the present Situation of these Indians, and that they might be distressed by the hostile Proceedings of the French, and that the Assembly had voted Eight Hundred Pounds for Indian Services, of which the Governor had the sole Disposal, it might be for the Publick Good to take this opportunity of enquiring into their Circumstances and making them a Present of Goods to the amount of that Sum if it should be found necessary. Whereupon the Governor desired Mr. Richard Peters, Mr. Isaac Norris, and Mr. Benjamin Franklyn, to undertake the Transactions of this Business, and they complying with his Honour's Request, the following Commission was executed and delivered to them: "George the Second, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth; To our Trusty and well-beloved Richard Peters, Isaac Norris, and Benjamin Franklyn, Esquires, Greeting: Whereas, some Chiefs of the Indians of the Six Nations, of the Shawanese, of the Delawares, and of the Twightwees, living on the Waters of River Ohio, a Branch of the Mississippi, our Good Friends and Allies, have signified to our Governor of our Province of Pennsylvania that they are earnestly desirous to renew the Leagues of Amity subsisting between Us and their Nations, and are now waiting at Carlisle, in the County of Cumberland, within our said Province, for this Purpose: Know Ye, that judging it may greatly contribute to the Safety and Benefit of all our Loving Subjects, Inhabitants of Our said Province of Pennsylvania, to hold a Treaty with these Indians agreeable to their Request, and Reposing Special Trust and Confidence in your Loyalty, Abilities, and Circumspection, We have thought fit to nominate and appoint You the said Richard Peters, Isaac Norris, and Benjamin Franklyn, and Every of You, our Commissioners on Behalf of our Governor of our Province of Pennsylvania aforesaid, to treat with the said Indians now at Carlisle, or with their or any or every of their Chiefs or Delegates, and with them to renew, ratify, and confirm the Leagues of Amity subsisting between Our said Province of Pennsylvania and the said Nations of Indians; And further, to do, act, transact, and finally to conclude and agree with the Indians aforesaid all and every other matter and thing which to You shall appear necessary, touching or in any wise concerning the Premises, as fully and amply to all Intents, Constructions, and Purposes, as Our Governor of Our Province of Pennsylvania aforesaid might or could do being Personally present. Hereby ratifying, confirming, and holding for firm and effectual whatsoever You, the said Richard Peters, Isaac Norris, and Benjamin Franklyn, or any of You, shall Lawfully do in and about the Premises. In Testimony whereof We have caused the Great Seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed. Witness, JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, (by Vertue of a Commission from Thomas Penn and Richard Penn, Esquires, true and absolute Proprietaries of the said Province, And with Our Royal Approbation) Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province aforesaid, and Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, upon Delaware, at Philadelphia, the Twenty-Second Day of September, in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Fifty-three, and in the Twenty-Seventh Year of Our Reign. "JAMES HAMILTON.” Then was read a Letter to the Governor from Mr. Edward Shippen, Prothonotary of Lancaster County, and another enclosed in it to one Young, an Indian Trader, from John Frazer, his Partner, and one who had lived at Weningo; but apprehensive of a visit from the French had in the Summer removed thence to the Forks of Mohongialo, about fourteen Miles from the s River's entring into the Ohio, where he now has a Store of Goods and carries on a Trade with the Indians, And as Fraser's Letter contains a large Account of the French Proceedings, and Mr. Shippen's Letter explains several Matters in it, they are both ordered to be entered, placing Fraser's first. "Mr. Young: "FORKS, August 27th, 1753. "I have sent the Bearer in all haste to acquaint You what a narrow Escape William made from the French at Weningo. I have sent him off there the same time that You ordered him, and from that time until he ran away he only sold eight Buck's worth of Goods, which Custologo took from him, and all his Corn, when he was making his Escape in the night. He is made a Captain by the French, and next morning after William's Escape he delivered John Trotter and his Man to the French, who tied them fast and carried them away to their new Fort that they made a little from Weningo at a Place called Caseoago up French Creek. The night that William ran away, that Afternoon Two French Men came to Weningo, who told William that there was no Danger, but William being a little afraid got all ready that night and came as far as Licking Creek and there staid till Break of Day, and then came by Land to the Top of the Hill against my House, where he saw about one hundred of the French Dogs, all under Arms, and had Trotter and his Man then tied. Fourteen of them followed William, but it being a foggy Morning he outrun them, so that there is nothing lost yet only those eight Bucks and all the Corn. I would have sent William down only I do not know every moment what Time I will be obliged to move my Goods from here back in the Woods. "I have thrown a Parcel of my own Goods against another Parcel of Yours, and sell them now since William came here. I have not got any Skins this Summer, for there has not been an Indian between Weningo and the Pict Country hunting