Sunday 27.—S 12 M to a small Delaware Town of about twenty Families on the SE Side of Sciodoc Creek—We lodged at the House of an Indian whose Name was Windaughalah, a great Man and Chief of this Town, & Much in the English Interest. He entertained Us very kindly, and ordered a Negro Man that belonged to him to feed our Horses well; this Night it snowed, and in the Morning tho the Snow was six or seven Inches deep; the wild Rye appeared very green and flourishing thro it, and our Horses had fine Feeding.

Monday Jany 28.—We went into Council with the Indians of this Town, and after the Interpreter had informed them of his Instructions from the Governor of Pensylvania, and given them some Cautions in Regard to the French, they returned for Answer as follows. The Speaker with four Strings of Wampum in his Hand stood up, and addressing Himself as to the Governor of Pensylvania, said, "Brothers, "We the Delawares return You our hearty Thanks for the News You have sent Us, and We assure You, We will not hear the Voice of any other Nation for We are to be directed by You our Brothers the English, & by none else: We shall be glad to hear what our Brothers have to say to Us at the Loggs Town in the Spring, and to assure You of our hearty Good will & Love to our Brothers We present You with these four Strings of Wampum. This is the last Town of the Delawares to the Westward—The Delaware Indians by the best Accounts I coud gather consist of about 500 fighting Men all firmly attached to the English Interest, they are not properly a Part of the six Nations, but are scattered about among most of the Indians upon the Ohio, and some of them among the six Nations, from whom they have Leave to hunt upon their Lands.

Tuesday 29.—Set out SW 5 M, S 5 M, to the Mouth of Sciodoe Creek opposite to the Shannoah Town, here We fired our Guns to alarm the Traders, who soon answered, and came and ferryed Us over to the Town—The Land about the Mouth of Sciodoe Creek is rich but broken fine Bottoms upon the River & Creek—The Shannoah Town is situate upon both Sides the River Ohio, just below the Mouth of Sciodoe Creek, and contains about 300 Men, there are about 40 Houses on the S Side of the River and about 100 on the N Side, with a Kind of State-House of about 90 Feet long, with a light Cover of Bark in wch they hold their Councils—The Shanaws are not a Part of the six Nations, but were formerly at Variance with them, tho now reconciled: they are great Friends to the English who once protected them from the Fury of the six Nations, which they gratefully remember.

Wednesday 30.—We were conducted into Council, where George Croghan delivered sundry Speeches from the Government of Pensylvania to the Chiefs of this Nation, in which He informed them, "That two Prisoners who had been taken by the French, and had made their Escape from the French Officer at Lake Erie as he was carrying them towards Canada brought News that the French offered a large Sum of Money to any Person who would bring to them the said Croghan and Andrew Montour the Interpreter alive, or if dead their Scalps; and that the French also threatened these Indians and the Wyendotts with War in the Spring" the same Persons farther said "that they had seen ten French "Canoes loaded with Stores for a new Fort they designed on the S Side Lake Erie. Mr Croghan also informed them of several of our Traders having been taken; and advised them to keep their Warriors at Home, until they coud see what the French intended which he doubted not woud appear in the Spring—Then Andrew Montour informed this Nation as He had done the Wyendotts & Delawares "That the King of Great Britain had sent Them a large Present of Goods, in Company with the six Nations, which was under the care of the Governor of Virginia, who had sent Me out to invite them to come and see Him, & partake of their Father's Present next Summer" to which We received this Answer— Big Hannaona their Speaker taking in his Hand the several Strings of Wampum which had been given by the English, He said "These are the Speeches received by Us from your great Men: From the Beginning of our Friendship, all that our Brothers the English have told Us has been good and true, for which We return our hearty Thanks" Then taking up four other Strings of Wampum in his Hand, He said "Brothers I now speak the Sentiments of all our People; when first our Forefathers did meet the English our Brothers, they found what our Brothers the English told them to be true, and so have We—We are but a small People, & it is not to Us only that You speak, but to all Nations—We shall be glad to hear what our Brothers will say to Us at the Loggs Town in the Spring, & We hope that the Friendship now subsisting between Us & our Brothers, will last as long as the Sun shines, or the Moon gives Light—We hope that our Children will hear and believe what our Brothers say to them, as We have always done, and to assure You of our hearty Good-Will towards You our Brothers, We present You with these four Strings of Wampum" After the Council was over they had much Talk about sending a Guard with Us to the Pickwaylinees Towns (these are a Tribe of Twigtwees) which was reckoned near 200 Miles, but after long Consultation (their King being sick) they came to no Determination about it.

