This conclusion being proposed to Cornplanter, and he queried with, “whether he was willing Friends should start their fence at the river side,” and enclose a piece of land they pointed out to him--to which he replied, “I told you, brothers, the land was all before you, to choose where you please; but he thought that was the best place for Friends to settle, and this man, said he, (in whose house they then were) is very glad you are going to settle so near him--he is very sober man, he is like you, he drinks no whiskey.” He was then inquired of whether Friends might have liberty to cut timber in the woods for the use of the farm, to which he replied, “I wish you would cut all the trees down, and I will give you another liberty, if you see a deer you may shoot him, and you may catch fish in the river.”
The place being finally agreed upon, several old Indian cabins were included in it, and one occupied by a family, which was well situated to accommodate Friends; the owners of it were amply compensated. The family immediately moved out their goods and chattels, which (though apparently some of their best livers,) consisted chiefly in homony blocks and pounders, a brass, kettle or two, some wooden bowls, and ladles, a leathern sack of bear’s oil, a basket of corn, some blankets, and a few deer skins.
On the twenty-third of the month, Friends settled in their new habitation and made some preparations for a garden. The women of Cornplanter’s village, to show their hearty and good will in the undertaking, had previously made a collection of some seed--corn, potatoes, beans, squashes, and a variety of other garden seeds which they presented as a present to Friends, observing “that it was very hard to come so far and have nothing to begin with.”
Previous to the two Friends of the committee leaving this station, another council was had with the Indians, in which they were strongly recommended to industry, and reminded of the unreasonableness of their present practice of letting their women work all day in the fields and woods, either in cultivating with the hoe, all that was raised for their sustenance, or in cutting firewood and bringing it home on their backs from a considerable distance, while they themselves were spending their time in idleness, amusing themselves with their bows and arrows, and other useless practices. They were also particularly expostulated with on various subjects relative to their civil and moral conduct, and especially in regard to their excessive use of strong drink, to which Friends in many instances had been eye witnesses. Cornplanter again replied to the communications of Friends, and at a subsequent parting opportunity, told the two Friends of the committee, that “They might make their minds perfectly easy about their young men, for although he could not answer for sickness or death, he should look upon it his duty to be their friend, and that they might depend upon him as such, and no harm should happen to them from any of his people.”