be done for quieting the Indians, as well as to prevent the mischief which might happen upon any of your Peoples presuming to encroach upon what these Heathens call their own Property; so likewise, it appeared to me to be the only method I could take at this Juncture for preventing our own people from taking up or settling Lands on this side, to disturb or hamper the Indians, unto whom this Province is bound by old Treatys to give them a full scope & Liberty in their Settlements from the Christian Inhabitants. But that all things of this nature may be carried on with that Openness of Heart & perfect good understanding which I am sure we both desire, and that your own prudent mild Conduct may be strengthened with all the Arguments I can furnish you for putting a just Restraint upon that Covetous & most licentious Humour with which you see we are continually plagued, I thought it my Duty without delay to acquaint you by Express with all that has been done here with the Reasons at large. Perhaps some ignorant, or I should rather say designing people, will endeavour to perswade you that this place is upon the Border of Mary Land; Whereas in Truth, there cannot be a clearer Demonstration in any thing of that nature, than that it is about twelve miles to the Northward of Philadelphia, and I am sure I nee'd not say no more to convince you that at least I have good Reason to insist upon its being within the Limits of this Province, without all manner of Dispute. My fatigue in the Woods has brought a small Fever upon me which an ounce of Bark has pretty much abated, so that to morrow I shall return home by slow Journeys directly to Philadelphia, where I should rejoice to see you once more, but in all places & at all times I shall be, while living, most faithfully, &c. W. KEITH. Copy of the Warrant for Surveying the Mannor of Springetsbury. Sir William Keith, Bart., Governour of the Province of Pensilvania, &c. To Colo. John French, Francis Worley, & James Mitchell, Esqrs. Whereas, the three Nations of Indians settled on the North side of the River Sasquahannah, in His Maties Peace & under the protection of this Government, viz: The Conestogoes, The Shawanoes, & The Cawnoyes, are very much disturbed, and the Peace of this Colony is hourly in danger of being broken by persons, who pursuing their own private gain without any regard to Justice, Have attempted & others do still threaten to Survey and take up Lands on the South West Branch of the sd. River, right against the Towns & Settlements of the said Indians, without any Right or pretence of Authority so to do, from the Proprietor of this Province unto whom the Lands unquestionably belong. And whereas, it is reasonable & agreeable to former Treaties with the Indians, that a sufficient quantity of Land upon the South West side of the Riyer Sasquehannah be reserved in the Proprietors hands, for accommodating the said Indian Nations when it may hereafter be thought proper & convenient for them to remove their Settlements further from the Christian Inhabitants. And Lastly, Whereas, at a Treaty held between the Indians and me, at Conestogoe, the 15th & 16th days of this instant, They did earnestly desire & request me forthwith to Cause a large Tract of Land, right against their Towns upon Sasquahannah, to be surveyed & located for the Proprietors use only; Because, from his Bounty & Goodness, they would allways be sure to obtain whatsoever was necessary & Convenient for them from time to time. These are, therefore, by Virtue of the Powers wherewith I am Entrusted for the Preservation of his Majesties Peace in this Province, & with a due & perfect regard to the Proprietors absolute Title & unquestionable Rights To Authorize, Impower & Command you, the said Colo. John French, Francis Worley & James Mitchell, with such of the neighbouring inhabitants as you shall think fit to call to your assistance immediately to cross the River Sasquahannah, and to survey or cause to be surveyed, marked and Located, the quantity of 70,000 acres or thereabouts, in the name & for the use of the Honble Springet Penn, Esqr., which shall bear the name and be called The Mannor of Springetsbury, Beginning your Survey as near as you can upon the South West Bank of the River Sasquehannah, over against the mouth of Conestogoe Creek; from thence by a Line W. S. W. Distance Ten miles more or less; from thence by a Line N. W. b N. Twelve miles more or less; thence by a Line E. N. E. untill you meet with the uppermost Corner tree of my Settlement called Newberry; from thence S. E. b S. along my head Line untill you come at my