Fowle's New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

On Wednesday, the 25th inst. there came into this town about 300 savages, men, women, and children, of different nations, with a number of their chiefs and principal personages--the king of the Wyandots, with his family: a chief of the Senecas, with several of his tribe; a number of Delawares, and several chiefs of the Chippewas, the most remote nation of Indians amongst them, and inhabiting the country westward of Lake Erie, to the Lake of the Woods, and the heads of the Mississippi river. The language of these savages is said to be a kind of general language understood through an extent of 3000 miles. They came to a council, as they gave out, with the Shawanese, and with one another, at this place, where they expected all to meet:--a number of the Mohawks were also present. They assembled, and made a speech, with belts of wampum as usual upon these occasions,--A chief of the Chippewas in the first instance, by his interpreter, who spoke the Delaware language, made a speech to the following effect--

"Brothers--We have come a great way on behalf of our wives and children: It is on their behalf that we tread on this ground--(a belt)--The Great Man above has given us a bright day to meet our brothers--we have come a great way, and it is to make bright the chain of amity between us. We have one end and you the other--take you one between both your hands, thus, and hold it fast as we hold it--a belt.)--Brothers--we are poor, wretchedly poor, give us something to cover our backsides, and send us clothed home. A chief amongst us has seen a saddle which he wants--brothers, give us this--(two strings.)--Brothers--our young men, in passing through the town, have smelled whiskey; after smelling, we shall go unhappy away without tasting--Brothers, give us a keg"--(three strings, and then a general bow by the different tribes.)

Answer--by an Officer of this place.

"Brothers--We are glad to see you, and to establish friendship. As the streams in our country and in yours, though so far apart, run always, so let your friendship and ours be as perpetual. You are poor, and we are poor also. We have had a long war with the great king beyond the water, whose people came over into this country, and burnt our houses, and took away a great part of our clothing. We followed them, and killed them all: but before we had come up with them, they had burnt and torn up the blankets they had taken from us. We have not yet had time to make a great number more. We are strong in numbers; but, like you, we are poor: but of what we have we will give a part."

"Brothers--When you are at home, hunt and collect fur, and when you come to us bring it with you; in return for which, our traders will be able to give you blankets and other things."

"Brothers--While you are with us be sober, and drink little whiskey, lest you do amiss, and be ashamed of it. The great sun which you see above you, when he is thirsty, takes the end of a cloud, and sucks the water out of it,

"Brothers--Do you drink water--(no grunt by any of the tribes)--we will give you a few kegs of whiskey--(a general snort)."