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the 12. Two Indians & Robert Callender went out to 9. meet our people with the goods; had orders not to come back before they saw them, or go to Frankstown where we left the goods.
The same day the Indians made answer to my request concerning the prisoners taken in Carolina. Thanayieson a sincker spoke to the following purport out of door in the presence of all the deputies of the other Nations. The Speaker directed his discourse to the English in general, had a string of wampum in his hand; & said Bretheren You come a great way to visit us;& many sorts of evil might have befallen you by the way, which might have been hurtful to your eyes, & your inward part for the woods are full of evil spirits. We give you the string of wampum to clear up your eyes & minds & to remove all bitterness of your spirit,- that you may hear us speak in good cheer. Then the Speaker took a belt of wampum in his hand, & said Bretheren When we & you first saw one another, at at your first arrival at Albany we shook hands together & we became bretheren. We tied your ship to the bushes, & after having had more acquaintance with you, we loved you more & more, & perceiving a bush would not hold your ship, we then tied it to a big tree, & ever since good friendship continued between us. Afterwards you our bretheren told us that a tree might happen to fall down, & the rope rot wherewith the ship was tied. You proposed to make a silver chain, & tie your ship to the great mountain in the Five Nation country; and that chain was called the chain of friendship.