FRENCH EXPEDITIONS AGAINST THE MOHAWKS.

noukouenioton, Asaregouenioton, Asaregouaune, Tsendiagou, Achinnhara, Togoukouaras, Oskaraquets, Akouehen, And after having communicated by the mouth of their Orator and Chief Soenres, the object of their Embassy by ten talks expressed by as many presents, and having

handed to us the

letters from the officers of New Netherland, have unanimously requested, acknowledging the force of his Majesty's arms and their weakness and the condition of the forts advanced towards them, and

moreover aware that the three upper Iroquois Nations have always experienced great benefit from the protection which they formerly received from the said Lord the King, that his Majesty would be pleased to extend to them the same favour by granting them the same protection, and receiving them among the number of his true subjects, demanding that the Treaties formerly made as well by the said Nations as

by

theirs,

have the same force and validity for that of the Mohawks, who have required of us to solicit this with great importunity, as they should have themselves done by means of their Ambassadors had they not been apprehensive of bad treatment at our hands, ratifying on their

part all the said treaties in all their points and articles, which have been read to them in the Iroquois

tongue by Joseph Marie Chaumont, priest, member of the Society of Jesus

;

adding, moreover, to all

the said articles what the protest effecting in good faith what they offered by their said presents,

Hurons whom they hold prisoners among them of what condition and quality they may be, and as long as any are detained there, even on the part of the Mohawks, to send families from among them to serve, like those of other nations as the most strict hostages for their persons and dispositions to the orders of those who shall in this Country have authority from the said Lord the King whom they acknowledge from this time as their Sovereign demanding reciprocally among all other things the restoration to them in good faith, of all those of their Nation who are prisoners at Quebec, Montreal and Three Rivers, that French families and some Black gowns, that is Jesuits be sent them, to preach the gospel to them and to make known to them the God of the French whom they promise to love and adore also that trade and commerce be open to them with New France, by the Lake du Saint Sacrement, (L.