complied with at that time." In a Message winch Sir William Johnson received the 23 d May 1756 from the Onondaga Indians they say as follows

:

" Tell our Brother farther that since

we took the hatchet out of the hands of the Delaware and

Shawanese they have told us there is an army of the English coming against them, (they mean the Provincial Troops of Pensilvania under Colonel Clapham) and that they think it unreasonable and unnatural for us to hold them in our arms, and preventing them defending themselves

when People

are just on their backs to destroy them. " We are informed the English are building a Fort at Shamokin. We can't comprehend the method of making War which is made use of by our Brethren the English. When we go to war our manner is to destroy a Nation and there's an End of it. But the English chiefly regard building Forts which looks as if their only scheme was to take possession of the lands." Here is an evident Proof of the jealousy which the Pensilvania levies and Fort building occasioned and a strong hint of the Ends intended by them, as it stood in the minds of the Indians. Sir William Johnson well knowing how extremely tender the Indians in general are, with regard to Forts, near to their country or hunting grounds and naturally judging a Body of Armed Men, to support as it were the building of those, at a time, and in places where he had many reasons to believe the neighbouring Indians (as it hath since fully appeared) were dissatisfied with the Government on the score of Lands, and Encroaching by their purchases on their hunting grounds, and crowding too near upon them by their extended settlements he judged this conduct in the Government of Pensilvania was impolitick, and he must beg leave to be still of the same opinion, and as he looked upon those proceedings to be contrary to the true interest of the Community, he did suspect they were pushed forward upon other motives.