informed, their presence was a source of weakness rather than Loskiel states that they " instructed of strength to their allies. the Delawares and

Iroquois in preparing a peculiar kind

of

poison," which was capable of infecting whole townships and tribes with "disorders as pernicious as the plague," and that they " Their history, nearly destroyed their own nation by it." until their final disappearance in the west, was not particularly distinguished, perhaps for the reason stated by Loskiel.

A more important acquisition Iroquois at this time,

was

at least temporarily

by the

that of the Mississagies as the seventh

The Mississagies were a northern nation of the confederacy. Alqonquln nation whose place of residence was on the waters of Christians, seeing the Christians

much worse than the

Indians.

were so It was

they first taught the Indians to be drunk, and. they stole from

one another, to that degree, that their rulers were obliged to hang them for it, and that was not sufficient to deter others from the like prac-

But the Indians, he added, were none or them ever hanged for stealing, and yet they did not steal half so much 5 and he supposed that if the Indians should become Christians, they would then be as bad as those, and hereupon he said, they would live as their fathers lived, and go where their fathers were when they died, I then freely owned, lamented, and joined tice.

with him in condemning the ill conduct of some who are called Christians; told him these were not Christians at heart, that I hated such wicked practices, and did not desire the Indians to become such as these, and when he appeared calmer, I asked him if he was willing that I should