1712 means, the body of that people is kept together within the Province; that when it shall please her Majesty to resume the design of prosecuting that work, that body at Schoharee may be employed in working in the vast pine woods near to Albany, which they must be obliged to do, having no manner of pretence to ye possession of any lands but by performing their part of the contract relating to that manufacture; and that in that situation they serve in some measure as a frontier to, or at least an increase to the strength of Albany and Schenectady; but if the war continues, or should by any misfortune break out again, it will be neither possible for them to subsist, or safe for them to remain there; considering the ill use they have already made of arms when they were intrusted with them. F. He com- prized of by their By the inclosed minutes of Assembly your Lordships will observe that nothing is yet done or to be expected from them toward the support of Government. I communicated to them, as I was directed, your Lordships sentiments with relation to their proceedings; what regard they pay to them, your Lordships will be apresolves of the 30th of October, where they still insist upon the councils having no right to amend mony bills; a notion but lately broached, the practice of almost all former assemblies standing on record against them in that matter; the indecent heats and undutifully expressions in their house upon the reading your Lordships letter, are not fit to be repeated; two things they avowedly declare they will never depart from, that is, the appointing of salaries, and the custody of the public money; and now having for several years starved the Government, they consume the time during their several sessions in bantering it, that is by preparing bills, which they know can never pass, and others which if passed would raise no money; whilst in And refers to the mean time their frequent sessions cost the country more money than an honorable support of Government would amount to. I have nothing to hope for from a New Assembly, for the reasons formerly alledged to your Lordships, which experience has since that time confirmed, the same members being returned for the last to one man; I shall only add, and I pray God my prediction may prove false, the remedy for those. evils if delayed will cost more than the Province is worth. No remedy to I am further to acquaint your Lordships, that our Indians are now quiet again, a very good fort & Chappel built in the Mohacks Country, where I have at present twenty private men and officers, the other in the Onandages Country is like to meet with some opposition by the evil arts of French emissaries, but I hope to get the better of that, and carry on the work this summer, the missionary for the Mohacks is arrived, and upon his departure for his mission, I doubt not, but hee will be kindly received. Referring the rest to the next conveyance, I am with the greatest honor and deference imaginable, My Lords, Your Lordships' most humble & most obedient Servant, -Col. Hist. N. Y. Vol. v. pp. 347, 348, 349. REV. JOHN F. HAEGER TO SOCIETY FOR PROPAGATING THE GOSPEL. Vol. 8. p. 121. No. 12. Translation of Letters from Mr. Haeger at Queensbury, [near 1712 Sir: November 1st, 1712. I can give you no other account since my last but that I go on visiting, calling and use all my endeavors to promote ye inter 1712 est of our Holy Church in order to lead souls to Christ, whereof my congregation will in case it be required give one sufficient testimony. Hitherto I have undergone all the hardships with patience and received nothing from ye people, they being themselves in a miserable condition, hoping it will be better thereafter, otherwise we shall all of us fare but very indifferently by reason the people are not settled yet. I keep the congregation up in good hopes as much as is possible and had the 16th of November last 70 men and 69 women communicants for ye rest I shall send an account by ye first opportunity. The messenger being in haste I can add no more. I recommend you to ye protection of God, and remain, Sir, your most obedient servant, J. F. Haeger. REV. WM. ANDREWS MISSIONARY TO THE MOHAWKS. At a Meeting of ye Comrs. of the Indian affairs in Albany the 14th November 1712 - Pr. Schuyler, Hend. Hansen, K. V. Renselaer, Mynd. Schuyler, Johs. The Comrs. Received a letter from his Excellency dated ye 31st of October last and is as followeth: (Letter missing). The Reverend Mr. Wm. Andrews Missionary for the Mohocks sent by the honourable Society for propagation the Gospel in foreign parts was desired to meet the Comrs. with the Rev. Mr. Tho. Barclay, who came, It was then ordered that the said letter should be read unto them which was done, and told Mr. Andrews that they would at all times give him all the assistance that Lays in their power for accomplishing so Good a work as he Is sent for, for which he Gave the Comrs. Many thanks. At a Meeting of the Comrs. of the Indian affairs in Albany ye 15th day of November 1712. Present Pr. Schuyler, Johs. Schuyler, K. Van Renselaer, Hend. Hansen, Rd. Ingoldsby, Mynd. Schuyler, P. Van Brugh. This day a letter from his grace My Lord Arch. B. of Canterberry dated ye 29th of May last to the Sachims of the Six Nations of Indians was delivered to the Sachims of the Maquas Country and read unto them, the contents whereof was Interpreted by Lawce. Clasen, which letter was ordered to be recorded in these Minutes on the request of the Reverend Mr. Thomas Barclay. (Letter not found.) The Reverend Mr. Andrews Missionary to the Mohawk Indians told the said sachems that he is Sent by her Most Excellent Majesty the queen, and the Society for propagation ye Gospel in foreign parts at their own desire & request to her said Majesty when Some of their Sachims were in England, and propositions Since that time made to have Ministers to Instruct them in the Christian Religion, for which Reason he has left his dearest friends and relations and under Gone a very tedious & dangerous voyage to come over to them to Instruct them in ye principals of the