long Oration, answered the English Meffage, and however improbable it may seem to Europeans, repeated all that had been said the preceding Day. The Art they have in affifting their Memories is this. The Sachem who prefides, has a Bundle of Sticks prepared for the Purpose, and at the Clofe of every principal Article of the Meffage delivered to them, gives a Stick to another Sachem charging him with the Remembrance of it. By this Means the Orator, after a previous Conference with the Indians, is prepared to repeat every Part of the Meffage, and give it its proper Reply. This Custom is invariably pursued in all their publick Treaties.

The Conference did not anfwer the Expectation of the People of New-Eng land, the Five Nations discovering a great Difinclination to join in the Hoftilities against the Eaftern Indians. To atone for which, they gave the highest Protestations of their Willingness to diftrefs the French, against whom the English had declared War, on the 7th of May preceding. That Part of the Speech ratifying their Friendship, with the English Colonies, is fingularly expreffed. "We promise to preferve the Chain inviolably, and wish "that the Sun may always fhine in Peace, over all our Heads that are comprehended in this Chain *. We give two Belts. One for the Sun, "and the other for its Beams. We make faft the Roots of the Tree of "Peace and Tranquility which is planted in this Place. Its Roots extend as far as the utmost of your Colonies, if the French should come to shake "this Tree, we would feel it by the Motion of its Roots, which extend into our Country. But we truft it will not be in the Governor of Canada's "Power to shake this Tree, which has been fo firmly, and long planted * with us."

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Nothing could have been more advantageous to thefe Colonies, and efpecially to New-York, than the late Succefs of the Five Nations against Canada. The Miferies to which the French were reduced, rendered us fecure against their Inroads, till the Work of the Revolution was in a great meafure accomplished; and to their diftreffed Condition, we must principally afcribe the Defeat of the French Defign, about this Time, to make a Conqueft of the Province. De Calliers, who went to France in 1688, first projected the Scheme; and the Troubles in England encouraged the French

* The Indians Conception of the League between them and us, is couched under the Idea of a Chain extended from a Ship to a Tree, and every Renewal of this League they call brightening the Chain.

+ Charlevoix has published an Extract of the

Court

Memorial prefented to the French King. The Force deman. ed for this Enterprise, was to confift of 1300 Regulars and 300 Canadians. ALbany was faid to be fortified only by an Inclosure of Stockadoes and a little Fort with four Baftions; and that it contained but 150 Soldiers and 300 Inhabitants.

Court to make the Attempt. Caffiniere commanded the Ships, which failed for that Purpose from Rochefort; fubject, nevertheless, to the Count De Frontenac, who was General of the Land Forces, deftined to march from Canada by the Rout of Sorel-River and the Lake Champlain. The Fleet and Troops arrived at Chebucta, the Place of Rendezvous, in September; from whence the Count proceeded to Quebeck, leaving Orders with Caffiniere to fail for New-York, and continue in the Bay, in Sight of the City, but beyond the Fire of our Cannon, till the 1ft of December: when, if he received no Intelligence from him, he was ordered to return to France, after unlading the Ammunition, Stores, and Provifions at Port-Royal *. The Count was in high Spirits, and fully determined upon the Enterprife, till he arrived at Quebeck; where the News of the Succefs of the Five Nations against Montreal, the Lofs of his favourite Fort at Lake Ontario, and the advanced Season of the Year, defeated his Aims, and broke up the Expedition. De Nonville who was recalled, carried the News of this Disappointment to the Court of France, leaving the chief Command of the Country in the Hands of Count Frontenac. This Gentleman was a Man of Courage, and well acquainted with the Affairs of that Country. He was then in the 68th Year of his Age, and yet so far from confulting his Ease, that in a few Days after he landed at Quebeck, he re-embarked in a Canoe for Montreal, where his Presence was abfolutely neceffary, to animate the Inhabitants and regain their Indian Alliances. A War, between the English and French Crowns, being broke out; the Count betook himself to every Art, for concluding a Peace between Canada and the Five Nations; and for this Purpose, the utmoft Civilities were fhewn to Taweraket and the other Indians, who had beerr fent to France by De Nonville, and were now returned. Three of those Indians, who doubtless were struck with the Grandeur and Glory of the French Monarch, were properly fent on the important Meffage of conciliating the Friendship of the Five Nations. Thefe, agreeable to our Alliance, fent two Sachems to Albany, in December, with Notice, that a Council for that Purpose was to be held at Onondaga. It is a juft Reflection upon the People of Albany, that they regarded the Treaty fo flightly, as only to fend four Indians and the Interpreter with Inftructions, in their Name, to diffuade the Confederates from a Ceflation of Arms; while the French, on the other Hand, had then a Jefuit among the Oneydoes. The Council began on the 22d of January

