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1793 WD 6 mo: 22. 7

A french man’s account of Indians

the Business, & if a Treaty be held at all, they appear to take time to put themselves in Warlike Preparations, & not to return home if Peace should not take place, a Frenchman employd in the fur Trade informed us - struck out up the Lakes to the N. West, informed us, that it takes them who set out from Montreall the beginning of the 5 mo.; till cold Weather before they get to their Journey’s End, and that they meet with Natives in their native simplicity, who seem very loving, & use altogether ston[e] instead of Iron for their Utensils, & Skins for their Cloathing,& building their Houses, and that the Plains in that Country are vastly extensive, on which the Buffaloes & other wild Beasts run in great abundance, so that the People of the Wilderness seem to be richly provided for, and are much happier than those more acquainted with the white People. 23. 1. We held a Meeting in a large sail Loft, to which many People came, and although the line of Doctrine was close & searching, I hope it was to Edification, they mostly behaved well considering their little knowledge of Friends, in the Afternoon several Indians came to see us, we have frequent Opportunities with them, and as way opens endeavour to inculcate in their Minds, the excellency of a sober & peaceable Life. 24 2. John Hackevelder, who had been gone about 10 Day up to the River of Tronk [possibly La Tranche] to see his Moravaian Brethren, returned with about half a dozen of their Indian Prosolites, among whom was John White, who has been several times at Philadelphia, he enquired after several there, he appears to be a solid religious Man, & says he hopes to see his Friends once more in that Place, there was also John Killbuck and two of his Sons, one of them had his Education at Princeton College; but now appears in the Stile of his Country, several of them remembered me, whom I had forgot, I believe our Meeting was to mutual Satisfaction, and we are informed, that through various Dispensations of Affliction permitted to over take them, the Loss of 96 of there Brethren massacred at Muskingum, and the Country they had improved with ‘nearly all their’ Stock & Substance their various movings from place to place, the failure of their Crops & that they were reduced & become very poor, therefore, feeling Commisseration & Sympathy toward them, we advanced the Sum of 100 Dollars for their relief, altho we had not brought Money enough to