narrow and crooked; there are many Shelves and funken Rocks, fo that the best Pilots have been deceived; for which reafon the Veffels that carry. Goods to Monreal are always obliged to anchor before Night, tho' both Wind and Tide be fair. The Flood goes no further than Trois Rivieres, half way to Monreal, and about ninety Miles from Quebeck: After they pafs this Place they have a strong Stream always against them, which requires a fair Wind and a strong Gale to carry the Veffels against the Stream. And they are obliged in this Part of the River, as well as under the Trois Rivieres, to come to an anchor at Night, though the Wind be good. Thefe Difficulties make the common Paffages take up three or four Weeks, and fometimes fix Weeks; tho' if they have the chance of a Wind to continue fo long, they may run it in five or fix Days.

After they pafs Monreal they have a strong Stream against them till they come near the Lakes; fo that in all that, which is about one hundred and fifty Miles in Length, they force their Canoes forward with fetting Poles, or drag them with Ropes along fhoar; and at five or fix different Places in that way the River falls over Rocks with fuch Force, that they are obliged to unload their Canoes, and carry them upon their Shoulders. They never make this Voyage from Monreal to Cataracui in lefs than twenty Days, and frequently, twice that Time is neceffary.

Now we are come fo far as the Lake, my Defign leads me no further, for at this Lake all the far Indians, that go to Canada, must pass by our Traders. And from thence the Road to the Indian Countries is the fame from Albany that it is from Monreal.

Befides thefe Difficulties in the Transportation, the French labour under greater in the purchafing of the principal Goods proper for the Indian Market; for the most confiderable and most valuable 4 Part

Part of their Cargo confifts in Strouds, Duffils, Blankets, and other Woollens, which are bought at a much cheaper Rate in England than in France. The Strouds (which the Indians value more than any other Cloathing) are only made in England, and must be transported into France before they can be carried to Canada. Rum is another confiderable Branch of the Indian Trade, which the French have not, by reason they have no Commodities in Canada fit for the Weft India Market. This they fupply with Brandy, at a much dearer Rate than Rum can be purchased at New-York, tho' of no more Value with the Indians. Generally, all the Goods used in the Indian Trade, except Gun-Powder, and a few Trinkets, are fold at Monreal for twice their Value at Albany. To this likewife must be added, the neceffity they are under of laying the whole Charge of fupporting their Government on the Indian Trade. I am not particularly informed of their Duties or Imposts, but I am well affured, that_they_commonly give fix or seven hundred Livres for a Licence for one Canoe, in proportion to her Largeness, to go with her Loading into the Indian Country to trade.

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I shall next confider the Advantages the Inhabitants of New-York have in carrying on this Trade. In the first place, the Ships that conftantly use the Trade to England, perform their Voyage to and from London twice every Year; and thofe that go to Bristol (the Port from whence the greatest part of the Goods for the Indian Trade are exported) fréquently return in four Months. Thefe Goods are bought much cheaper in England than in France: They are tranfported in lefs Time, with less Charge, and much lefs Rifque, as appears by the Premio for Infurance between London and New-York, being only Two per Cent. Goods are eafily carried from New-York to Albany, up Hudson's River, the Dif tance being only 140 Miles, the River very strait all the way, and bold, and very free from Sandbanks,

banks, as well as Rocks; fo that the Veffels always fail as well by Night as by Day, and have the Advantage of the Tide upwards as well as downwards, the Flood flowing above Albany. It may therefore be fafely concluded, that all forts of Goods can be carried to Albany at a cheaper Rate than they can be to Quebeck, which is also three times further from the Indian Country than Albany is. To put the Truth of this out of all difpute, I need only observe what is well known both at New-York and Albany, viz. That almost all the Strouds carried by the French into the Indian Countries, as well as large Quantities of other Goods, for the Ufe of the French themselves, are carried from Albany to Monreal. There has been an Account kept of nine hundred Pieces of Strouds tranfported thither in one Year, befides other Commodities of very confiderable Value. The Distance between Albany and Monreal is about two hundred Miles, all by Water, except twelve Miles between Hudfon's River and the Wood-Creek, where they carry their Bark Canoes over Land, and about fixteen Miles between Chambly and La Prairie, overagainst Monreal. And tho' the Paffage be so short and eafy, thefe Goods are generally fold at double their Value in Albany.

