'_BRETHREN of the Six Nations_,

'I shall take this Opportunity to relate to you a Piece of disagreeable
News I received some Days ago in a Letter from _Le Tort_ the Indian
Trader, at _Allegheny_, who says, _That in_ May _last some_ Indians _of
the_ Taway _Nation, supposed by us to be_ Twightwees, _in their Return
from War, called and stayed sometime with the_ Shawanese; _who being
asked, and denying they had brought either Scalps or Prisoners, the_
Shawanese _suspecting them, had the Curiosity to search their Bags, and
finding two Scalps in them, that by the Softness of the Hair did not
feel like_ Indian _Scalps, they wash'd them clean, and found them to be
the Scalps of some_ Christians. _On this Discovery, the_ Twightwees _were
so much ashamed, that they stole away from their Town in the Night-time;
and coming, as they afterwards understood, to a little Village belonging
to the_ Shawanese, _they told our People that their Hearts were full of
Grief; for, as they came along the Road, they found it all bloody; and
having good Cause to believe it was made bloody with the Blood of some
of the White Brethren, they had very sorrowfully swept the Road; and
desired them to inform the Governor of_ Pensilvania _of their (the_
Twightwees) _Grief; and how they had swept the Road clean.' Le Tort_
adds, on Behalf of the _Shawanese, 'That they were much troubled and
grieved at this unfortunate Accident; and prayed as they had no Concern
in it, more than by being Instruments to discover it, their Brethren
would not blame them, nor suffer a Misunderstanding to arise between
them on this Account: They would sweep the Road clean, and wipe all the
Blood away; and desired their Brethren would be satisfied with this, and
not weep too much for a Misfortune that might not happen again as long
as the Sun and Moon shone.'_

'The Person who delivered me _Le Tort's_ Letter, brought this Bundle of