d
to be no temptation to outrage. The intelligent Hollanders were well
aware that it was for their interest to secure the confidence of the
Indian by treating him justly. And the Indian was not at all disposed
to incur the resentment of strangers from whom he was receiving such
great benefits.

The little yacht "Restless," of which we have spoken, on one of her
exploring tours, visited Delaware Bay, and ascended that beautiful
sheet of water as far as the Schuylkill River. Runners were also sent
back from the forts, to follow the narrow trails far into the woods,
to open communication with new tribes, to examine the country, and to
obtain a more intimate acquaintance with the manners and customs of
the Indians.

In the spring of 1617 a very high freshet, accompanied by the breaking
up of the ice, so injured Fort Nassau that the traders were compelled
to abandon it. A new and very advantageous situation was selected, at
the mouth of the Tawasentha Creek, subsequently called Norman's Kill.
This name is said to have been derived from a native of Denmark,
called the Norman, who settled there in 1630.

In this vicinity there was a very celebrated confederation of Indian
tribes called the Five Nations. These tribes were the Mohawks,
Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas and Senecas. They were frequently known by
the generic name of the Iroquois. When the Dutch arrived, the Iroquois
were at war with the Canadian Indians, who, though composed of
different tribes, were known by the general name of the Algonquins.
The Iroquois had been worsted in several conflicts. This led them
eagerly to seek alliance with the white men, who, with their wonderful
instruments of war, seemed to wield the energies of thunder and
lightning.

The Algonquins had, some years before, formed an alliance with the
French in Canada. The Iroquois now entered into an alliance with the
Dutch. It was a very important movement, and the treaty look place,
with many surroundings of barbaric pomp, on the banks of the Norman's
Kill.

Ambassadors from each of the five tribes graced the occasion. Leading
chiefs of several other tribes were also invited to be present, to
witness the imposing ceremony. The garrison furnished for the pageant
the waving of silken banners and the exhilarating music of its band.
The Indian chiefs attended with their decorated weapons, and they were
arrayed in the richest costume of war paint, fringed garments, and
nodding plumes.

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