nd in the afternoon the council sat here--in all, 24
men--and after consulting for a long while an old man approached me and
laid his hand upon my heart to feel it beat; and then he shouted we
really were not afraid at all. After that six more members of the
council came, and after that they presented me a coat made of beaver
skin, and told me they gave it to me because I came here and ought to
be very tired, and he pointed to his and my legs; and besides, it is
because you have been marching through the snow. And when I took the
coat they shouted three times: "Netho, netho, netho!" which means,
"This is very well." And directly after that they laid five pieces of
beaver skins on my feet, at the same time requesting me that in the
future they should receive four hands of seawan and four handbreadths
of cloth for every big beaver skin, because we have to go so far with
our skins; and very often when we come to your places we do not find
any cloth or seawan or axes or kettles, or not enough for all of us,
and then we have had much trouble for nothing, and have to go back over
a great distance, carrying out goods back again. After we sat for a
considerable time, an old man came to us, and translated it to us in
the other language, and told us that we did not answer yet whether they
were to have four hands of seawan or not for their skins. I told him
that we had not the power to promise that, but that we should report
about it to the chief at the Manhatans, who was our commander, and that
I would give him a definite answer in the spring, and come myself to
their land. Then they said to me "Welsmachkoo," you must not lie, and
surely come to us in the spring, and report to us about all. And if you
will give us four hands of seawan we will not sell our skins to anyone
but you; and after that they gave me the five beaver skins, and shouted
as hard as they could: "Netho, netho, netho!" And then, that
everything should be firmly binding, they called or sang: "Ha assironi
atsimach koo kent oya kayuig wee Onneyatte Onaondaga Koyocke hoo hanoto
wany agweganne hoo schene ha caton scahten franosoni yndicho." That
means that I could go in all these places--they said the names of all
the castles--freely and everywhere. I should be provided with a house
and a fire and wood and everything I needed; and if I wanted to go to
the Frenchmen they would guide me there and back; and after that they
shouted again: "Netho, netho, netho!"