as wanted to use them. They have been so lent,
and we have sent others for our friends to use.
When our friends remove, such of the first parcel of
tools as remain with them, will be left with your
chiefs to be lent out for the good of the nation.

Brothers, we have lent some blacksmith tools to
the smith who resides at the upper town; the others
our friends take with them; but the smith who lives
here may have the use of them. The two smiths we
hope are now able to do nearly all the smith-work
you will want.

Brothers, if our friends get a house put up before
winter suitable for their accommmodation, they will
remove from the one they now live in. The barn
and some of the land they may want another sum-
mer, as perhaps they cannot get land enough cleared
to raise grain and hay for their cattle. You will
agree among yourselves which of you shall live here
when our friends remove.

Brothers, when our friends remove they will
continue to give you assistance and instruction when
they can; if they think you stand in need of it.
Several of you have tools, and as there are some of
the first parcel which came up that are not worn out,
they will be left with the chiefs to be lent to such as
want. Many of these tools are already lent; we
think it will be best for you to appoint some person
to have particular charge and care of them, as lend-
ing tools has been very troublesome.

Brothers, we understand by your speech to our
friends that you want them to bring on tools and
cloth to sell. Brothers, we do not want them to keep
a store of goods among you; we think it will not be
best; but we intend to send on a few scythes, sickles,
augers, and some such tools for our friends to sell to
such of you as may want to buy; but if any of your
people buy from them and then sell to the white
people, they are not to sell any more to such as do so.

Brothers, we again repeat it, we wish you to
speak your minds freely to us, and if there is any-
thing which you and we do not understand alike,
that you will tell us, as it is our wish to comply with
all our engagements. The iron which our friends
have promised you will be sent on as soon as the
water will admit.

After a little pause, Cornplanter

replied: "If you
will leave us a little while, we will counsel among
ourselves and return you an answer.

We then left them about an hour, when they sent
us word they were ready. We again seated ourselves
as before, when Cornplanter addressed us in sub-
stance as follows:

We are all glad to see you that are now assem-
bled in council, and glad to hear what you say to us;
and your speech is good, being the same language
you have always spoken to us. We know the time is
out that was first agreed upon for your young men to
stay with us, and that nothing had been said to us
about their staying longer, and perhaps that was the
reason why they wanted to purchase a piece of land
from the Holland Company

joining to ours; but they
were welcome to live where they now do as long as
they please; and if the Holland Company will not
sell you any land, we hope they will continue to live
where they now do. When your friends first came,
and for a long time after, many of the white people
told us to 'watch the Quakers well, for they are a
cunning, designing people, [and] under pretense of
doing something for you intend to get some advan-
tage of you some way or other.' But of late, finding
all was straight and no advantage attempted to be
taken, they have left off talking about it. Your
young men and we have now lived several years as
brothers. When they came here we were very ig-
norant, but are now just beginning to learn. Your
young men do not talk much to us, but when they
do they speak good words and have been very help-
ful in keeping us from using whiskey. We had de-
sired them to agree among themselves who should
live in this house, as your young men expect to leave
it before winter; but we do not think it right to fix
on any one yet, for if you cannot buy a piece of land,
they will need this place themselves; and if you do
buy a piece, they may not get a house fit to live in
before winter, and then they will want it themselves.
You have said you will leave all the buildings, fences,
farm, etc., for us to have, except the barn and some
of the land next summer to raise some grain and
hay for yourselves and cattle until you can raise it
on your new settlement; but it is hard work to cut
down so many big trees and clear the land; perhaps
they cannot get enough cleared next summer, and if
they do not, they are welcome to work this as long
as they need it. So it will be time enough to choose
one of our people to have this house and farm when
your young men are well fixed on the new place.
We will appoint some of our chiefs to receive the
tools and collect such as are lent out; to have the
charge of lending them. In our speech to your young
men we requested them to bring cloth and tools to
sell to us that we might not be cheated by the white
people. But you have come to a wise conclusion in
not keeping a general store amongst us, for perhaps
some uneasiness or dispute might arise if a store were
kept. But we thank you for your kind intention of
bringing some scythes, sickles, augers, etc., to sell to
such of our people as may want them, and are pleased
that such who buy are restricted from selling to white
people; also for the iron which you propose to give
to us, we wish your young men may divide amongst
our people, and then we can get the smiths to make
such things as we want.

Brothers, we are well pleased with your conduct
toward us and having always done what you prom-
ised to do.

An old chief called Mush

said a few words as a
kind of acknowledgment for some little uneasiness
he had occasioned principally by his not heretofore
understanding the nature of our intention or prospect
of settling our young men amongst them, but now
appeared perfectly satisfied. Then Connewauteu
said that we promised to endeavor to send a smith
among them; that after some time we did send one,
but he stayed a short time, and our smiths were
not fully perfect in the trade. Now you have sent a
smith, the best we ever saw; he can make every-
thing we want, but he has been here but a very little
time and now says he is going away. We wish he