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Beyond Penn's Treaty

Journal of a Visit to the Oneida, Stockbridge, and Brotherton Indians

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in clearing their Lands, Tilling the ground, Raising grain,
Cattle, Sheep, & Hogs, that they might subsist by what their
farms land would produce were they to apply themselves to an
industrious care & frugality and not indulge themselves with the
delight of hunting the wild game, for it had very much fail'd
themlessened already and would continue to declinegrow scarcer and scarcer decrease, and with respect
to that grievous evil they were so much addicted to of getting
in Liquor that the sooner they took to this market betook themselves
to this way of life the better, and likewise the great need there was for them to
desist from that evil systemgrievous practice they are so accustomed
to that is of getting in the excessive love of liquor, that it was one of their vices that not
only displeased the Great Spirit, but had & would still whilst they
continued in the practice be a hindrance to their Reformation
in a life of civilization & a comfortable, plentiful living which we
much desired to see them enjoy, after we had made an end of
what one had to say we waited for them to pause & confer
together a little time, then Hendrick

express'd, that they were glad
to see us & hear our words which they would as it were swallow
down & give us an answer then they had considered them. One
antient grave man whose name was Samuel a Moravian
said he was very glad to see us & in a broken uninteligent manner
expressed himself, by which we he was under sensible impressions of by a Religious which was Man
attended with feelings after which meeting we went to Captain Hendricks &
eat dinner after which some time after took a walk to see his wheat
field about a mile off his house through the woods soil very
good appearing chiefly a mold rather inclining to too much wet
for winter grain, which in my opinion is generally the case in
this Country, perhaps after it becomes clear'd and exposed to the sun
it may very much change, his field of wheat was of the summer
kind and about four acres, very Rank and Strong, their land
has abundance of timber I think it has the preference in that
respect of any I ever saw or at least untill I came very near their teritory,
the extent of their lands (that is the Stockbridge