558 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.

bring down the two Indian Prisoners which they had taken and
by way of Compliment obliged them to parade before us and
to sing their Death Songs. The next Day We invited the
Chief and the principal Warriors to Dine with us, and after
Dinner the Interpreter Capⁿ Pearis told them He understood
that their Brother the Governor's present would be up the next
Morning, and that he had made a Considerable addition to it
as a reward for the Services they had done in destroying four
and taking two of the Enemy Prisoners, but that it was
expected that they should deliver up the Prisoners and Scalps
before they received the additional present such being the
Custom here and what was required by the Laws of the Prov-
ince. To this the Chief replyed with some warmth that he
thought it would Suffice to shew his Brother the Governor or
those that he had sent to represent him, the Prisoners and the
scalps of the Enemies that they had destroyed, that it was the
Indians Custom to preserve as Trophies the Hair of the
Enemies that they killed in Battle and to carry them home to
their own People, and in short that if they were not to have
the Goods that had been talked of unless they would purchase
them with their Prisoners or Scalps they would return home
naked as they came thence, and that they would think no more
of going to War if they were not allowed to keep what they
set the highest value on as it procured them most Honour
among their own People. As the Chief (for many of the
others did not) appeared to be much displeased with the pro-
posal that had been made or the Intimation that had been
given him by Cap" Pearis We desired the Interpreter to drop
the affair, but as We were not at liberty to give them a larger
present than could be purchased with £100 unless they would
deliver up the Scalps to be Destroyed agreeable to the Direc-
tions of the Act of Assembly and as we understood that so
small a present as £100 would not be Acceptable, We desired
M^r Pearis the Interpreter to talk to them severally and to
endeavour by any arguments that he should think fit to urge
to perswade them to give up some of the Scalps that we may
be thereby enabled to make such an Addition to the present
given by the assembly as might make it Acceptable. In the
morning of the 21^st Instant He assured us that he had used his
utmost Endeavours to procure us either the Prisoners or some
Scalps but that Wahachey the Chief continued obstinate and
had declared that nothing should tempt him to part with the
Prisoners, but that Yaughtanew the second in reputation and
who was in fact much better affected than the other had
promised him to send the Scalps as a present to your Excel-
lency afterwards tho he could not deliver them up to be
destroyed in such a manner as the Act Directs, lest he should