But as this Path has been thought extremely prejudicial to the Intereft of this Colony, I fhall leave it, and go on to another, that leads directly from Albany into the Cataracui or Ontario Lake, without going near any of the French Settlements.

From Albany the Indian Traders commonly carry their Goods fixteen Miles over Land, to the Mobawks River at Schenechtady, the Charge of which Carriage is Nine Shillings New-York Money, or Five Shillings Sterling each Waggon-Load. From Schenechtady they carry them in Canoes up the Mohawks River, to the Carrying-place between the Mohawks River, and the River which runs into the Oneida Lake; which Carrying-place between is only three Miles

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Miles long, except in very dry Weather, when they are obliged to carry them two Miles further. From thence they go with the Current down the Onondaga River to the Cataracui Lake. The Distance between Albany and the Cataracui Lake (this Way) is nearly the fame with that between Albany and Monreal; and likewife with that between Monreal and the Cataracui Lake, and the Paffage much easier than the laft, because the Stream of the Mohawks River is not near fo ftrong as the Cataracui River between the Lake and Monreal, and there is no Fall in the River, fave one short one; whereas there are (as I have faid) at least five in the Cataracui River, where the Canoes must be unloaded. Therefore it plainly follows, that the Indian Goods may be carried at as cheap a Rate from Albany to the Cataracui Lake, as from Albany to Monreal. So that the People of Albany plainly fave all the Charge of carrying Goods two hundred Miles from Monreal to that Part of the Cataracui Lake, which the French have to carry before they bring them to the fame Place from Monreal, befides the Advantage which the English have in the Price of their Goods.

I have faid, That when we are in the Cataracui Lake, we are upon the Level with the French, because here we can meet with all the Indians that defign to go to Monreal. But befides this Paffage by the Lakes, there is a River which comes from the Country of the Sennekas, and falls into the Onondaga River, by which we have an easy Carriage into that Country, without going near the Cataracui Lake. The Head of this River goes near to Lake Erie, and probably may give a very near Paffage into that Lake, much more advantageous than the Way the French are obliged to take by the great Fall of Fagara, because narrow Rivers are much fafer for Canoes than the Lakes, where they are obliged to go afhore if there be any Wind upon the Water. But as this Paffage depends upon a

further

further Discovery, I fhall fay nothing more of it at this time.

Whoever then confiders thefe Advantages NewFork has of Canada, in the firft buying of their Goods, and in the fafe, fpeedy, and cheap Tranfportation of them from Britain to the Lakes, free of all manner of Duty or Impofts, will readily agree with me, that the Traders of New-York may 1 fell their Goods in the Indian Countries at half the Price the People of Canada can, and reap twice the Profit they do. This will admit of no Difpute with those that know that Strouds (the Staple Indian Commodity) this Year are fold for Ten Pounds apiece at Albany, and at Monreal for Twenty-five Pounds, notwithstanding the great Quantity of Strouds faid to be brought directly into Quebeck from France, and the great Quantities that have been clandeftinely carried from Albany. It cannot therefore be denied that it is only neceffary for the Traders of New-York to apply themselves heartily to this Trade, in order to bring it wholly into their own Hands; for in every thing befides Diligence, Industry, and enduring Fatigues, the English have much the Advantage of the French. And all the Indians will certainly buy, where they can, at the cheapest Rate.

It must naturally be objected, That if these things are true, bow is it poffible that the Traders of NewYork fhould neglect fo confiderable and beneficial Trade for so long time?

In answering this Objection, I shall show the Dif ficulties New-York has labour'd under, by giving a fhort History of the Country, fo far as it relates to this Trade. Which Method, I think, can be liable to the least Objection, and put the whole in the trueft Light.

When this Country (the Province of New-York) came first under the Crown of Great Britain, our Five Nations of Indians were mortal Enemies of the French at Canada, and were in a continual War with

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