Sir,

SIR WM JOHNSON TO THE REVD DR. AUCHMUTY.

Johnson hall May 27th 1770.

I thank you most kindly for your Letter of the 20th by our Friends Dr Cooper & Mr Inglis whom I very highly Esteem & in whose Society I have spent many agreable hours during which we have Conversed much on the affairs of the Church, Their Speedy return prevents me from Saying much to you by this opportunity. I cannot however avoid agreeing with you in the truth of your Remarks on the present unhappy state of affairs, which greatly contribute to check the growth & prevent the Success of the National Church, I hope the Government will at last discover the Importance of giving it all possible Countenance, & that whenever party shall so far Subside as to enable them to act without the apprehension of giving offence to others its Enemies, that they will afford it the required support.

I most kindly thank the Convention for the favorable senti ments they entertained of my endeavors in the Cause of our Religion, and I assure you & them, that I shall omit no opportu nity for demonstrating the sincerity of my attachmt thereto, by promoting its Interest as far as my little Interest & abilities shalt Enable me, at the same time wishing that we may spedily hear more agreable news from England & Assuring you that I am always with great Truth Sir &c

Dr Auchmuty

SIR WM. JOHNSON TO THE REVD MR. INGLIS.

Dear Sir.

Johnson hall Nov 1770.

I was lately agreably favored with your Letter of the 25th ult accompanied with your pretty present for your Godson the Indian Boy, which with your Letter to his father was received with Extraordinary marks of Gratitude and Thanks, so that it

would be hard to say which were best pleased, The Boy with his finery or the parents with that Token of your remembrance & the Letter which they think greatly of, The Father was greatly distressed how to Express his thanks to you but at last wrote the Letter wch I now enclose, and after Lamenting that it was not in his power to make you a return suitable to his Inclinations he begged that I might send you a Leathern Lap Decorated & which he gave me for that purpose adding that as he had worn it often in the field, when in Arms against our Enemys, it might still be considered as an emblem of his attachment.

I sincerely wish that the Indians desires as Expressed at the late Congress joyned to my Strong recommendations may awaken the attention of Government to affairs of Religion, which under such auspices would soon flourish and Expand. The Information you gave me concerning, the appropriating the Quit rents to these uses, is I apprehend a matter that may rather be wished for, than Expected, as the Quit rents are greatly encreased by so many late Grants, and altho' they are but very irregularly paid must far Exceed the Sum you Mention, however if you could procure the ann' amount of them, and let me know it, I shall consider it farther, and see Whether there may not be some prospect of Success from such an application.

As to the Nova Scotia Mission, when I consider, the Small number of the Indians, and their present dependant state there, together with its being made in consequence of their threats, I can hardly think that the Government will disregard the entreaties of a people whose power and Capacity so far exceeds those of Nova Scotia, and whose friendship & alliance is so much more interesting to us.

my

It must have been thro' hurry that I neglected giving you in former Letter, the Numbers of the other Indians when I am well acquainted with. The Onondagas can muster about 200 fighting Men, The Cayugas about 260, The Senecas, including those of this about 1000. but there are besides, many of every Nation Settled with other Tribes at and about the Suquehanna &ca which if added to their respective Nations would encrease the number, and the Tuscaroras, alone since the last body of them came from the Southward to Joyn the rest may now [make] abt

near 250. so that the Whole of the Six Nations without including any others will Amount to 2000 fighting Men, by which the Number of souls may be calculated in the usual manner.

I am sensible that Example will go farther than precept in the Introducing Arts or Mechanics amongst them The advantage of which they will daily grow more sensible of. Dr Wheelock has been so sanguine in these matters that he has made no advances worth mentioning in that way whatever may be reported, as to Smiths they are so necessary to them that they would readily admit them and indeed they were formerly allowed them in their villages at the Expense of the Government, & perhaps Carpenters might also be agreable for if these Mechanics were well inspected & Confined solely to their Trades, (which is a very difficult matter to effect) some of the Indians would doubtles be allured in a little time to apply themselves to Arts so usefull to themselves, & their proficiency in one or Two Arts, beyond which we should not go in the beginning would prepare them to receive others which at present are not necessary to their manner of Living-Tho' farming would be a most necessary acquirement, and which I believe they may be brought to in Time. Yet I fear it cannot be attempted, such Arts as are necessary to their present mode of Life will not alarm them, but any that will tend to introduce a Change therein, must be deferred for a time, as there is nothing which they so much dread as the alienation of their peoples minds from those pursuits & Exercises by which alone they apprehend that their Liberties are preserved.

