five, I meant to treat him well; and that I meant to have him for one of my beft friends. At firft, he feemed unwilling to receive my hand, but on hearing that I meant to be a friend to him, he fhook my hand, and faid | if that was the cafe, he would be a friend to me, and as a token of this, invited me to come and eat meat and bear's greafe with him. This was Wednesday the 12th of May. I then went up to the fort, and as I thought it doubtful whether they would receive me, I brought down all my things. When I returned I found the moft of them fober. Friday the 14th, in the afternoon I got them affembled at the mouth of the river. After a fhort introduction I delivered the Truftees' addrefs to them; which I endeavoured to make as plain and familiar to them as poffible. I had read it, and explained it to my interpreter before; but fearing that that would not be fufficient, I took care now, to read him but a few lines at a time, and then, to exprefs the ideas in a language better adapted to his сараcity, and more agreeable to their modes of fpeaking. I think the address was much too long, i. e. that it contained too many ideas on that fubject, to them fo uninterefting, to be delivered to Indians at once, but this made it much longer. Little Otter was too unwell to attend that afternoon. I was glad that I had explained the bufinefs to him before; and I apprehend that he heard the most of it now, as he lay in a Ang camp, that was clofe to the door of the bark houfe that it was delivered in. From what I could difcover, the leading ones who were prefent, were difpofed no treat the matter with neglect, if not with contempt. The most of the chiefs, though not conjurers, belonged to the dance, and I obferved that thefe took a more active part in it than others.— Little Otter belongs to the dance, likewise, but he appeared to take a lefs active part, and he treated what I had to fay with much more refpect. When fpeeches are delivered to them, it is ufual for most of the chiefs and old men, to give their huōh at the end of every paragraph, or interpretation. It feems to be always a fign of attention, and when breathed out ftrong, of approbation.When fuch parts of the addrefs were interpreted to them as accorded with their notions of things, fuch as, that there is a God who made all things, and that we must not murder, fteal, cheat or lie, &c. they gave the fign of attention that I have mentioned, though with a degree of backwardnefs. To other parts of the addrefs, they appeared to pay very little attention, and almoft wholly withheld the fign of it. We were much difturbed the moft of the time by the hallooing, fcreaming and laughing of a multitude of their young men, who were playing ball round the house. This fhows the difficulty of teaching a diforganized people. Before I began the addrefs, I marked out on the ground, a map of lake Erie, the state of NewYork and Connecticut-divided the latter into towns, and defcribed a great houfe in the middle of each, where our people met to worship God, and hear his minifters-defcribed another at Hartford for the General Affociation; and, for convenience, another at New-Haven for the Legislature, and a ftill greater one at the city of Washington for Congrefs. This excited their curiofity, and ferved to give them an idea of Connecticut, the number of our minifters and the regularity of our towns; and it helped them to underftand thofe parts of the addrefs which fpake of the General Affociation, the Miffionary Society and the Legiflature. And it helped me likewife, to give them a more juft idea of the importance of the different characters which compofe the honorable Board of Trustees, as I could point them to the great houfes to which the different civilians belonged, and tell them what important ftations they held in them-I informed them that the other fix were as great in the miniftry. I had taken care before this to let them know that I had a written recommendation from one of the great chief warriors of the United States. I was tions which I fuppofed they stood ready to offer, I brought them up and anfwered them. The first objection was, that our religion was not defigned for Indians. In anfwering this, I availed myfelf of the declarations and promifes of fcripture to the contrary, and the command of Chrift, to preach it to every creature (which I told them I could fhow them) and the fuccefs which he had given to the miniftry. The fecond objection that I noticed was, that our religion was not good for them. In replying to this, I fhowed them what ef fects it would have on their children, on their young men, who it was faid, did not mind the chiefs as they used to, and on fociety in general; how it would fit them for heaven, and give them a fure title to it-that it must be good for them if God had defigned it for them-that other Indian nations, to whom we had fent minifters, had tried it, and found it to be good, and that they would do wrong to condemn it, or reject it without trying it. the more particular with refpect to fuch characters, as they feel the moft dependent on thefe, and have the greatest refpect for them. At the conclufion of the addrefs I obferved to them, that if their patience was not exhausted I hould be glad if they would hear The third objection was, that what I had to fay to them. And by liftening to me they would exas they readily complied, and pofe themfelves to the fate of the feemed to pay better attention, I poor Moravians, who were dedelivered them a pretty lengthy ftroyed, by our people, in confefpeech, in which I carefully no-quence of their embracing our ticed every thing of importance, religion. that appeared to me to be to the purpose. Suppofing that they might want to know why we had not fent them a minifter before, fince we were fo urgent to have them receive one then, I informed them we had been prevented by wars, by a want of minifters and by their living at fuch a great diftance from us; but that we had fent minifters to the other Indian nations who lived nearer to us. Having heard of four objec. In anfwering this, I obferved to them, that they could have nothing to fear from having me among them, or from liftening to me, becaufe that our bad men would not be allowed to hurt them now, as our people were at peace with them, and their great fathers in congrefs were difpofed to treat them as their children. The fourth objc&tion I thought to be much the most important, and the most difficult to anfwer. live together fo as to receive any inftructions on account of their fighting and killing one another when intoxicated. It was this, that they could not | learn to speak English; and that then, they might have books printed in their own language for them to read-that I would fhow them and affift them what I could about making carts and ploughs, and about ploughing their ground, fo that they might improve their horfes, which were then almost useless to them; and raise a plenty of corn and wheat, potatoes, fquafhes and tobacco, horses and cattle, fheep, hogs and poultry— that I would fhow them and affift them what I could about building a mill, building houses and making furniture for their houses Two had been killed but a few days before at the trader's above; and I found that