Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/292

 280 An Account of tie Mufkohge Nation.

when he was foliciting fome of the head-men to comply with the fraternal propofals of our kindly ruler, he unexpectedly met with a very (harp repulfe; for, when he had finifhed his oration, on the difadvantages of frowning war, and the advantages of fmiling peace, an old war-leader retorted every paragraph he had fpoken, and told him, that till then he always had reckoned the Englrfh a very wife people, but now he was forry to find them unwife, in the moft material point : adding, " You have made yourfelf very poor, by fweating, far and near, in our fmoky town-houfes and hot-houfes, only to make a peace between us and the Cheerake, and thereby enable our young mad people to give you, in a fhort time, a far worfe fweat than you have yet had, or may now expect. But, forafmtich as the great Englifli chieftain in Charles Town, is driving hard to have it fo, by ordering you to fhut your eyes, and flop your ears, left the power of conviction mould reach your heart, we will not any more oppofe you in this mad fcheme. We fliall be filent concerning it ; otherwife, I mould be as mad as you, if I reafoned any more with one who is wilfully blind and deaf."

A number of their warriors met at Charles Town, at the time ap pointed : their high-ftationed Englifh friend then took a great deal of pains to inform them of the mutual advantages, that would accrue to them, by a firm peace, and he convinced their fenfes of it, by a vifible proof; for he borrowed from one of them an arrow, and holding each end of it in his hands, he readily broke it, which furprized none of the red fpectators, except the owner, they did not then regard it as a fym- bolical performance, but a boyifh action. He again requefted from the fame young warrior, the loan of his remaining fheaf of arrows, who reluctantly gave them, as he feared they would all fmgly fare the fate of the former. But, when he held the bundle by each end in his hands, and could only bend it a little, he revived the watchful owner, and pleafingly furprized the attentive favages, as he thereby had flrongly demon- ftrated to them, that vis unit a fortior^ upon which he expatiated, in eafy fine language, to the great joy of his red audience. By fuch evidence, they were induced to make hands firmly together, and likewife to endeavour to preferve a perpetual union with all their neighbouring nations, left the wolf mould attack them feparately. And ever fince that impolitic media tion, they have been fo ftrongly convinced of their great advantage and fe-

curity,

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