Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1743. 301

Brother the Governor of Pensilvania
The Place where I live and the neighbouring Country has
been overshadowed of late by a very dark Cloud, I looked
with a pitiful Eye upon the poor Women and Children, and
then looked upon the Ground all along for Sorrow in a miser-
able Condition because of the poor Women and Children, In
all that dark time a Message from you found the Way to
Shamokin, and when it was delivered to Us the dark Cloud
was dispersed and the Sun immediately began to shine, and
I could see at a great distance and saw your good Will and
kind Love to the Indians and the white People I thank you
therefore Brother Onas for your kind Message, I am now
able to comfort the poor Women and Children

Here the Speaker laid down four Strings of Wampum

Then the Speaker took up two Strings of Wampum and
directed his discourse to the Deleware Indians the Shawanese
and to Onas

Cousins the Delawares
We are informed that you can talk a little English by which
you pretend to have heard many things amongst white People,
and you frequently bring Lies amongst the Indians, and you

Lib. C B.

have a very little Knowledge and Regard for Treaties of
Friendship, you give your Tongues too much Liberty: This
string of Wampum serves to tie your Tongues and to fore-
warn you from Lies

Brethren the Shawanese
Your back Inhabitants are given to Lies, and raising of false
Stories, stop up their Mouths you can do it with One Word,
let no false Stories be told, it is dangerous to the Chain of
Friendship

The Strings of Wampum were delivered to the Delawares

After the Speaker had finished, an handsome Dinner was
given to all that were present by Shikellimo's People. After
Dinner I delivered my Message to them, and presented the
Company with two Rolls of Tobacco about 3 Lw^t Each Roll
to smoke, whilst they were in Company together to talk about
the good News they had heard that day according to the
Custom of the Indians.
Shikellimo told me by way of Discourse that they (the
Council of Onontago) had sent some strings of Wampum by
him to all the Indians upon the River Susquehanna to tell
them to use their Endeavours to stop all their Warriors, and

P. 199