Southern Corner tree in the Woods; from thence down the Side Line of my Land E. N. E. until you come at the River Sasquahannah, & from thence by the said Rivers side unto the place where you first began, which Line will be the fourth Side of the said Survey, and when it is done & finished, You are to make a Return thereof upon the back of this Warrant unto the Govr. & Council of Pensilvania; For which this shall be unto you, the sd. Colo. John French, Francis Worley & every of you, a sufficient Warrant Power & Authority. Given under my hand & Seal, at Conestogoe, the 18th day of June, in the Eighth year of our Sovereign Lord George, Annoq. Dom. 1722. Signed, THE RETURN. W. KEITH. To his Excellency the Governour and the Honble Council of Pensilva. May it please your Excellency: In obedience to the within Warrant to us directed, We did, upon the nineteenth & twentieth days of this instant, June, begin, & Compleat the Survey of the Mannor of Springets-Bury, upon the River Sasquahannah, in manner following, viz: From a Red Oak upon the said River (by a Runs side called Penns Run) mark'd S. P.; West South West Ten miles to a Chesnut (by a Runs side called French's Run) mark S. P.; from thence North West & by North to a Black Oak mark'd S. P. twelve miles; from thence East North East to Sir William Keiths western Corner Tree in the Woods Eight miles; from thence along the South East and North East Lines of the said Sir William Keith Tract called Newberry unto the River Sasquahannah again, and from thence along the River Side to the place of Beginning, The whole containing Seventy five Thousand five Hundred & Twenty acres, according to a Plan thereof hereunto annexed, all which is humbly submitted by Yr. Excellency's Most humble & obedient Servants, JOHN FRENCH, At Newberry, June 21st, 1722. FRAN. WORLEY. JA. MITCHELL. Which proceedings of the Governour, so far as they Concern or touch with the Proprietary Affairs of this Province, are judg'd by the Council not to lie before this Board, Colo. French only, to whom the Warrant of Survey was Directed, Declared that as he had been a constant Witness to the Govrs. late Transactions with the Indians at Conestogoe, and by virtue of the Governrs. Warrant (wherein the true Reasons and Motives for such a procedure are amply & truly set forth) to him directed for that purpose, has Survey'd the Mannor of Springets Bury, He was humbly of opinion, that the Govr. had acted with great Prudence & Caution in pursuing the only effectual measure which the present situation of affairs would allow, for quieting the minds of the Indians and preserving the public peace; And since the Honble Springet Penn was in his opinion the late Proprietors heir at Law, whatsoever turn the affairs of that Family might take in order to re-settle the Property & Dominion of this Province, He did not see or comprehend how the Governs. having caused these Lands to be survey'd after the manner which is here returned, could be interpreted or Deemed to the prejudice of a Family for whose service it was so plainly meant and intended, And as he really thought the Govrs. Care & Toil lately taken in the public Service, highly deserved the particular thanks of this Board & the Government in General, So he could not doubt but those of the late Proprietors Family, who are living, will reasonably & justly conclude, that the Govr. on this occasion has taken true Pains to support their Rights, by plainly acting with a hearty Zeal for the Interest of that Honble & Worthy Family. A Petition signed by divers of the Justices and other Inhabitants of Chester County, in behalf of one Mary Woolvin, now a Prisoner there under Sentence of Death, praying that the Execution of the sd. Sentence may be respited for a time untill the Kings pleasure be known therein, was read & referred to further Consideration. A Petition from John & Edmund Cartlidge, Prisoners in Philada. Gaol, was read, praying that in Regard of their long Confinement, and that now all the Lawful Evidences of the Fact, for which they stand Committted, may upon notice given them be ready to appear, they may therefore be admitted to a Tryal, upon consideration whereof it was recommended to Richard Hill & Robert Assheton, Esqrs., two of the Judges present to consult with the Chief Justice thereupon, and to fix a day some time this month for the Tryal of the Petitioners. The Govr. having observed to the Board, that the Funds laid last Session of Assembly, for defraying the necessary Charges of the Governmt., are like to prove very deficient, so that unless some remedy be provided by the