A

I thank you for the political hints you gave me, and presume that by this time the Disposition of our Governor is better known, being inclined to think that he will not fall into the hands of any designing party.

Before Closing my Letter Mr Stuart arrived & delivered me your favor of the 23d ulto. I had seen him before he went for Orders, and believe him to be a discreet, sensible man, The Mohocks being now almost all abroad on their Winter hunt, He cannot enter upon his Mission with Effect for some little time he is to be Introduced to those that are at home immediately and I shall direct him in the means of beginning to acquire their Language, without delay as it is so Essential to his Success, of

which I have not the Least doubt if Conducted properly to which end my advice and endeavors shall be always Chearfully bestowed. I have a few Lines by him from D Burton wherein is mentioned the Societys approbation of and allowance to Mr Hall, to be fixed at Conojoharee until he has taken Orders. The design is good, and I wish he was now there to enter upon it-I have built a handsome Church there at my own Expence1 Tho' I had been promised the assistance of others but the times did not admit of it, and as that village is equal in zeal & attachment to the Mohocks and is 30 miles farther up the Country, Mr Halls establishment & success there will contribute greatly to enlarge the design of the plan, and to point out its benefits to the public, which so soon as these persons are properly Seated and have acquired a share of the Language and Confidence of the Indians, may be so far Extended as to comprehend all that can be wished for, to form one vast & Generous design.

It is extremely probable that a War with Spain is not very distant, and indeed I believe it is Covetted by many people but Spain will have powerfull alliances, and without great Care France, may give us fresh trouble in America, particularly thro' the Influence they still retain over so many Indian Nations. I am much obliged to the worthy Dr Johnson for his kind remembrance and sincerely wish him all happiness. My Son, who desires his Complements to you purposes to visit N York soon Col: Johnson also desires to be kindly remembered, and be assured that I am always with perfect regard

The Revd Mr. Chas Inglis.

Dear Sir &c.

1 An account of monies expended by John Danl. Muller in building a Church at Canajohary, for the use of the Indians by the direction of the Honble Sir William Johnson. £459.1 11.

SIR WM. JOHNSON TO ARTHUR LEE ESQ., M. D. F. R. S.1

ON THE CUSTOMS, MANNERS AND LANGUAGES OF THE INDIANS. Johnson hall Feby 28th 1771.

Sir,

I should be wanting in duty to the public if I withheld from a Gentleman of Dr Lee's Character any information I am capable of affording on the subject of yr Letter wch thro' my Absence from home havg been some time in the Ind. Country & since entirely occupied with affairs of a public nature, it was not in my power to ans1 till now.

I am only apprehensive that any account in my power respecting such enquirys amongst the unlettered Indians will prove inadequate to the Expectations formed in your Letter, notwithstanding my long residence in this country, ["of more than thirty eight years,"] the Nature of my office and the most diligent enquirys into these curious particulars, I find all researches of that sort for reasons which I shall give presently involved in such difficultys & uncertainty as to afford but slender satisfaction: At least far short of my inclination to gratify your desire thereon-however I shall endeavor to make some attonement by giving you some acct of these difficulties together with such

1 ARTHUR LEE was born in Virginia on the 20th Dec. 1740. He was sent at an early age to Eton, and afterwards to the University of Edinburgh, where he obtained his degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1764. He returned to his native country where he practised his profession for a short period, but soon went to London and entered the Temple with a view of being called to the bar. Here he became the associate or correspondent of the principal literary and scientific men of the day, and was elected Fellow of the Royal Society. Previous to the Revolution, he acted as agent in England for the Provinces of Massachusetts and Virginia, and in that capacity acquitted himself as a zealous and sound friend of American liberty. In 1776, he was appointed, conjointly with Dr. Franklin and Silas Deane, Commissioners to France on the part of the United States, and assisted in negotiating the Treaty between these countries. He returned to America in 1780 and in 1784 was appointed one of the Commissioners to treat with the Six Nations. He executed this trust at Fort Schuyler, (now Rome, Oneida Co.) with much credit. He died, unmarried, Dec. 12, 1792, aged nearly 52 years. He was a distinguished scholar, and a statesman, rigid in principle and unsullied in integrity. His life by R. H. Lee, was published in 2 vols. 8vo. in 1829.-ED.