From Thursday Jan 31 To Monday Feb 11.—Stayed in the Shannoah Town, while I was here the Indians had a very extraordinary Kind of a Festival, at which I was present and which I have exactly described a the End of my Journal— As I had particular Instructions from the President of Virginia to discover the Strength & Numbers of some Indian Nations to the Westward of Ohio who had lately revolted from the French, and had some Messages to deliver them from Him, I resolved to set out for the Twigtwee Town.

Tuesday 12.—Having left my Boy to take Care of my Horses in the Shannoah Town, & supplied myself with a fresh Horse to ride, I set out with my old Company viz George Croghan, Andrew Montour, Robert Kallandar, and a Servant to carry our Provisions &c NW 10 M.

Friday 15.—The same Course 15 M. We met with nine Shannoah Indians coming from one of the Pickwaylinees Towns, where they had been to Council, they told Us there were fifteen more of them behind at the Twigtwee Town, waiting for the Arrival of the Wawaughtanneys, who are a Tribe of the Twigtwees, and were to bring with them a Shannoah Woman and Child to deliver to their Men that were behind: this Woman they informed Us had been taken Prisoner last Fall, by some of the Wawaughtanney Warriors thro a Mistake, which had like to have engaged these Nations in a War.

Saturday 16.—Set out the same Course (NW) about 35 M, to the little Miamee River or Creek

the little Miamee River, and altering our Course We went SW 25 M, to the big Miamee River, opposite the Twigtwee Town. All the Way from the Shannoah Town to this Place (except the first 20 M which is broken) is fine, rich level Land, well timbered with large Walnut, Ash, Sugar Trees, Cherry Trees &c, it is well watered with a great Number of little Streams or Rivulets, and full of beautiful natural Meadows, covered with wild Rye, blue Grass and Clover, and abounds with Turkeys, Deer, Elks and most Sorts of Game particularly Buffaloes, thirty or forty of which are frequently seen feeding in one Meadow: In short it wants Nothing but Cultivation to make it a most delightful Country—The Ohio and all the large Branches are said to be full of fine Fish of several Kinds, particularly a Sort of Cat Fish of a prodigious Size; but as I was not there at the proper Season, I had not an opportunity of seeing any of them—The Traders had always reckoned it 200 M, from the Shannoah Town to the Twigtwee Town, but by my Computation I could make it no more than 150—The Miamee River being high, We were obliged to make a Raft of old Loggs to transport our Goods and Saddles and swim our Horses over—After firing a few Guns and Pistols, & smoaking in the Warriours Pipe, who came to invite Us to the Town (according to their Custom of inviting and welcoming Strangers and Great Men) We entered the Town with English Colours before Us, and were kindly received by their King, who invited Us into his own House, & set our Colours upon the Top of it—The Firing of Guns held about a Quarter of an Hour, and then all the white and Traders that were there, came and welcomed Us to the the Twigtwee Town—This Town is [?] on the NW Side of the Big Miamee River about 150 M from the Mouth thereof; it consists of about 400 Families, & daily encreasing, it is accounted one of the strongest Indian Towns upon this Part [48] of the Continent—The Twigtwees are a very numerous People consisting of many different Tribes under the same Form of Government. Each tribe has a particular Chief or King, one of which is chosen indifferently out of any Tribe to rule the whole Nation, and is vested with greater Authorities than any of the others—They are accounted the most powerful People to the Westward of the English Settlements, & much superior to the six Nations with whom they are now in Amity: their Strength and Numbers arc not thoroughly known, as they have but lately traded with the English, and indeed have very little Trade among them: they deal in much the same Comodities with the Northern Indians. There are other Nations or Tribes still further to the Westward daily coming in to them; & ‘tis thought their Power and Interest reaches to the Westward of the Mississippi, if not across the Continent; they are at present very well affected to the English, and seem fond of an Alliance with them—they formerly lived on the farther Side of the Obache, and were in the French Interest, who supplied them with some few Trifles at a most exorbitant Price—they were called by the French Miamees; but they have now revolted from them, and left their former Habitations for the Sake of trading with the English; and notwithstanding all the Artifices the French have used, they have not been able to recall them.

