeded that as they passed the Spaniards in the route hither, the Spaniards told them they were fools, they would get nothing from the Americans - not even a knife - but that notwithstanding he [undecipherable] Captain Pasteur would take pity on them, and as to himself, he was very poor - Ducoin now accosted the Indians in council with this words:


"Brothers! I beseech you to behave well, build up your [undecipherable] and live peaceably together; bring up your children in a good way; suffer them, not to steal horses, nor drink whiskey- The latter is an enemy to their happiness, it excites them to quarrel and spill one another's blood - [undecipherable] Chiefs, remember the good conduct of your fathers now sleeping in their graves, I exhort you to follow the example they have left you"


Ducoin now begged that Captain Pasteur would order a couple of cannon to be discharged in honor of General Washington