78 A SYNOPSIS OF THE INDIAN TRIBES. [iNTROD. equally dangerous to the British interest and to that of the Six Nations. They showed in that instance more foresight than the colonial governments. As early as the year 1742, at the same maty in which they harshly reproved the Delavvares for claiming lands in the eastern part of Pennsylvania, formerly sold by them, they remonstrated against the encroachments made north of the boundary line on the Juniatta and on the Susquehanna, which were injurious to their cousins the Dela- wares. Those remonstrances were several times repeated, and particularly at the conferences of Philadelphia of the year 1749; and they may be summed up in the speech delivered by the Mohawk orator at the Conferences of Harris's Ferry and Lancaster of 1757. " In former times our forefathers conquered the Delawares, and put petticoats on them. A long time after that, they lived among you, and, upon some differences between them and you, we thought proper to remove them, giving them lands to plant and hunt on at Wyoming and Juniatta. But you, covetous of land, made plantations there and spoiled their hunting. They com- plained to us, and we found their complaints true. You drove them into the arms of the French. It is our advice that you send for the Senecas and them, treat them kindly, and give them back some part of their lands, rather than differ with them. It is in your power to settle the difference with them if you please." The Mohawk chief then informed the government of Pennsylvania of a growing intimacy of the Senecas with the Shawnoes and Delawares.* The conspicuous part which the Six Nations had acted during the eighty preceding years, in the contest between the two great European powers of North America, is well known ; and that they almost alone were a counterpoise to the general influence of France over the other Indian nations. They gave in the course of it repeated proofs of their sagacity. But it may be doubted, whether the Senecas, on that occasion, had really anticipated the consequences that must follow the com- plete success of the British arms. That there was some division among the Six Nations is certain ; and, notwithstanding the practice of incorporating the residue of conquered tribes, their perpetual wars had by this time considerably reduced Probably that portion known in the west by the name of Mingos.