Christian Religion for the Good of their Souls Salvation, hopeing with the blessing of God to see the happy fruits of his labour, and that they will give him due protection and Incouragement in the doing of it whilst it shall please God that he should be among them. Then Terachjoris Sachim of Canajoharie the upper Castle of the Mohawks Stood up and Sayd that he was deputed by those of that Castle to come to Albany to Receive in their name the Reverend Mr. William Andrews for their Minister, who they understood is Sent (on their Request) by the Great queen of Great Britain to Instruct them in the Christian Religion for the Good of their Souls Service, and Gave Mr. Andrews his hand and promised for those of that Castle to give all the protection and Incouragement unto him that shall lye in their power. Hendrick one of the Sachims of the Maquas Country stood up and said that he was very glad that ye Reverend Mr. Wm. Andrews was coming over for their Minister to Instruct them in the Christian Religion for the Good of their Souls, and that he was deputed with those now here present by the other Sachims of that Castle to Receive him in their names for their Minister and father and promist for themselfs and those of the said Castle to give him all the protection Incouragement and assistance possibly they can, and always be faithful and obedient to him, and doth heartly Return thanks to her Majesty the Great queen of Great Britain that She had been pleased to Grant their Requests, and also to the honorable Society for Propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts and doth thank his Excellency Robert Hunter Esq. etc., and Coll. Nicolson for their Intercession in Getting their Request Granted the fruets whereof are now to be seen. Hendrick sayd further that he desired in ye name of the said Sachims of the Mohawks that none of their land might be clandestinely bought from any of them for that would breed a faction and disturbance among them and would be an occasion of leaving their Country and oblidge them to go over to the Ottowawas or farr Indians where they should have no Christian Minister to Instruct them in the Christian Religion, nor that they should not be brought under that yoke as those at Canada are who are obliged to pay the tenths of all of their priests. Gave a Belt of Wampum. Mr. Andrews Replyed that he was not come for the lucure of their land nor to lay any burdons on them but to Instruct them in the true Christian Religion and that no land Should be bought of them in a Clandestine Manner, it if Lays in his power to prevent it, and that the honourable Society had taken care to pay him. The Reverend Thomas Barclay desired that the Comrs. would be pleased to procure men Slees & horses for Conveying the goods of the Rev. Mr. Andrews to the Mohawks Country and to pay the Charges thereof which they promised to do with all readyness. The Comrs. Gave the following presents to the Mohawk Indians, viz., six kegs of powder, six boxes of lead, twelve Blankets, twelve Shirts, two duffel Blankets, five pair of Stockings two hundred flints & fifty pounds of Shot. - Doc. Hist. N. Y. Vol. iii. pp. 542, 543. 1712 GOVERNOR HUNTER TO THE LORDS OF TRADE. Dec. 6, 1712. To the Right Honorable The Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations. My Lords. The Palatines continue upon the grounds where I have planted them so that we have them at hand when her Majesty shall think 1712 fit to reassume the designe, and require the performance of their contract. The Indians are at home and quiet, having returned from their Expedition without effecting anything, being divided among themselves. The Missionary for the Mohacks is gone thither. I have heard nothing from him since he hath been there. My numbers are much too few for the numbers of garrisons. I have not heard of late from the Undertakers of the Fort at Onondage by reason of the season of the year, which makes me conclude that they have met with no opposition as it was apprehended. Sir: -Col. Hist. N. Y. Vol. v. pp. 350, 351. REV. MR. HENDERSON TO THE SECRETARY. New York December 12th, 1712. I have (by the blessing of God) arrived safe in America, and in obedience to the Honorable Society's commands, delivered their letter to his Excellency, Governor Hunter, and communicated the other to as many of my Brethren, the Clergy, as conveniently I could, it being now the Winter season; they are truly sensible of the Honorable Society's favour and zeal to encourage the Church & Clergy in these parts, & will as soon as the season permits them, meet together and return their hearty thanks for the favorable reception their Memorial had from that Venerable Body. In the meantime Mr. Poyer tells me, and desires me to inform the Honorable Society, that the Justices of peace and other persons with whom the administration of Justice is lodged at Jamaica on Long Island, have been lately changed twice, and that in a very short space; those that are at present in Commission are friends to the Church, and it would be a seasonable Juncture to him to commence a suit at law for the recovery of his Parsonage House, Glebe, and arrears of Salary, if he were certain of their continuance in Commission. But there was so sudden an alteration before, and that so soon after the other change, that he is of opinion it is safest to wait for the answer Her Majesty will most graciously please to give to the Honorable Society's representation; for should he enter a suit at Law, and the Commissions be changed again before Her Majesty vouchsafe that explication of her instructions to the Governor in relation to the appeal that the Honorable Society have petitioned for, the case would be the very same that is set forth by the Clergy's Memorial; he is under great concern for the issue & event of this affair he says; should a matter of such consequence miscarry under his conduct, he says it would be the greatest affliction that possibly he could meet with, & therefore he's resolved to wait with patience the further direction of his patrons at home. - Doc. Hist. N. Y. Vol. iii. pp. 163, 164. |