g indiscreet, and unacquainted with publick Business,
were foolish enough to hearken to them, and to receive five Duffil
Strowds for two Plantations on the River _Cohongoronto_. A _Conestogoe_
Indian, and a _French_ Indian, and some others that were in Company had
three Duffil Strowds, and went away with them; and our young Men carried
off the other two. As soon as this came to our Knowledge, we sent for
our Warriours, and after examining and rebuking them severely, we took
away their two Strowds, and publickly censured them for exposing us to
our Brethren of _Pensilvania_, in doing a Thing so inconsistent with our
Engagements to them; _You are_, said we aloud, that all our People might
hear and take Notice, _to know and remember, that the Six Nations have
obliged themselves to sell none of the Land that falls within the
Province of_ Pensilvania _to any other but our Brother_ ONAS, _and that
to sell Lands to any other is an high Breach of the League of
Friendship_. Brethren, this rash Proceeding of our young Men makes us
ashamed. We always mean well, and shall perform faithfully what we have
promised: And we assure you, this Affair was transacted in the Manner we
have related, without our Privity or Consent. And that you may be fully
convinced of this, and of the Sincerity of our Intentions, we have
brought you these Two Strowds [_here he presented two Red Strowds to the
Governor_] they are the very Strowds our foolish young Men received; we
took them from them, and we give them to you to return to those white
People who made the Bargain, and desire when the Strowds are returned to
them, they may be told what we now say, and that we shall not confirm
such Bargains nor any other that may interfere with our Engagements to
our Brother ONAS.'

The Governor then spoke:

'_BRETHREN_,

'I thank you for this Piece of News; you have taken this Matter
perfectly right. All Bargaining for Land within this Province, is, to be
sure, a manifest Breach of your Contract with the Proprietors, and what
we know you will not countenance. We have hitherto found the _Six
Nations_ faithful to their Engagements, and this is a fresh Instance of
their Punctuality. You could not help these Mistakes of your young Men;
they were not done in your Presence: But as several Inconveniencies may
arise from these kind of clandestine Sales, or from any such loose Sales
of Land by your People, we desire you will, on your Return home, give
publick Notice t