After We had been some Time in the King's House Mr Montour told Him that We wanted to speak with Him and the Chiefs of this Nation this Evening upon which We were invited into the long House, and having taken our Places Mr Montour began as follows—"Brothers the Twigtwees as We have been hindered by the high Waters and some other Business with our Indian Brothers, no Doubt our long Stay has caused some Trouble among our Brethren here, Therefore We now present you with two Strings of Wampum to remove all the Trouble of your Hearts, & clear your Eyes, that You may see the Sun shine clear, for We have, a great Deal to say to You, & We woud have You send for one of Your Friends that can speak the Mohickon or the Mingoe Tongues well, that We may understand each other thoroughly, for We have a great Deal of Business to do"—The Mohickons are a small Tribe who most of them speak English, and are also well acquainted with the Language of the Twigtwees, and they with theirs—Mr Montour then proceeded to deliver Them a Message from the Wyendotts and Delawares as follows "Brothers the Twigtwees, this comes by our Brothers the English who arc coming with good News to You: We hope You will take Care of Them, and all our Brothers the English who are trading among You: You made a Road for our Brothers the English to come and trade among You, but it is now very foul, great Loggs are fallen across it, and We would have You be strong like Men, and have one Heart with Us, and make the Road clear, that our Brothers the English may have free Course and Recourse between You and Us—In the Sincerity of our Hearts We send You these four Strings of Wampum," to which they gave the usual Yo Ho—Then they said they wanted some Tobacco to smoak with Us, and that tomorrow they woud send for their Interpreter.

Monday Feb 18.—We walked about viewed the Fort which wanted some Repairs, & the Trader's Men helped Them, to bring Loggs to line the Inside.

Tuesday 19.—We gave their Kings and great Men some Clothes, and Paint Shirts, and now they were busy dressing and preparing themselves for the Council—The Weather grew warm and the Creeks began to lower very fast.

Wednesday 20.—About 12 of the Clock We were informed that some of the foreign Tribes were coming, upon which proper Persons were ordered to meet them and conduct Them into the Town, and then We were invited into the long House; after We had been seated about a Quarter of an Hour four Indians, two from each Tribe (who had been sent before to bring the long Pipe, and to inform that the rest were coming) came in, & informed Us that their Friends had sent these Pipes that We might smoak the Calamut Pipe of Peace with them and that they intended to do the same with Us.

Thursday Febr 21.—We were again invited into the long House where Mr Croghan made them (with the foreign Tribes) a Present to the Value of £100 Pensylvania Money, and delivered all our Speeches to Them, at which they seemed well pleased, and said, that they would take Time and consider well what We had said to Them.

Saturday 23.—In the Afternoon there was an Alarm in the Town which caused a great Confusion and running about among the Indians, upon enquiring into the Reason of this Stir, they told Us that it was occasioned by six Indians that came to war against Them, from the Southward: three of them Cutaways, and three Shanaws (these were some of the Shanaws who had formerly deserted from the other Part of the Nation, and now to the Southward). Towards Night there was a report spread in Town that four Indians, and four hundred French, were on their March and just by the Town: But soon after the Messenger who brought this News said, there were only four french Indians coming to Council, and that they bid him say so, only to see how the English woud behave themselves; but as they had behaved themselves like Men, He now told the Truth.

