hey may be forthwith made to go
off the Land; for they do great Damage to our Cousins the _Delawares_.

'We have further to observe, with Respect to the Lands lying on the West
Side of _Susquehanna_, that tho' Brother ONAS (meaning the Proprietor)
has paid us for what his People possess, yet some Parts of that Country
have been taken up by Persons whose Place of Residence is to the South
of this Province, from whom we have never received any Consideration.
This Affair was recommended to you by our Chiefs at our last Treaty; and
you then, at our earnest Desire, promised to write a Letter to that
Person who has the Authority over those People, and to procure us his
Answer: As we have never heard from you on this Head, we want to know
what you have done in it. If you have not done any thing, we now renew
our Request, and desire you will inform the Person whose People are
seated on our Lands, that that Country belongs to us, in Right of
Conquest; we having bought it with our Blood, and taken it from our
Enemies in fair War; and we expect, as Owners of that Land, to receive
such a Consideration for it as the Land is worth. We desire you will
press him to send us a positive Answer: Let him say _Yes_ or _No_: If he
says _Yes_, we will treat with him; if _No_, we are able to do
ourselves Justice; and we will do it, by going to take Payment
ourselves.

'It is Customary with us to make a Present of Skins whenever we renew
our Treaties. We are ashamed to offer our Brethren so few; but your
Horses and Cows have eat the Grass our Deer used to feed on. This has
made them scarce, and will, we hope, plead in Excuse for not bringing a
larger Quantity: If we could have spared more, we would have given more;
but we are really poor; and desire you'll not consider the Quantity,
but, few as they are, accept them in Testimony of our Regard.'

_Here they gave the Governor a Bundle of Skins._

The Governor immediately replied:

'_BRETHREN_,

We thank you for the many Declarations of Respect: you have given us in
this solemn Renewal of our Treaties: We receive, and shall keep your
String and Belts of _Wampum_, as Pledges of your Sincerity, and desire
those we gave you may be carefully preserved, as Testimonies of ours.

'In Answer to what you say about the Proprietaries.--They are all
absent, and have taken the Keys of their Chest along with them; so that
we cannot, on their Behalf, enlarge the Quantity of Goods: Were they
here, the