Erie, the commissioners were met by an Indian deputation from "the rapids of Miami," asking questions as to the intentions of the Government. The speeches on this occasion are preserved in Gen. Lincoln's journal, undoubtedly in the phraseology of interpreter Jones. Another council, shared in by Joseph Brant, followed at Navy Hall, Niagara. Letters were dispatched from Niagara to President Washington and to the Secretary of War, showing the unfavorable outlook for the western undertaking. The commissioners and Horatio Jones sailed from Fort Erie July 14th, and did not reach the upper end of the lake until July 21st. They were not permitted to visit the British garrison of Detroit, but were entertained at the mouth of the river, eighteen miles below. In some of the councils which followed, Simon Girty acted as interpreter. On July 31st the commissioners made their principal speech to the assembled tribes, and Gen. Lincoln wrote in his journal: "This speech was read by paragraphs, and interpreted by Mr. Jones into the Seneca tongue, and then delivered to the oldest chief with a white belt and with thirteen stripes of black wampum." The occasion illustrates the difficulty of communication between the Government and the tribes. The message was first translated into Seneca by Jones, whose knowledge of the Western dialects was apparently too slight for use. Then a second transmutation followed through the medium of the dubious Simon Girty, who knew the Wyandot, or of some Western chief who could understand, more or less adequately, the Seneca as spoken by Jones.* Such double interpretation was by no means unusual. When one reflects upon the change of sentiment, if not utter perversion of meaning, likely in such twice-told messages, the marvel is, not that treaties were sometimes inconclusive, but that they came to any business-like conclusions at all.†

"A lengthy reply in writing was made by the commissioners on the 31st July]. the gist of which was that they were not authorized to fix the Ohio River as the boundary. This was interpreted by Girty and a Mr. Jones in the Seneca tongue, which was well understood by the Wyandot chief and by others of the deputation."-Butterfield's "History of the Girtys." p. 277.

There were other interpreters at this abortive council; William Wilson and Sylvester Ash, from Fort Pitt, as interpreters for the Delawares and

1

THE EARLIEST KNOWN BUFFALO PICTURE: TALK WITH THE INDIANS AT BUFFALO CREEK, 1793.

COL. TIMOTHY PICKERING; 2. GEN. BENJAMIN LINCOLN: 3. BEVERLY RANDOLPH: 4. GEN. ISRAEL CHAPIN; 5. THE INTERPRETER, PRESUMABLY HORATIO JONES; 6. INDIAN ORATOR; 7, 8, 9. BRITISH OFFICERS; 10. QUAKERS. SEE NOTE, P. 497.

In the present instance, the result was far from satisfactory. The Shawanese, Wyandots, Miamis and Delawares were loth to commit themselves to peace pledges. On August 11th Gen. Lincoln wrote in his journal: "The King's vessel, called the Chippewa, arrived from Detroit, bound to Fort Erie. Twelve Senecas, including women and children, and most of them sick, from the Indian council at the rapids of the Miami, came in her. These Senecas are well known. to General Chapin; and Jones the interpreter, one of them, an intelligent man, gave us the like information about the proceedings of the council upon our last speech, with that received from Hendrick's men and the Munsees and Chippeways; only that the four nations who inclined to continue the war, remained obstinate when he departed from the council." Farmer's Brother, Brant, perhaps Jones himself, spoke eloquently for peace, but the four nations named continued to stand out. Gen. Lincoln waited for many days. Finally, the chiefs and warriors sent word consenting to make peace if the United States would make the Ohio the boundary between its lands and the Indians' possessions. This the commissioners could not do, and the negotiations ended. Gen. Lincoln's party set sail from the mouth of the Detroit, August 17th, and were at Fort Erie on the 21st, whence the commissioners returned to Philadelphia, and Horatio Jones to his home. He had shared in an occasion which later years showed to be the last great stand of the red man for a part of that territory which had once been his, east of the Mississippi.

In February, 1794, a council was convened at Buffalo Creek, its purpose being, on the part of the Federal Government, to strengthen the Senecas in their allegiance. British influence was still strong upon them; the British still held

Shawanese; and Mr. Dean, from the Mohawk, for the Oneidas. Jasper Parrish "had gone express to Philadelphia," but may have been present for a part of the time. Besides the commissioners and interpreters, there were present Charles Storer, secretary; Gen. Chapin, Indian agent at Buffalo Creek; Dr. McCoskry from Carlisle, as physician; William Scott, commissary; six Quakers, Wm. Savery, John Parrish, John Elliot, Jacob Lindley, Joseph Moore and Wm. Hartshorne; the Moravian missionary, John Heckewelder; two British officers, sent by Gov. Simcoe, Capt. Bombary of the Regulars and Lieut. Gibbins of the Queen's Rangers; a cook, and several servants.

Fort Niagara, and exercised no little sway over the Indians of Western New York. The region of the Niagara and Buffalo Creek was debatable territory; so far as the Indians could foresee, it might yet be given over into British hands. It is not strange, therefore, that they invited British officers to their councils. On the occasion named Brant was the principal speaker. Red Jacket shared in the talks, Horatio Jones acting as his interpreter. The United States Government distributed presents, and deferred further efforts until the great council of Canandaigua, in the autumn of that same year.

For the Canandaigua council, over 1600 Indians of the various tribes assembled, the Senecas from the Allegheny arriving at the rendezvous October 14th, under the leadership of Cornplanter, accompanied by Horatio Jones as interpreter. Two days later came Farmer's Brother and his Senecas from Buffalo Creek, and with them Jasper Parrish. Colonel Pickering was again the United States commissioner. Several graphic accounts exist of this last great council in Western New York; subsequent assemblages surpassed it in historic importance, but none-except perhaps that of '97-equalled it in the number of Indian attendants, nor in picturesque wildness of incident. At this, the last general council between the Six Nations and the United States Government, both Jones and Parrish served as interpreters. By the terms finally agreed upon, November 11th, the Oneidas, Onondagas and Cayugas were confirmed in their reservations; the boundaries of the Senecas were established, and the four-mile strip along the Niagara from Fort Schlosser to the mouth of Buffalo Creek was granted to the Government, that a road might be made. Other minor stipulations were agreed upon. Several notable speeches were made during the long confabs by Red Jacket and Farmer's Brother, which as preserved to us are undoubtedly in the language of Horatio Jones. At one point Col. Pickering spoke with great heat because of the presence of Johnson from Buffalo Creek, whom the United States commissioner regarded as a British spy. After he was sent away and feelings had cooled, Col. Pickering and about fifteen of the