This day, the lake is exceeding rough,
which
must retard the return of the Indian chiefs, who have
now been
gone seven days.
This evening, two Mohicons arrived from the In-
dian council, who brought us a
letter from Captain
Hendricks Apaumut,
who informs, there is a pros-
pect of a treaty commencing in a very few
days. —
The messengers state, that sickness, and a great
mortality
prevails in the Indian camp — which took
off a worthy man of their nation,
named Sam, with
whom I was acquainted.
This morning, twelve Chipawas, Delawares,
and Munseys, called to see us, on
their return home,
having staid till their clothes were mostly in
rags,
and I believe, they were alarmed at the contagion.
They report
the decease of seventeen Indians,
amongst whom were three Chipawa chiefs; and
in-
form, that in consequence of the sickly situation,
they were about
to move their camp eight miles
down the river, near the side of the lake.
Which
is agreeable to us, as it will be so much nearer, and
not so much
infested with musquetoes.
Last evening, several of the Indians,
who
arrived in the morning, came to us, much disguised
with liquor,
and wanted more: which not being
granted, they became rather sulky, rude,
and inso-
lent. One of them, who called himself Capt.
Her-
maunus, laid hold of me, partly in jest, and
squeezed
me hard, and said, you Quaker, you my brother.
One said, his
heart was bad, and another said, I am
a devil, and my name is devil. Several
of our com-
pany, best acquainted with Indians, appeared alarm-
ed with
apprehensions of danger, and did not go
into their tents till near morning.
About eight