Sunday 24.—This Morning the four French Indians came into Town and were kindly received by the Town Indians; they marched in under French Colours, and were conducted into the long House, and after they had been in about a Quarter of an Hour, the Council sate, and We were sent for that We might hear what the French had to say to them— The Pyankeshee King (who was at that Time the principal Man, and Comander in Chief of the Twigtwees) said, He woud have the English Colours set up in this Council as well as the French, to which We answered he might do as he thought fit. After We were seated right opposite to the French Embassadors, One of Them said, He had a Present to make Them, so a Place was prepared (as they had before done, for our Present) between Them and Us, and then their Speaker stood up, and layed His hands upon two small Caggs of Brandy that held about seven Quarts each, and a Roll of Tobacco of about ten Pounds Weight, then taking two strings of Wampum in his Hand, He said, "What he had to deliver Them was from their Father" (meaning the French King) "and he desired, they woud hear what he was about to say to Them," then he layed them two Strings of Wampum down upon the Caggs, and taking up four other Strings of black and white Wampum, he said, "that their Father remembring his Children, had sent them two Caggs of Milk and some Tobacco, and that he now had made a clear Road for them, to come and see Him and his Officers;" and pressed them very much to come, then he took another String of Wampum in his Hand, and said, "their Father now woud forget all little Differences that had been between Them, and desired Them not to be of two Minds, but to let Him know their Minds freely, for He woud send for Them no more"—To which the Pyankeshee King replyed,"it was true their Father had sent for them several Times, and said the Road was clear, but He understood it was made foul & bloody, and by Them—We (said He) have cleared a Road for our Brothers the English, and your Fathers have made it bad, [52] and have taken some of our Brothers Prisoners, Which We look upon as done to Us," and he turned short about and went out of Council "—After the French Embassador had delivered his Message He went into one of the private Houses and endeavoured much to prevail on some Indians, and was seen to cry and lament (as he said for the Loss of that Nation.

Monday Febr 25.—This Day We received a Speech from the Wawaughtanneys and Pyankeshees (two Tribes of the Twigtwees) One of the Chiefs of the former spoke "Brothers, We have heard what You have said to Us by the Interpreter and We see You take Pity upon our poor Wives and Children, and have taken Us by the Hand into the great Chain of Friendship; therefore We present You with these two Bundles of Skins to make Shoes for your People, and this Pipe to smoak in, to assure You that our Hearts are good and true towards You our Brothers; and We hope that We shall all continue in true Love and Friendship with one another, as People with one Head and one Heart ought to do; You have pityed Us as You always did the rest of our Indian Brothers, We hope that Pity You have always shewn, will remain as long as the Sun gives Light, and on our Side you may depend upon sincere and true Friendship towards You as long as We have Strength"—This Person stood up and spoke with the Air and Gesture of an Orator.

Tuesday 26.—The Twigtwees delivered the following Answer to the four Indians sent by the French—The Captain of the Warriors stood up and taking some Strings of black and white Wampum in this Hand he spoke with a fierce Tone and very warlike Air—"Brothers the Ottaways, You are always differing with the French Yourselves, and yet You listen to what they say, but We will let You know by these four Strings of Wampum, that We will not hear any Thing they say to Us; nor do any Thing they bid Us"—Then the same Speaker with six Strouds two Match-Coats, and a String of black Wampum (I understood the Goods were in Return for the Milk and Tobacco) and directing his Speech to the French said, "Fathers, you desire that We may speak our Minds from our Hearts, which I am going to do; You have often desired We shoud go Home to You, but I tell You it is not our Home, for We have made a Road as far as the Sea to the Sun-rising, and have been taken by the Hand by our Brothers the English; and the six Nations, and the Delawares Shannoahs and Wyendotts, and We assure You it is the Road We will go; and as You threaten Us with War in the Spring, We tell You if You are angry We are ready to receive You, and resolve to die here before We will go to You; And that You may know that this our Mind, We send You this String of black Wampum." After a short Pause the same Speaker spoke again thus—"Brothers the Ottaways, You hear what I say, tell that to your Fathers the French, for that is our Mind, and We speak it from our Hearts."

