“Now let my white brothers open wide their ears, for I am going to say a thing which much concerns them and us.  We have heard that our white brothers are very fond of land, and that if we make friends with them they will try to steal away our land.  We care not if they take all the land of the Aberginians, but they must not think to have any part of our hunting grounds.  We want them all for the game to run in.  These two black belts preserve my words.

“But the Taranteens are a great people, and know how to defend themselves, and if Owanux attempt to dispossess them, there will be talk of taking scalps.  These three red belts preserve my words.

“My brothers, Owanux will recollect that if the Great Spirit was offended with the Aberginians, and breathed a hot breath upon them and so they died, he smiles upon the Taranteens and increases their number, and makes sharp the points of their arrows, and directs their tomahawks, and subdues all the tribes around unto them.  These two belts preserve my words.

“As for trade, the Taranteens enjoy already a good trade with their friends and allies the French; but if they have anything which their brothers Owanux want, they will not refuse to exchange with them.  This one belt preserve my words.”

Having thus spoken, and been greeted from time to time with an ejaculation from his companions, the old warrior resumed his seat, amid a shower of “ughs.”

He was replied to, at the request of Winthrop, by Eliot himself, who gladly seized the opportunity to disabuse the Indians of any prejudices that might have tainted their minds, and to open them for the reception of that Christianity which he had so much at heart.

“It was on account of the wickedness of the Aberginians,” he said, “that they were swept off from the face of the land, and it was not merely for the purpose of trade that Owanux or the English had been sent by the Great Spirit to take their places.  If the English became wicked, they, also, would be destroyed in like manner, and so would all who should imitate them.  But the English were sent to the Indians with a message which was not painted on bark or handed down with pieces of wam-pom-peag, but put into a book whence it spoke always the same words, and they were those which the Great Spirit himself had spoken with his own voice.  The message was to make them better and happier; and, he hoped, that they would allow him, at another time, to tell it to them.  He heard with great pleasure, and so did the Governor, how much they loved peace.  The English loved peace too, and would water the young tree they should plant that day, and fence it round, so that no bear or other wild animal should trample upon it while it was small.  The Great Spirit said in the wise book which He had given to the English, that He loved peace; and contained many things, besides, which it would be useful and pleasant for the Indians to know.  The book was called Good Tidings; and he hoped that it would rejoice the hearts of his Indian friends.”