may be discovered.

At the bend of the river, about a

mile above Mill Creek, are unmistakable evidences that a village formally existed; for, to this day, numerous pieces of their broken pottery, flint arrow-heads, and other rude relics are to be found there.

The Shawanese, whose villages were on the western bank, came into the valley from their former localities, at the "forks of the Delaware" (the junction of the Delaware and Lehigh, at Easton), to which point they had been induced at some remote period to emigrate from their earlier home, near the mouth of the river Wabash, in the "Ohio region," upon the invitation of the Delawares. This was Indian diplomacy, for the Delawares were desirous (not being upon the most friendly terms with the Mingos, or Six Nations) to accumulate a force against those powerful neighbors. But, as might be expected, they did not long live in peace with their new allies: disturbances soon rose between the Shawanese and that portion of the tribe of the Delawares who occupied the country lower down the river. These at length resulted in conflicts so violent, that the Shawanese were compelled to leave the forks of the Delaware, and the whole tribe removed to Wyoming Valley, which they found unoccupied; here,

with no enemy to annoy them, they built their town, upon the west bend of the river, near the lower end of the valley, upon a large plain which still bears the name of the Shawanese Flats, and here they enjoyed many years of repose. The women cultivated corn upon the plains, and the men fished the river and tributary streams, or traversed the surrounding mountains in pursuit of game.

This is the received account, and it is doubtless correct, of the manner in which the Shawanese came into possession of this fair heritage, the valley of Wyoming. But at what exact period they entered upon it is not known.

It is known, however, when and how the Delawares came afterward to claim with them a joint occupancy of the land, and to make their claim good.

The "Six Nations" were known by the general name of "Mingos." They consisted of the Onandagas, Senecas, Cayugas, Oneydas, Mohawks, and Tuscaroras, and were a powerful, warlike people, who held the surrounding nations in subjection, and claimed a jurisdiction extending from the Connecticut River

to the Ohio.

They are described as "a confederacy, who, by their union, courage, and military skill, had reduced a great number of Indian tribes, and subdued a territory more extensive than the whole kingdom of France."

This people claimed the country occupied by the Delawares and Shawanese, and held these tribes subject to their authority. After the arrival of Penn, he purchased of the Delaware Indians the country along the Delaware River, below the Blue Mountains, supposing those tribes the only legitimate owners; but having been informed of the claim and powers of the Six Nations, he also negotiated a purchase with them.

no

Difficulties arising between the proprietors and the Delawares respecting the limits of these purchases, the Delawares refused to give possession; and as accommodation seemed likely to take place, a message was sent from the governor to the Six Nations, informing them of the circumstance, and requesting them to send deputies to meet in council in Philadelphia, with instructions to act upon all subjects in dispute.

Accordingly, in the summer of 1742, the chiefs and principal warriors of the Six Nations, to the number of two hundred and thirty, repaired to Philadelphia, where they met the chiefs of the Delawares, and a general council was opened, in presence of the officers of the

colonial government and a large concourse of citizens, in the great hall of the Council House.

The governor, by means of an interpreter, opened the conference upon the part of the proprietaries in a long talk, which set forth that the proprietaries of Pennsylvania had purchased the land in the forks of the Delaware, several years before, of the Delaware tribes, who then possessed them; that they had afterwards received information that the same lands were claimed by the Six Nations, and a purchase was also made of them; that in both these purchases the proprietaries had paid the stipulated price; but that the Delaware Indians had nevertheless refused to give up possession; and as the Six Nations claimed authority over their country, it had been thought proper to hold a council of all parties, that justice might be done. The chiefs of the Six Nations were then informed, that as they had on all occasions required the government of Pennsylvania to remove any whites that settled on their lands, so now the government of Pennsylvania expected that the Six Nations would cause these Indians to remove from the lands which it had purchased. The deeds from the Indians and drafts of the disputed lands were then produced, and the whole submitted to the consideration of the council.

THE INDIAN PHILIPPIC.

After some deliberation among the different chiefs, Connossatego, a venerable chieftain, arose in the name of all the deputies, and informed the governor "that they saw that the Delawares had been an unruly people, and were altogether in the wrong, and that they had concluded to remove them ;" and, addressing himself to the Delawares in a violent manner, he said: "You deserve to be taken by the hair of the head and shaken till you recover your senses and become sober. We have seen a deed signed by nine of your chiefs, above fifty years ago, for this very land. But how came you to take upon yourselves to sell land at all? We conquered you-we made women of you. You know you are women, and can no more sell lands than women. ** Nor is it fit that you should have the power of selling lands, since you would abuse it. You have been furnished with clothes, meat, and drink by the goods paid you for it, and now you want it again, like children as you are. But what makes you sell lands in the dark? Did you ever tell us that you had sold these lands? Did we ever receive any part, even the value of a pipe-shank ? You have told us a blind story, that you sent a messenger to us to inform us of the sale; but he never came among us, nor have we