Fugi tives from the fields on which he had met disaster, bore them to congenial soil among the Lenapes and Skawanoes ; to the north,

among the Abenaquis, sharpening their desire for revenges which were unatoned

;

on the prairies of the west and amid the wilder

nesses of Canada, they were the theme of thought and prepara

The English saw the gathering storm and sought shelter behind their allies, the Iroquois ; the French welded its gathering tion.

folds, and

bade the avengers -onward.

The war of 1744, while without positive results to the prin cipal contestants,

was the turning point in the supremacy of the the ardor of their attachment to the Eng

Iroquois, as well as in

At

the opening of the war a conference was held with them at Albany, in which Governor Clinton informed them of the lish.

condition of affairs, and asked their cooperation in promoting the mutual safety and defense of the English and themselves, " and

the annoyance of the common enemy."

The chiefs hesitated.

" We cannot answer to every particular concerning the war," " but do all our that we will at said promise

they,

home and

there await orders.

keep

people

We are inclined to peace,

till

some of his majesty's subjects, and then we

the enemy attack

will join together to defend ourselves against them.

The conference with them in October of the following year The chiefs thanked the governor successful.

was not more

which he had given them concerning the hatchet which they accepted they would keep in but the war, " in alliance with a " their bosoms. are," said they, great for the information