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Beyond Penn's Treaty

Journal of a Journey

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EARLY in the morning on the 30th [of 9th month,
1803] we all set off and rode to New Amsterdam,

at the
mouth of Buffalo Creek,which is about thirty-three
miles, eight of which is mostly bad road or path
through the woods to Lake Erie; the other part of
the way is down the lake on the margin. A very
pleasant ride, although each time I have ridden it I
have been affected with the headache. A material
change appears to me to have taken place on the
margin since I was along it four years ago. The
beautiful beds of lime-stone are generally covered
with sand, and much of the best kind of slate very
much gone. When we arrived at Amsterdam, Red
Jacket
and several other Indian chiefs were there
along with the mill-wrights who say they have com-
pleted the saw-mill for the Indians and want their
pay. We sent for some of them and desired to know
whether we could have them personally in council
to-morrow at their village. Red Jacket informed us
they would be glad if they could comply with our
desire, but hoped we would have patience, for they
could not well meet us to-morrow, but would meet
early the next day. We then conferred together and
Isaac Bonsal and George Vaux were most easy to go
over the Niagara river to-morrow in order to be at
the meeting at Black Creek the next day, Thomas
Stewardson,
John Shoemaker, and myself were most
easy to stay in order to attend the proposed council
on First-day morning.

Tenth month1st, and seventh of the week.

Jacob
Taylor

and myself went twelve miles up the Buffalo
Creek to see the new saw-mill that is built for the
Indians, (we some time past having made them a
present of all the iron), divers of the chiefs and one