Report
of
Committee
to visit
Onondagas

Organization Information

1811

We had an interview with the Onondagos

on the 14 of 6th Mo, 1811
a Number present with their Cheifs they exprest a gladness
in the oppertunity, appeared hearily to thank the Great Spirit
in preserving us on our long Jurney and giving us this Opertunity

We then informed them that we Joined with them in Ackno-
ledging the kind care of the great Spirit in preserving us and
in giving us this Oppertunity and that We for a long time had
them on our minds and that we believed that the great spirit
warmed our hearts with Desires to do them Good, and that we
had come for that intent, tho it is but a little that we could do.

We then presented the letter--they then very Deliberately
took up and Considered every sentence in the Letter and Oth-
erwise communicated and exprest their approbation--they
then informed us of their situation their former manner of living
said they, had got their eyes opened, saw it was best to cultivate
the land and that they ware willing to work but wanted Oxen
and Farming tools and some body to shew them how to mannage,
that they had Confidence in their Brothers the Quakers. They
wanted their Instruction and advice and above all they wishd
a strickt attention and care to their Childrens education, they
wanted a school among them for (say they) if we send them
abroad they Learn what is bad, Get their mind alineated from
a love and desire to do the Nation Good, and feel above them, and
so become Useless to the Nation and white people to, by mixing
with the Baser sort of whit people, and so bring in that which
is bad which their young people learn--for which they are
very sorry--but if they had a school among them they could
often put them in mind to fear the Great Spirit and so bring
them up to love their Parrents and Nation, and so the would becom
useful and make good interpreters for them. The Next day
15th we met them at one of their feasts of Worship near all the Na-
tion present they again thanked the Great Spirit for preserving
us another night and gibing us another oppertunity, we then
told them that we whare very glad to find them thus mindfull
of the Great Spirit and that we desired to join with them in the