place. It has always been observed that Indians,
settled in the neighborhood of white people, con-
tinually diminish; and this tribe had dwindled
away till there remained in the village no more
than seven men, five women, and eight children.
Of these, Shebeas, who was a very old man, had
assisted at the treaty with William Penn in the
year 1701, had ever since continued a faithful
friend of the English, and bore the character of
an exceedingly good man; for, considering his
extraction, he was naturally of a most kind and
benevolent temper. This little remnant of Indians
were in the constant practice of addressing every
new Governor of the Province, and they ac-
cordingly presented an address to John Penn

, a
new Governor, on his arrival; assuring him of their
fidelity, and praying for a continuance of that
favour and protection they had hitherto experienced.

This address was scarcely presented, when the
horrible catastrophe occurred, which I am about to
relate. In the townships of Paxton and Done-
gal, in the county of Lancaster, a number of peo-
ple, actuated by the wildest religious enthusiasm,
in which they were encouraged by some furious
zealots amongst their preachers, conceived the
notion that they ought to extirpate the heathen
from the earth, as Joshua did some nations of old;
that they themselves, as Saints, might possess the
land. Fired with this dreadful kind of zeal, on