To this house the nations from ever so far off used to resort, and smoke the pipe of peace with their grandfather. The white people coming from over the great

OF HUDSON'S RIPER.

tion is that the Iroquois, finding the contest in which they were

engaged, too great for them, as they had to cope on the 'one hand with the French, and on the other with native prowess, resorted to a master stroke of intrigue. They sent an embassy

message in substance as follows That was not well for the Indians to be fighting among themselves at a time when the whites, in even larger numbers, were press

to the Lenapes with a

:

it

ing into their country j that the original possessors of the soil must be preserved from total extirpation ; that the only way to effect this was a voluntary assuming,

on the part of some mag

nanimous nation, of the position of the women or umpire; that a weak people in such a position would have no influence, but a power like the Lenapes, celebrated for its bravery and above all suspicion of pusillanimity, might properly take the therefore, the Aquinoshioni besought them to lay aside their arms, devote themselves to pacific employments, and

step ; that,

act as mediators among the tribes, thus putting a stop forever to

the fratricidal wars of the Indians.

To this proposition the Lenapes listened cheerfully, and trust fully consented ;

for they believed it to be dictated by exalted