came to Canida upon pretence that there passe was false, for could not beleive your Excelley was here butt gone home haveing such advice from the French ambassadour he prays your Excell: would consider the pains and trouble and the loss of time that has been att waiting for an answer from the French Governour; we have put down these articles that your Excell: may examine Antho about them (since he knows nothing of this) because he was extream familliar with the Govern1 and all there great men there: We have the news of Keman that the Indians have taken 8 men 1 woman and Ɛ crownes or scalpes, and kild neer upon 20 more at the place where the Barks are, the particulars your Excell: will have in R Levingstone's letter-We find that the selling of strong Liquor to the Indians is a great hindrance to all designs they take in hand. lay a drinking continually at Skinechtady, if your Excell: would be pleased to prohibit itt for two or three months would do very well: We remain

Your Excelleney

most humble and most

obedient servant

Pr SCHUYLER.

COL. DONGAN TO THE LORD PRESIDENT.

[Lond. Doc. V.]

Sept. 8 1687

My Lord-I gave your Lodp an acct in my last letter that I had Intelligence the French were come on this side of the Lake, to war with the Sennekes

I send the Bearer Judge Palmer to give his Maty an account of their Invading his territories without any manner of Provocation if your Lode will please to read his Instructions you will find a true accompt of their Proceedings

The Senekas desired assistance of men but I put them off by giving them Powder, Lead, Arms and other things, fitting & necessary for them @ also by making such Propositions as I

thought would please them being unwilling actually to ingage the French until I knew his Maty's pleasure

I must needs say of ye French without being Partiall that they are very unjust, to enter the King's Territories in a hostile manner after the offers I made them

I know their Pretence will bee, that our Indians have wronged them, but it is not soe, for the Beaver Trade is the sole end of their Designs, whatever Colour they give to their Actions which is only hindred by the Five nations of Indians on this side of the Lake who have submitted themselves @ their Lands to the King's subjection. Those Five nations are very brave @ the awe @ Dread of all ye Indyans in these Parts of America, and are a better defence to us, than if they were so many Christians

The Claim the French can make, to the farther Indians, or any on this side ye Lake is no other than what they may have to Jappan which is that some of their Priests have resided amongst them

Peace, or Warr, it will be very necessary to send over men @ to build those Forts, I have mentioned in my Instructions to Judge Palmer, for the French are encroaching as fast as they can, and a little thing can prevent now what will cost a great expence of Blood @ Money hereafter. My Lord there are people enough in Ireland who had pretences to Estates there @ are of no advantage to the country @ may live here very happy I do not doubt if his Maty think fitt to employ my Nephew he will bring over as many as the King will find convenient to send who will be no charge to his Maty after they are Landed, Provided all Connecticut @ East @ West Jersey be added to this Government @ to add any thing of Conecticut to Boston is the most unproportionable thing in the world they having already a hundred times more Land, Riches @ People than this province @ yet the charge of this Governmt more than that

GOVERNOR DONGAN'S INSTRUCTIONS TO CAPT. PALMER.

[Lond. Doc. V.]

8th Sept. 1687.

You are to inform his Maty that in May last I had letters from Albany @Informacons of Indians that came from Canada, That the Governor of Canada went from Monte Royall with a great many French and Indyans in Boats and Canno's towards Cadaraque with an Intention to come on this side of the lake @ war against the Sennekes upon Receipt of which I called the Councill @ the letters @ Information were read upon which the Councill thought convenient to give what assistance possibly we could to our Indians, and to that intent I, Major Brockhells yourself @ other gentlemen went up to Albany where there was from time to time such orders and Instructions sent @ given to the Indyans as was thought fitt for their security

The French Pretence for Coming into the King's Territories @ warring with our Indians is that they war with the further nation of Indyans who lye on the back of Maryland, Virginia, @ Carolina, which is only a feigned pretence for that I have sent seyll Letters to Mons' La Bar who was Governor of Canada to signify that if our Indians had done them any injury they should make them all reasonable satisfaction, but that would not satisfy, for he came to Cayonhage where the Indians would have me build a Fort @ there made a Peace with the Indians so that what the Indians had done before this Govmt came was concluded and agreed thereby tho they had not done any thing to the French but what was in Pursuance of his own orders

