A half-century of conflict. France and England in North America. Part ...

1717-1720.] OSWEGO. 53Heights. The three Senecas requested them todemolish it and go away, which the Frenchmenrefused to do; on which the Senecas asked the Englishenvoys, Schuyler and Livingston, toinduce thegovernor of New York to destroy the obnoxiousbuilding.In short, the Five Nations wavered incessantlybetween their two European neighbors, andchanged their minds every day.The skill and perseveranceof the French emissariesso far prevailed atlast that the Senecas consented to the building of afort at the mouth of the Niagara, where Denonvillehad built one in 1687 ;was made tolerably secure.and thus that important passMeanwhile the English of New York, or ratherBurnet, their governor, were not idle. Burnet wason ill terms with his assembly, which grudged himall help in serving the province whose interests itwas supposed to represent. Burnet's plan was tobuild a fortified trading-house at Oswego, on LakeOntario, in the belief that the western Indians, whogreatly preferredEnglish goods and English prices,would pass Niagara and bring their furs to the newpost. He got leave from the Five Nations to executehis plan, bought canoes, hired men, and built a loopholedhouse of stone on the site of the present city ofOswego. As the Assembly would give no money,Burnet furnished it himself; and though the objectwas one of the greatest importance to the province,he was never fully repaid.^ A small garrison for the^ " I am ashamed to confess that he built the fort at his privateexpense, and that a balance of above £56 remains due to his