y the Indians that
the English, in selling them some ready-made coats, had also sold them
the smallpox. The temper of the Indians may be shown by one of their
speeches on this occasion. A leading chief declared: "We are willing to
have a broad path for you and us to walk in; and if an Indian is asleep
in this path, the Englishman shall pass by him and do him no harm; and
if an Englishman is asleep in the path, the Indian shall pass him by and
say, 'He is an Englishman; he is asleep; let him alone; he loves to
sleep!' It shall be a plain path. There must not be in this path a stump
to hurt our feet. And as for the smallpox, it was once in my
grandfather's time, and it could not be the English that could send it
to us then, there being no English in the country. And it was once in my
father's time, they could not send it to us then, neither. And now it is
in my time, I do not believe that they have sent it to us now. I do
believe it is the man above who has sent it to us." Soon after this, the
two parties exchanged presents, and went away satisfied.

For many years after this, there seem to have been few or no troubles
between the Indians and the settlers of New Jersey. But matters changed
about the middle of the next century; and when the Indian wars began in
Pennsylvania, the red men of New Jersey showed symptoms of hostility to
the whites. Matters grew worse and worse; and the Indians began to
murder families, burn buildings, and carry away prisoners.

This state of affairs grew so alarming that the Legislature took the
matter in hand. They appointed commissioners to examine into the
treatment of the Indians, and see if there were any good cause for their
sudden enmity; and, after a conference with some of the chiefs, a bill
was passed by the Legislature to put an end to a good many of the
impositions of which the Indians complained. Among these was a habit of
the whites of giving the Indians spirits, and then making bargains with
them when they were not at all in a condition to do business of that
kind. The Indians also complained of the practice of trapping deer, thus
decreasing the game in the forests, and the occupation of land, without
payment, by the settlers who were continually coming into the country.

Another bill was passed appropriating 1600 pounds to buy from the
Indians the entire right to all the lands which they yet held in New
Jersey. But as there was no desire to banish the Indians from their
native