And as to their Warring with the farther Indyans that is more hurtfull to us than the French they being inclined to trade with us rather than them which by their Warring is hindred @ in my opinion the Christians ought not to meddle with the Indians warring one with another it being the ruin of themselves And as for this present Governor of Canada Mons de Nonville he has no ground for what he does, for I have from time to time offered to do him Justice for any ill the Indians should committ and sent

"

a messinger this Spring to him for that purpose; to take away all retence whatsoever @ also sent him word that those five Nations on our side of the Lake had delivered themselves @ their Lands under the subjection of our King @ that I had caused the Kings aims to be sett upon all their Castles

But their reason for this Warr is that the Indyans would not submitt@joyn themselves to the French who have used all other meanes to effect it @ those failing have caused this attempt so that we find they have a further design which is by the Ruin of those Indians to engross both the Trade @ Country wholly to themselves, and to that intent the French King has sent over upwards of 3000 men besides what came this last spring and alsoe has built a Fort at a place called Shamblee and another at Monte Royall and another at Trois Riviers one at Cataraque at the other side of the Lake and this spring an other on our side of the La e at a place called Onyegra where I had thought to have built one it being the place where all our Traders & Beaver Hunters must

pass.

So that they are resolved to Ruin all those Indians @ if they compass their design it will be of very ill consequence to all his Matys subjects in those parts of America for they are a better Bullwark against the French and the other Indians than so many Christians, @ if the French have all that they pretend to have discovered of these Parts, the King of England will not have 100 miles from the sea any where, for the people of Canada are poor @live only on the Beaver @ Peltry and the Kings subjects here living plentifully have not regarded making discoveries into the country until of late being encouraged by me one Roseboon had leave in the year 1685 to go with some young men as farr as the Ottawawe & Twiswicks, where they were very well recd @ invited to come every year, and they desired that the Sinnekas being their enemies would open a path for them that they might come to Albany.

But a little after their being there a party of our Indians being out attacked a Castle of theirs, took 5 or 600 prisaners and brought them away to their own country, which when I heard of I ordered the Indians to deliver to Roseboom @ to one Major McGregory a

Sots gent" (who went with 60 of the young men of Albany, and some of Albany Indians a Braver trading to those further nations) as many of those prisoners as were willing to return home, the Govr of Canada hearing of their going that way sent 200 French @3 or 400 Indians to intercept them, has taken them Prisoners taken their goods from them @ what they further design to do with them is not yet known.

And for this Government which is too poor of itself to help our Indians without adding Connecticut @ East @ West Jersey in case the war continues without the assistance of our Neighbors @ some men out of Europe will be wholly impossible, for we are the least government @ the poorest @ yet are at the greatest charges @ we find this year that the Revenue is very much diminished for in other years we are used to Ship off for England 35 or 40,000 Beavers besides Peltry @ this year only 9000 and some hundreds peltry in all

The Council to show their readiness to serve the King have passed two acts for raising 1d Pr lb at New York, Isopus @ Albany, these three places being the only support of the Government @11d on Long Island @ the rest of the Government who do not advance the Kings Revenue neither by Excise nor Customs 150lb P ann:

To secure the Beaver & Peltry Trade @ the Kings right to the Country: It's mine and the Councils opinion (alsoe to have an awe over our Indians @ make them firm to us) to build a Fort at Corlars Lake; to secure us that way from the Incursion of either French, or Indians, another at Cayonhage upon the great Lake, and another at Onyegra @ two or three little other Forts between Schonectade @ the Lake to secure our people going @ coming

This cannot possibly be done without 4 or 500 men out of Europe, in case Connecticut @ the two Jerseys be added to this Government, with some help from Pensylvania, @ the three lower Countys it may be effected without any charge to the King, and will be a great security to all these parts of America

If the metes @ bounds could be adjusted at home it would be very convenient, provided always that the Country were first well discovered by us in which the French at present have much