they feldom got together without killing fomethat their villages there were little more than places of refidence for fall and fpring, as they were obliged to be abfent in the winter on account of hunting, and as they found it neceffary to live apart in the fummer on account of liquor; and that the moft of them were going to difperfe in a few days for planting, when they would be from ten to fifty miles apart, and not more than two or three families in a place. To remove this objection, I acknowledged the difficulty of their living together while they made fuch free ufe of fpirituous liquor; and propofed to them to begin and build a new village upon this condition, that no one fhould be allowed to get drunk in it; that if they would drink, they should go off and Ray till they had it over, and that if any would not comply with this law, they fhould be obliged to leave the village. I then showed them the advantages of adopting the plan-that they would live in peace, as they never quarelled when they were fober that, with my affiftance, they would be able to give their children an education; for want of which they were going on blindfold in their bufinefs with white people, who frequently impofed upon them; but who would not have it in their power, if they once had eyes of their own, to fee for themselves; as would be the cafe if their young chiefs and others should get an education and that I would make them wheels and fhow them about making looms; and that my wife would learn their young women to make their own cloth-that our good people would fend them on school masters enough to school all their children for nothing--that I would try to have them fend on a blackfmith, who was a good man, and would mend their guns and do all their work for them in the best manner, and at a much more reafonable price than what they had to give for it then; befides faving them the trouble of going a great distance for it. I told them that, as their land was excellent, if they would adopt this plan, and their young men would affift their women and children, they might enjoy all these privileges within a few years without working hard; and that then they would have a comfortable home for their old people, and for those who were fick, where they could remain through the winter whit the others were gone to their hunting grounds; and, what was infinitely more than all the reft, they might then enjoy the religion of God's word, which, if they would rightly attend to it, would make them I unfpeakably happy forever. ing, but that, if they would strive any re gard to their welfare, the leaft that they could think of doing, would be to accept of my affiftance, and follow my advice with refpect to the village I had propofed, and not fuffer any liquor to come into that. I told them that I might have lived much happier at home, among my dear friends and acquaintance, where we had every thing that was comfortable around us; but knowing how much they needed my affiftance, and having a great love for them, and being commanded by God, I had forfaken all, and had come a great diftance to fpend my days with them, in order to make them happy in this world and in the world to come-that I had come by the defire of God's ministers and good people, who tenderly loved them, who had always been their beft, and only true friends, both in time of war and in time of peace; and had always been praying to God for them, that they might enjoy thofe great privileges which they had now been at fo much pains and expense to help them to that I had not come merely of my own accord, or by the defire of thofe good people, but that I was fent there by God himself, who commanded them to listen to me-that fince it was thus, if they did not receive me, and attend to the good things which I was fent to teach them, they would make me very forrowful, exceedingly grieve the hearts of God's minifters and people, and, what was inconcievably worse, they would dreadfully offend the God who had fent me, and make U him very angry with them. To | your red brothers. When we go conclude my fpeech to them, I told them that they were not to blame for not having this good religion fent to them before; but that if they rejected it now it was fent, rejected the goodness of God in fending it to them, and all our kind offers to them, which had coft us fo much trouble and ex- | penfe, they would certainly be inexcufable; and that I therefore hoped they would give me a fa- | vorable anfwer. | on any great business, and have any great things to fay, we fay them in few words. Brother, we understand that you are fent out here by the Great Spirit, and by his good people, who live in one of the fixteen fires. Brother, we believe that you have not come alone, or of your own accord ; but that you are sent out here, as you fay, by the Great Spirit, and by fome of his great black-gowns* and great men who make laws.And we thank those great Fathers for being fo kind to us. Brother, we like what you have faid to us. We know that it is all true, and all very good.When you was talking, you kept looking up, and faid a great deal to us about the Great Spirit.We believe that there is a Great Spirit, who has made the world, the fun, the moon, the ftars, the ground, the water, the trees, and all the men, creatures and things that are in the world. Brother, we understand that you have come to teach us and our children how to worship the Great Spirit; and what we muft do to please him, and be happy in this world and in the world to come. We understand that you want to have us raise a plenty of corn and wheat, horfes Brother, We liftened to you and cattle, and all the other crea yesterday, and heard all you had cures and things that you raise; to fay to us. Since that, we have and that you want us to live like been thinking of what you faid the people that wear hats. And to us, and have been talking it we believe that you and our great over among ourselves, and have fathers that fent you, wish to do made up our minds. Now Bro- us all the good you can-that ther, if you will liften to us, we you want to make us happy not will give you an anfwer. But | only here, but in the other world. Brother, we know that you fpoke true when you told us that our I was thus urgent with them, because I fufpected that the moft of them were determined not to receive me. They heard me with the more patience on account of my having furnished them, in the firft place, with as much tobacco | as they could smoke. As the Trustees' addrefs took up fo much time, I fhould have been glad | to have been much fhorter ; but, as I thought the cafe doubtful, I was unwilling to omit any thing which might be to the purpofe. The moft of the chiefs remained together that night. They affembled on the grafs the next day, at about 12 o'clock, and fent for me. Little Otter was well enough to attend; and he delivered me the following speech, with feveral of the ideas often repeated. | • it is our way to be very fhort. Our white brothers, when they make fpeechcs, are very lengthy. They read and write fo much, that they get in a great many lit ifters, was probably taken from the tle things. But it is not fo with * Black-gowns, their name for mine gowns worn by the Roman Catholic priests. |