they should not take any part whatever in the action; but, nevertheless,
there were a few of the rash and reckless warriors that took part in the
disorder.

The Corees, Mattamuskeets, and Bear River Indians seemed to be the
instigators of the project: but there were several other nations that
took part in the massacre. These three nations being considered
Tuscaroras, on account of the confederacy, and the capture of Lawson and
his party a little previous to this time by the Tuscaroras, led the
colonists to conclude that it was the Tuscaroras who caused the disaster,
and to them was directed the feud of the colonists.

A little previous to these disorders, it seems that there were some white
men, as our tradition states, with long coats and wide brimmed hats,
visited several nations of the Indians in that neighborhood, and appeared
to be very friendly toward them, wished them success in everything, and
told them that those settlers who were on the borders of their lands and
constantly encroaching and committing depredations upon the Indians, were
not of the government, but were merely squatters, who settled there of
their own accord, and if they were cut off, there would be none to avenge
them, and were advised to do so.

It has always been a question in my mind who those white men were, to
give such rash advice. Were they Quakers? But what motive had they in
advising, from which so great a disaster was the result? Or, were they
men in disguise, from the county of Bath, in which the massacre was
committed, to make the Indians believe that they were Quakers, as the two
counties were in arms against each other at that time.

To coroborate the tradition above, I would call your attention to part of