'The Proprietor having purchased certain Lands from your Nations about
Six Years ago, a Moiety of what was agreed to be given in Consideration
of that Purchase was at that Time delivered to them, and the other being
at their own Desire left in the Proprietor's Hands, He pressed you by
_Shikalamy_, to send last Year for it, and would have been glad to have
seen you and taken you by the Hand before his Departure. But as the
Design of this Meeting is to hear your News, and converse together in a
free and friendly Manner, I shall say no more about the Goods than that
they lye ready at the Proprietor's House, and will be delivered when you
shall have sufficiently rested from the Fatigue of your Journey.'

The Chief of the _Onondagoes_ spoke,

'_BRETHREN_,

'We propose to rest four Days, and then come to the main Business. At
present we are at a private Conference about News, and have something of
this Sort to mention to our Brother ONAS.' And on the Governor's
signifying they would be glad to know what it was, the Chief proceeded.

'_BRETHREN_,

'It is our Way when we come to our Brethren, or any other Persons, whom
we live in strict Friendship with, to remove all Obstructions to a good
Understanding; with this View we are to inform you of a Piece of
disagreeable News that happen'd in our Journey.--Some White People
living at a Place called _Conegocheegoe_, whose Names we cannot tell,
nor whether they belong to this or the neighbouring Government, but one
of them, as we heard, had his House burnt over his Head some Years ago,
and he was brought down a Prisoner and committed to the Goal of this