Wednesday 27.—This Day they took down their French Colours, and dismissed the four French Indians, so they took their Leave of the Town and set off for the French Fort.

Thursday 28.—The Crier of the Town came by the King's Order and invited Us to the long House to see the Warriors Feather Dance; it was performed by three Dancing-Masters, who were painted all over with various Colours, with long Sticks in their Hands, upon the Ends of which were fastened long Feathers of Swans, and other Birds, neatly woven in the Shape of a Fowls Wing: in this Disguise they performed many antick Tricks, waving their Sticks and Feathers about with great Skill to imitate the flying and fluttering of Birds, keeping exact Time with their Musick; while they are dancing some of the Warriors strikes a Post, upon which the Musick and Dancers cease, and the Warrior gives an Account of his Atchievements in War, and when he has done, throws down some Goods as a Recompence to the Performers and Musicians; after which they proceed in their Dance as before till another Warrior strikes ye Post, and so on as long as the Company think fit.

Friday March 1.—We received the following Speech from the Twigtwees the Speaker stood up and addressing himself as to the Governor of Pensylvania with two Strings of Wampum in his Hand, He said—"Brothers our Hearts are glad that You have taken Notice of Us, and surely Brothers We hope that You will order a Smith to settle here to mend our Guns and Hatchets, Your Kindness makes Us so bold to ask this Request. You told Us our Friendship should last as long, and be as the greatest Mountain, We have considered well, and all our great Kings & Warriors are come to a Resolution never to give Heed to what the French say to Us, but always to hear & believe what You our Brothers say to Us—Brothers We are obliged to You for your kind Invitation to receive a Present at the Loggs Town, but as our foreign Tribes are not yet come, We must wait for them, but You may depend We will come as soon as our Women have planted Corn to hear what our Brothers will say to Us—Brothers We present You with this Bundle of Skins, as We are but poor to be for Shoes for You on the Road, and We return You our hearty Thanks for the Clothes which You have put upon our Wives and Children"—We then took our Leave of the Kings and Chiefs, and they ordered that a small Party of Indians shoud go with Us as far as Hockhockin; but as I had left my Boy and Horses at the lower Shannoah Town, I was obliged to go by myself or to go sixty or seventy Miles out of my Way, which I did not care to do so we all came over the Miamee River together this Evening but Mr Crogan & Mr Montour went over again & lodged in the Town, but I stayed on this Side at one Robert Smith's (a Trader) where We had left our Horses—Before the French Indians had come into Town, We had drawn Articles of Peace and Alliance between,the English and the Wawaughtanneys and Pyankeshees; the Indentures were signed on both Sides, and as I drew them I took a Copy—The Land upon the great Miamee River is very rich level arid well timbered, some of the finest Meadows that can be: The Indians and Traders assure Me that the Land holds as good and if possible better, to the Westward as far as the Obache which is accounted 100 Miles, and quite up to the Head of the Miamee River, which is 6o Miles above the Twigtwee Town, and down the said River quite to the Ohio which is reckoned 15o Miles.—The Grass here grows to a great Height in the clear Fields, of which there are a great Number, & the Bottoms are full of white Clover, wild Rye, and blue Grass.

Saturday March 2.—George Croghan and the rest of our Company came over the River, We got our Horses, & set out about 35 M to Mad Creek (this is a Place where some English Traders had been taken Prisoners by the French.)

Sunday 3.—This Morning We parted, They for Hockhockin, and I for the Shannoah Town, and as I was quite alone and knew that the French Indians had threatened Us, and woud probably pursue or lye in Wait for Us, I left the Path, and went to the South Westward down the little Miamee River or Creek, where I had fine traveling thro rich Land and beautiful Meadows, in which I coud sometimes see forty or fifty Buffaloes feeding at Once—The little Miamee River or Creek continued to run thro the Middle of a fine Meadow, about a Mile wide very clear like an old Field, and not a Bush in it, I coud see the Buffaloes in it above two Miles off: I travelled this Day about 30 M.