Inhabitants. That New York the Capital of the Bastions, and about for hundred Inhabitants, di Province was open, had a Stone Fort with four vided into eight Companies.

* Now Annapolis.
K

1690,

1690, and confifted of eighty Sachems. Sadekanaghtie, an Onondaga Chief, opened the Conference. The whole was managed with great Art and Formality, and concluded in fhewing a Difpofition to make Peace with the French, without perfecting it; guarding, at t hefame Time, against giving the least Umbrage to the English.

Among other Measures to detach the Five Nations from the British Interest, and raise the depreffed Spirit of the Canadians, the Count De Frontenac thought proper to fend out feveral Parties against the English Colonies. D'Aillebout, De Mantel, and Le Moyne, commanded that against New-York, confifting of about two hundred French and fome Caghmuaga Indians, who being Profelytes from the Mohawks, were perfectly acquainted with that Country. Their Orders were, in general, to attack New-York; but pursuing the Advice of the Indians, they refolved, instead of Albany, to furprise Schenectady, a Village feventeen Miles North-weft from it, and about the fame Distance from the Mohawks. The People of Schenectady, tho' they had been informed of the Designs of the Enemy, were in the greatest Security; judging it impracticable, for any Men to march feveral hundred Miles, in the Depth of . Winter, thro' the Snow, bearing their Provifions on their Backs. Befides, the Village was in as much Confufion as the reft of the Province; the Officers, who were pofted there, being unable to preferve a regular Watch, or any kind of Military Order. Such was the State of Schenectady, as represented by Colonel Schuyler, who was at that Time Mayor of the City of Albany, and at the Head of the Convention. A Copy of his Letter to the Neighbouring Colonies, concerning this Defcent upon Schenectady, dated the 15th of February 1689-90, I have now lying before me, under his own Hand.

After two and twenty Days March, the Enemy fell in with Schenectady, on the 8th of February; and were reduced to fuch Streights, that they had Thoughts of furrendering themselves Prifoners of War. But their Scouts, who were a Day or two in the Village entirely unfufpected, returned with fuch encouraging Accounts of the abfolute fecurity of the People, that the Enemy determined on the Attack. They entered, on Saturday Night about eleven o'Clock, at the Gates, which were found unfhut; and, that, every House might be invested at the fame Time, divided into fmall Parties of fix, or feven Men. The Inhabitants were in a profound Sleep, and unalarmed, till their Doors were broke open. Never were People in a more wretched Confternation. Before they were rifen from their Beds, the Enemy entered their Houses; and began the Perpetration of the most inhuman Barbarities. No Tongue, fays Colonel Schuyler, can exprefs the Cruelties that were com3 mited.

mited. The whole Village was instantly in a Blaze. Women with Child riped open, and their Infants caft into the Flames, or dashed against the Pofts of the Doors. Sixty Perfons perifhed in the Maffacre, and twenty seven were carried into Captivity. The reft fled naked towards Albany, thro' a deep snow which fell that very Night in a terrible Storm; and twenty five of these Fugitives, loft their Limbs in the Flight, thro' the Severity of the Froft. The News of this dreadful Tragedy reached Albany, about Break of Day; and universal Dread seized the Inhabitants of that City, the Enemy being reported to be one thousand four hundred frong. A Party of Horfe was immediately dispatched to Schenectady, and a few Mobawks then in Town, fearful of being intercepted, were with Difficulty fent to apprise their own Caftles.