present Assembly, this Province will inevitably be brought under the Burthen of a Considerable Debt; And likewise, that the Govr. having promised, by the Advice of the Assembly and this Board, to meet the Chiefs of the Five Nations at Albany, it is absolutely necessary that a suitable Present be provided for the Indians on that occasion, as well as that due care be taken to defray the Expense of the Govrs. Journey thither, He is therefore pleased to declare his Intention of calling the Assembly together immediately after Harvest, which for the above reasons was approved. At a Council held at Philadelphia, July 24th, 1722. PRESENT: The Honble Sir WILLIAM KEITH, Bart., Governour. Richard Hill, Robt. Assheton, The House of Representatives having mett together yesterday in the Afternoon, in obedience to the Govrs. Writts issued for that purpose, upon notice, given them that the Govr. was ready to receive them in Council at the Court House, attended accordingly, unto whom the Govr. made the following Speech, and delivered the same to the Speaker. The Govr. laid before the Board a Letter from James Mitchell, Esqr., one of the Justices of Chester County, directed to him & the Council, which he had received at New Castle last week by Express, to which because of the Haste required and his distance from Philada. he had returned an Answer by the same Express, a Copy of which is now also laid before the Board, also the Copy of a Letter to the Ganywese, all of which are ordered to be Entered on the Minutes, and are as follows: MR. MITCHELL'S LETTER. From the Township of Donnegall, bounded by the River Sasquehanna, July 12th, 1722. May it please yr. Excelly. and Honble Council: These are to let you Know that Mr. James Le Tort and I was desired to be at a Council held at the Conay Town, being present the Chiefs of the Conestogoes, Sawanies & Conays, together with seven Chief men of the Nantiocck Indians, who are upon their Journey going to the five Nations. The Reason of their going they say is to renew former friendship and strengthen it in unity for time to come, and for that end they carry alongst with them 32 Belts of Wampum & four long strings of the same, to give as a Present, and delivers a Speech with them severally & they received them, So they thought it their Duty to have their Intentions made Known to Yr. Excelly & Honble Council, & will wait yr. approbation, but in hast, because they are straitned for Provisions. The Nanticock Indians depended to have the best Interpreter they could find in the Conay Town, which they find is Capt. Smith, but he tells them he has promised to go alongst with Yr. Excelly, so that without your leave he will not alter from his promise. I was blidged to send it as an Express which I presume must be at the public charge, which is all from Yr. Excelly & Honble Councils most humble servant. Mr. Mitchell: JA. MITCHELL. THE GOVRS. ANSWER. NEW CASTLE, July 16th, 1722. I recd. yr. Letters by the Express who found me here last night, & inclosed I send you a Letter to the Ganawy King, which you are to deliver and let James Le Tort interpret. I approve yr. diligence & conduct in acquainting me so speedily with the Sentiments of the Indians, But if the Nanticocks have at any time occasion to speak to me they ought to send a Messenger of their own, & then I will receive him kindly. You did very well to give 100 wt. of flour to the Ganawys at this time, & if you find that any of the Bread still remains in Jacobus Henriques hands, let 200 wt. be given now to Winjack, or if there be no bread give him 200 wt. more of flour, all which Expences you must charge in an accot., making the Province of Pensilvania Debtor for such articles expended by the Govrs. order, also charge 40s. for the Express, then sign the Accot. and send it to me at Philadelpa. by first opportunity, and I will take care to see you well paid. I remain your hearty friend, W. KEITH. THE GOVRS. LETTER TO THE GANAWESE KING. To my friend Winjack, King of the Ganawese Indians on Sasquahanna. Brother I have heard that your friends the Nanticokes are now at yr. Town upon their Journey to the five Nations. I know they are a peaceable People that live quietly amongst the English in Mary Land, and therefore I shall be glad to see them, and will be ready to do them any kindness in my power. I hear they want Capt. Smith for their interpreter, but you know he is engaged to go with me to Albany, and I desire you will send him down to me at Philada. about the last day upon this month, because upon the 8th of next month I shall go from Philada. to New York, and I desire |