Monday 4.—This Day I heard several Guns, but was afraid to examine who fired Them, lest they might be some of the French Indians, so I travelled thro the Woods about 30M; just at Night I killed a fine barren Cow-Buffaloe and took out her Tongue, and a little of the best of her Meat: The Land still level rich and well timbered with Oak, Walnut, Ash, Locust, and Sugar Trees.

Thursday 7.—Set out with my Horse Load of Bear and travelled about 30 M this Afternoon I met a young Man (a Trader) and We encamped together that Night; He happened to have some Bread with Him, and I had plenty of Meat, so We fared very well.

Friday 8.—Travelled about 30 M, and arrived at Night at the Shannoah Town—All the Indians, as well as the white Men came out to welcome my Return to their Town, being very glad that all Things were rightly settled in the Miamee Country, they fired upwards of 150 Guns in the Town, and made an Entertainment in Honour of the late Peace with the western Indians—In my Return from the Twigtwee to the Shannoah Town, I did not keep an exact Account of Course or Distance; for as the Land thereabouts was every where much the same, and the Situation of the Country was sufficiently described in my Journey to the Twigtwee Town, I thought it unnecessary, but have notwithstanding laid down my Tract pretty nearly in my Plat.

Saturday March 9.—In the Shannoah Town, I met with one of the Mingoe Chiefs, who had been down at the Falls of Ohio, so that We did not see Him as We went up; I informed Him of the King's Present, and the Invitation down to Virginia—He told that there was a Party of French Indians hunting at the Falls, and if I went there they would certainly kill Me or carry Me away Prisoner to the French; For it is certain they would not let Me pass: However as I had a great Inclination to see the Falls, and the Land on the E Side the Ohio, I resolved to venture as far as possible.

Sunday 10 & Monday 11.—Stayed in the Town, and prepared for my Departure. Tuesday 12.— I got my Horses over the River and after Breakfast my Boy and I got ferryed over—The Ohio is near 3/4 of a Mile wide at Shannoah Town, & is very deep and smooth.

Wednesday 13.—We set out S 45 W, down the said River on the SE Side 8 M, then S 10 M, here I met two Men belonging to Robert Smith at whose House I lodged on this Side the Miamee River, and one Hugh Crawford, the said Robert Smith had given Me an Order upon these Men, for two of the Teeth of a large Beast, which they were bringing from towards the Falls of Ohio, one of which I brought in and delivered to the Ohio Company—Robert Smith informed Me that about seven Years ago these Teeth and Bones of three large Beasts (one of which was somewhat smaller than the other two) were found in a salt Lick or Spring upon a small Creek which runs into the S Side of the Ohio, about 15 M, below the Mouth of the great Miamee River, and 20 above the Falls of Ohio—He assured Me that the Rib Bones of the largest of these Beasts were eleven Feet long, and the Skull Bone six feet wide, across the Forehead, & the other Bones in Proportion; and that there were several Teeth there, some of which he called Horns, and said they were upwards of five Feet long, and as much as a Man coud well carry: that he had hid one in a Branch at some Distance from the Place, lest the French Indians shoud carry it away —The Tooth which I brought in for the Ohio Company, was a Jaw Tooth of better than four Pounds Weight, it appeared to be the furthest Tooth in the Jaw, and looked like fine Ivory when the outside was scraped off—I also met with four Shannoah Indians coming up the River in their Canoes, who informed me that there were about sixty French Indians encamped at the Falls.

Thursday 14.—I went down the River S 15 M, the Land upon this Side the Ohio chiefly broken, and the Bottoms but narrow. Friday 15.—S 5 M, SW 10 M, to a Creek that was so high, that We coud not get over that Night.

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