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savages
arrived, accompanied by a French captain and fifteen soldiers. The messengers wished POST to go at once to Duquesne, where
representatives of eight nations wished to speak with him. They stated that if the English would quit war, they desired to
live on terms of amity; but until POST would give assurances of this desire, the two Indian chiefs gave him a sample of the
contempt with which the Indian nations would treat him. One offered his little finger to POST, while the other refused to
shake hands, and the meeting was so formal that King Beaver took the preacher to his own big wigwam. On August 18th, the five
days having expired, Beaver spoke to his visitors as follows:
Brother, you have been here now five days by our fire. We have sent to all
the kings and captains, desiring them to come to our fire and hear the good news you brought. Yesterday, they sent two captains
to acquaint us they were glad to hear our English brother was come among us, and were desirous to hear the good news he brought;
and since there are a great many nations that want to see our brother, they have invited us to their fire, that they may hear
us all. Now, brother, we have but one great fire; so brother by this string we will take you in our arms and deliver you into
the arms of the other kings, and when we have called all the other nations there, we will hear the good news you have brought.
King Shingas and Delaware George also made speeches and night closed
in before the meeting dissolved. Affairs on August 19th took the same form as in the past; but the demand of the Governor
for hostages was combated, the Indians saying they believed he thought they had no brains. On the 20th, POST, accompanied
by twenty-five mounted men and fifteen men on foot, set out from Kushkushkee for Sakonk. On their arrival in the afternoon,
POST was received with hostile demonstrations, but the Indians coming forward, spoke for him, and the displeasure of the inhabitants
subsided. On the evening of the 21st fifteen savages from Kushkushkee arrived at Sakonk, bringing the number of male Indians
present up to 120. On the 22nd twenty savages of the Shawanese and Mingo tribes appeared, who informed POST that he was wanted
at Duquesne, and to be ready to set out the following day. Next day the preacher offered no objections to their demand. Their
travels on the 23rd brought the party to Logstown,
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