I Asked Them Who Was Their Chief Commander,
Speaking Unto Him Unknownst To Me.
Hee bowed the head, & another told me it
was hee that I talked unto.
Then I took him by the hand, and making him sit
downe, I spoke unto him according to the genius of the Indians, unto whom,
if one will bee esteemed, it is necessary to bragg of one's vallour, of
one's strength and ablnesse to succour & protect them from their Ennemyes.
They must also bee made believe that one is wholy for their Intrest & have
a great complesance for them, espetially in making them presents. This
amongst them is the greatest band of friendshipp. I would at this first
enterview make myself known. The chief of these salvages sitting by me, I
said to him in his Languadge, "I know all the Earth; your friends shall bee
my friends; & I am come hether to bring you arms to destroy your Ennemys.
You nor your wife nor children shall not dye of hunger, for I have brought
Merchandize. Bee of good cheere; I will bee thy sonn, & I have brought thee
a father; hee is yonder below building a fort, where I have 2 great shipps.
You must give me 2 or 3 of your Canoos that your people may go visit your
father."
Hee made a long speech to thank me & to assure me that both himself & all
his nation would venture their Lifes in my servis. I gave them some Tobacco
& Pipes, & seeing one of them used a peece of flat Iron to cut his Tobacco,
I desired to see that peece of Iron & flung it into the fier, wherat they
all wonder'd, for at the same time I seemed to weep; & drying up my tears,
I told them I was very much grieved to see my Brethren so ill provided of
all things, & told them they should want for nothing whilst I was with
them; & I tooke my sword I had by my side & gave it unto him from whom I
took the peece of Iron; also I caus'd some bundles of litle knives to bee
brought from my canoo, which I distributed amongst them. I made them smoke,
& gave them to eate, & whilst they were eating, I set forth the presents I
brought them, amongst the rest a fowling-peece, with some powder & shot for
their chief commander. I told him, in presenting him with it, I took him
for my Father; hee in like mannor took me to bee his sonn in covering me
with his gowne. I gave him my blanket, which I desired him to carry unto
his wife as a token from me, intending shee should bee my mother. Hee
thanked me, as also did the rest, to the number of 26, who in testimony of
their gratitude cast their garments at my feete & went to their canoos &
brought all the furr Skins they had; after which ceremonys wee parted. They
promised before noone they would send me 3 of their canoos, wherein they
failed not. They put my Beavors in them, & wee went towards the place where
I left my Brother-in-Law. I arrived the 12th of 7ber, to the great
satisfaction of all our people, having inform'd them the happy success of
my Journey by meeting with the Natives.
The very day I return'd from this litle Journey wee were alarm'd by the
noise of some Great Gunns. The Indians that came along with us heard them,
& I told them that these Gunns were from some of our shipps that were in
the great River called Kawirinagaw, 3 or 4 leagues' distance from that wher
wee were setled; but being desirous to bee sattisfyed what it should meane,
I went in a Canoo unto the mouth of our River, & seeing nothing, I suppos'd
wee were all mistaken, & I sent my nephew with another french man of my
crew back with the salvages unto the Indians; but the same evening they
heard the Gunns so plaine that ther was no farther cause of doubt but that
ther was a shipp; upon which they return'd back to tell me of it, wherupon
I presently went myself with 3 men to make the discovery. Having crossed
over this great River Kawirinagaw, which signifies the dangerous, on the
16th, in the morning, wee discovered a Tent upon an Island. I sent one of
my men privatly to see what it was. He came back soon after & told me they
were building a House & that there was a shipp; wherupon I approached as
neere as I could without being discover'd, & set myself with my men as it
were in ambush, to surprize some of thos that were there & to make them
prisoners to know what or who they might bee. I was as wary as might bee, &
spent the whole night very neere the place where the Hous stood, without
seeing anybody stirr or speak untill about noon next day, & then I see they
were English, & drawing neerer them the better to observe them, I return'd
to my canoo with my men. Wee shewed ourselves a Cannon-shott off & stayed
as if wee had ben salvages that wonder'd to see anybody there building a
House. It was not long before wee were discover'd, & they hollowed unto us,
inviting us to goe unto them, pronouncing some words in the Indian tongue,
which they Read in a Book. But seeing wee did not come unto them, they came
unto us along the shoare, & standing right opposit unto us, I spoke unto
them in the Indian tongue & in French, but they understood me not; but at
last asking them in English who they were & what they intended to do there,
they answer'd they were English men come hether to trade for Beaver.
Afterwards I asked them who gave them permission, & what commission they
had for it. They told me they had no commission, & that they were of New
England. I told them I was setled in the country before them for the French
Company, & that I had strength sufficient to hinder them from Trading to my
prejudice; that I had a Fort 7 leagues off, but that the noise of their
Gunns made me come to see them, thinking that it might bee a french shipp
that I expected, which was to come to a River farther North then this where
they were, that had put in there by some accident contrary to my
directions; that I had 2 other shipps lately arriv'd from Canada, commanded
by myself & my Brother, & therefore I advised them not to make any longer
stay there, & that they were best bee gon & take along with them on board
what they had landed.
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