See Turner's History.]
Wolves were equally if not more numerous, destroying in some instances
entire flocks of sheep, so that there was not a farmer in the region who
did not suffer more or less from their depredations.
It was something of an off-set to these annoyances that deer were very
abundant, and furnished the inhabitants with an ample supply of their
delicious meat. The Indians while assembled here during the council, often
killed more than a hundred of them in a single day.
The object of convening this council was to settle difficulties of long
standing, and quiet the minds of the Iroquois, who were much disturbed by
the warlike spirit prevailing at this time among the Indians at the West.
The influences from this source were of such a nature as to render many
among these friendly tribes exceedingly bold. In some instances on
entering the houses of settlers they would manifest a very haughty temper,
and rudely demand a supply of their wants as though they were still
proprietors and lords of the soil, and the settlers only their servants or
tenants.
The settlers themselves began to feel unpleasantly about their position.
During the spring of this same year while Thomas Morris was painting his
house, erected the previous summer, and making other improvements around
it, indicating his design of having a permanent and inviting home, it so
happened that a company of settlers in passing by, paused to view with
astonishment what was going on.
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