this Summer, by reason of the French. "There is hardly any Indians now here at all, for yesterday there set off along with Cap' Trent and French Andrew the Heads of the Five Nations, the Picts, the Shawonese, the Owendats, and the Delawares, for Virginia; and the Half King set off to the French Fort, with a strong Party along with him, to warn the French off their Land entirely, which if they did not comply to, then directly the Six Nations, the Picts, Shawonese, Owendats, and Delawares, were to strike them without Loss of Time. The Half King was to be back in twenty Days from the time he went away, so were the Indians from Virginia. "Cap Trent was here the night before last and viewed the Ground the Fort is to be built upon, which they will begin in less than a month's time. The Money has been laid out for the building of it already, and the great Guns are lying at Williamsburg ready to bring up. "The French are daily deserting from the new Fort-one of them came here the other Day whom I sent to Cap Trent; he has him along with him to Virginia; he has given the true Account of the Number of French and all their Designs; there are exactly TwentyFour Hundred of them in all; here is enclosed the Draught of the Fort the French built a little way the other side of Sugar Creek, not far from Weningo, where they have Eight Cannon. Which is all from your Friend “JOHN FRASER. "P. S.-The Captain of the French that took John Trotter from Weningo was the White French Man that lived last Winter at Log's Town." "Honoured Sir: “LANCASTER, 9th September, 1753. "The enclosed was just now brought me by Mr. Callendar in order to be forwarded to your Honour. "Custologo is a Delaware Indian, and a very Leading man. "Weningo is the name of an Indian Town on Ohio where Mr. Fraser has had a Gunsmith's Shop for many Years; it is situate eighty Miles up the said River beyond the Log's Town, and Casewago is Twenty Miles above Weningo. "The Half King is one of the Six Nations, and of very great Note and Esteem amongst them. "Mr. Croghan has been gone two Weeks since to Winchester in Virginia to an Indian Treaty. I am, with due Respect, "Your Honour's most obedient humble Servant, "To the Honourable the Governor." The Governor informed the Council that he had given a Commission to Mr. John Ingliss to sell so much of Captain Philip Nery's Cargo and no more as would refit the Vessel and make her capable of proceeding on her Voyage to Teneriffe; and likewise that he had on the Petition of the said Captain given the command to Patrick Roney, who had given Security to the Collector to deliver her safe to the Owners at Teneriffe, and that he proposed to write the following Letter to the British Consul there : "Sir: "Captain Philip Nery, Commander and Part Owner of the Schooner Nostra Seignora de Rozario, Saint Anna, and Saint Antonio, having by Petition set forth that his said Vessel was in so leaky a Condition that She was unfit to proceed on her Voyage to the Island of Teneriffe without some necessary Repairs; and praying likewise that as he was a Stranger both to our River and Bay and the adjacent Coasts, I wou'd permit him to take on Board Patrick Roney, of this City, Mariner, to assist him in navigating the said Vessel, I have accordingly granted the Petitioner's Requests, and by my Lett Pass have permitted the said Captain Roney to take with him such other assistance as is deemed necessary for the` said Purpose; and that the Captain and Seamen may be honestly paid according to their Agreement I have directed Cap Roney upon his arrival to apply to the British Consul for the time being, for his advice and assistance in this Affair, and that I may be advised of the Vessel and Cargo's Arrival at the Island of Teneriffe. "I am, Sir, Your most humble Servant, "JAMES HAMILTON. HAMILTON. "PHILADELPHIA, 22d September, 1753. "To the British Consul for the time being at the Island of Teneriffe." At a Council held at Philadelphia, Wednesday the 3d Day of October, 1753. PRESENT: ON The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor. Robert Strettell, Esquires. Joseph Turner, The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved. The Returns of the Sheriffs and Coroners for the several Counties being taken into Consideration, the Several Persons following were appointed and received their Commissions accordingly: At a Council held at Philadelphia, Tuesday the 16th of October, 1753. PRESENT: The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor. John Penn, Joseph Turner, Thomas Lawrence, Benjamin Shoemaker, Esquires. The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved. Five Members of Assembly waited on the Governor to acquaint him that the House was met and had chosen their Speaker, and desired to know when they might present him. His Honour appointed Twelve o'Clock the next Day in the Council Chamber; and the Council being accordingly met at that time, the Governor sent the Secretary with a Message that he was ready in the Council Chamber to receive the House,-Who immediately came and presented Isaac Norris as their Speaker, who after praying the usual Privileges, which were conceded, withdrew. The Record of the Conviction of Thomas Ruth, tryed at the Supream Court on the twelfth Instant for the Murder of Charles Quigg, was read, and a Warrant ordered for his Execution on next Saturday, being the Twentieth Instant, which was signed by his Honour. A Petition from Alexander Maginty, Indian Trader, and likewise his Deposition taken before the Chief Justice, were read and ordered to entered, and he recommended to the Assembly as a |