The Mohawks were unacquainted with this bloody Scene, till two Days after it happened; our Mcllengers being scarce able to travel thro' the great Depth of the Snow. The Enemy, in the mean Time, pillaged the Town of Schenectady till Noon the next Day; and then went off with their Plunder, and about forty of their best Horfes. The reft, with all the Cattle they could find, lay flaughtered in the Streets.

The Design of the French, in this Attack, was to alarm the Fears of our Indian Allies, by fhewing that we were incapable of defending them. Every Art alfo was used to conciliate their Friendship, for they not only spared thofe Mohawks who were found in Schenectady, but feveral other particular Perfons, in Compliment to the Indians, who requested that Favour. Several Women and Children were also released at the Defire of Captain Glen, to whom the French offered no Violence; the Officer declaring he had strict Orders against it, on the Score of his Wife's Civilities to certain French Captives in the Time of Colonel Dongan.

The Mahawks, confidering the cajoling Arts of the French, and that the Caghnuagas who were with them, were once a Part of their own Body, behaved as well as could be reafonably expected. They joined a Party of young Men from Albany, fell upon the Rear of the Enemy, and either killed or captivated five and twenty. Several Sachems, in the mean Time, came to Albany, and very affectingly addreffed the Inhabitants, who were just ready to abandon the Country; urging their Stay, and exciting an Union of all the English Colonies against Canada. Their Sentiments concerning the French, appear from the following Speech of Condolance. "Brethren, we do not think, that what the French have done can be called a Victory: it is only a farther Proof of their cruel Deceit: the Governor of Canada, fent to

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Onondaga, and talks to us of Peace with our whole Houfe; but War was “in his Heart, as you now fee by woful Experience. He did the fame, formerly, at Cadaracqui, and in the Seneca's Country. This is the third "Time he has acted fo deceitfully. He has broken open our House, at "both Ends; formerly in the Sennecas Country, and now here. We hope " however to be revenged of them."

Agreeable to this Declaration, the Indians foon after treated the Chevalier D'Eau and the reft of the French Meflengers, who came to conclude the Peace proposed hy Taweraket, with the utmost Indignity; and afterwards delivered them up to the English. Befides this, their Scouts haraffed the Borders of the Enemy, and fell upon a Party of French and Indians, in the River, about one hundred and twenty Miles above Montreal, under the Command of Louvigni, a Captain who was going to Miffilimakinac, to prevent the Conclufion of the Peace, between the Utawawas and Quatogbies, with the Five Nations. The Lofs in this Skirmish was nearly equal on both Sides. One of our Prifoners was delivered to the Utawawas, who eat him. In Revenge for this Barbarity, the Indians attacked the Ifland of Montreal at Trembling Point, and killed an Officer and twelve Men; while another Party carried off about fifteen Prisoners taken at Riviere Puante, whom they afterwards flew through Fear of their Purfuers, and others burnt the French Plantations at St. Eurs. But what rendered this Year most remarkable, was the Expedition of Sir William Phips against Quebeck. He failed up the River with a Fleet of thirty two Sail and came before the City in October. Had he improved his Time and Strength,, the Conquest would have been easy; but by spending three Days in idle Confultations, the French Governour brought in his Forces, and entertained fuch a mean Opinion of the English Knight, that he not only despised his Summons to furrender, but sent a verbal Answer, in which he called King William an Ufurper, and poured the utmost Contempt upon his Subjects. The Meffenger who carried the Summons infifted upon a writen Anfwer, and that within an Hour; but the Count De Frontenac abfolutely refused it, adding "I'll answer your Master by

the Mouth of my Cannon, that he may learn that a Man of my Condi"tion is not to be fummoned in this Manner." Upon this, Sir William made two Attempts to land below the Town, but was repulfed by the Enemy, with confiderable Lofs of Men, Cannon, and Baggage. Several of the Ships also cannonaded the City, but without any Success. The Forts at the same returned the Fire, and obliged them to retire in Disorder. The French Writers, in their Accounts of this Expedition, univerfally cenfure

the