On the arrival of the Nontagues at my tent, they told me on the part of the Commandant of Choueguen, that as
I was
passing his place on public business, I must fire the
first salute and lower
my
PAPERS RELATING TO OSWEGO. flag.
my people would persuade me to do so. I therefore suddenlyknow such Ye is not the intention of your Father Onontio whose mesA young fool in the canoe of those of the Lake said to me aloud, that he would fire
This proposition surprised me ;
stood up and said to them sage I carry.
--
and
salute the fort. I replied to him, Indian fashion, that he lied and that I should not suffer it, being unwilling either to witness or be accomplice to such a folly ; that I was surprized he had so
soon forgotten the words of his father Onontio wnose intentions
our voyage ; that I had no manner of business with him
I had
communicated to him during
who was Commandant of the house at
Choueguen.
They returned to said fort and reported to me that the Commandant insisted on what they had I asked them whose was the land over which I wished to pass This question caused them to droop their heads and they remained in pensive silence. It was not until I told them that I wanted a decisive and substantial answer, that they replied The ground over which I wished to walk was theirs. I then said to them, since it was their property I, as a child of first communicated to me.