flag. This proposition surprised me; my people would persuade me to do so. I therefore suddenly stood up and said to them-Ye know such is not the intention of your Father Onontio whose message I carry. A young fool in the canoe of those of the Lake said to me aloud, that he would fire and salute the fort. I replied to him, Indian fashion, that he lied and that I should not suffer it, being unwilling either to witness or be accomplice to such a folly; that I was surprised he had so soon forgotten the words of his father Onontio whose intentions I had communicated to him during our voyage; that I had no manner of business with him who was Commandant of the house at Choueguen.

They returned to said fort and reported to me that the Commandant insisted on what they had first communicated to me. I asked them whose was the land over which I wished to pass? This question caused them to droop their heads and they remained in pensive silence. It was not until I told them that I wanted a decisive and substantial answer, that they replied-The ground over which I wished to walk was theirs. I then said to them, since it was their property I, as a child of their father Onontio and bearer of his message to them, wished a clear road and that all the branches overhanging the river, be cut away so that my flag might pass without being obliged to remove it from where their Father Onontio had placed it; and that I should not fire a salute until others had saluted me. Willingly or unwillingly they approved and we proceeded.

When I arrived opposite the house of Chouguen we found, at the Mouth of the river a canoe with people of the Sault who were returning from war. This obliged us to land to give our folks an opportunity to learn the news and to cause the Prisoners to dance, as is the custom among the tribes. During this interval the Commandant of Choueguen sent for six of the principal Chiefs including me. My Chiefs invited me to follow them. I answered that I had no business at that house; they were masters to go since they wished it; I should keep my tent with the young men. Tegarioguen wished to remain with me; I persuaded him to accompany the others, so that I may learn from him. what transpired. He is, moreover, a man on whom I have great reliance. They, therefore, set out for the fort. In the interval of their visit three cannon were fired the meaning of which I did not understand. On their return I learned that it was to honor the Toasts. They began by-The King of England; The Commandant of the Fort, and The General of the French of Canada. These are the terms they made use of. Here is what was said to them by the Commandant of the Fort.

BROTHERS, I never failed to assist the people of your Nation and you in particular when you pass by my house and come to see me. I will always act so towards you. I invite you to peace and tranquillity between you and us.

He gave them three pots of Rum, a large piece of Pork and a bushel of peas which they brought to the Camp. I found them in a state of great Drunkenness, except Tegarioguen. He assured that the Choueguen Sachem had been charmed to see them and that he gave them milk to drink to their Brother's health. But the excitement they were in led them, notwithstanding all the entreaties I could make, to finish what liquor they brought. This delayed me three days before the Fort, they being drunk so that I was unable to do any thing. I was not free from uneasiness having only Tegarioguen for support, if I were insulted.

When the Chiefs of the Lake of the Two Mountains and of Sault St. Louis returned to my tent, the Nontagué Chiefs came to summon me, on the part of the Commandant of the Fort, to strike my flag which I had hoisted over my Tent, inasmuch as I was under the guns of the Fort. I always answered Indian fashion; I knew no flag but that of their Father Onontio which I carried, and it should not be lowered until I was tied. Contrary to the custom of lowering it at sundown, it remained flying night and day the whole of the time I was constrained to remain at that post.

On the day of our departure it was again the same tune. I must absolutely fire first and strike my flag. This I would not do; therefore no salute on the one side nor the other, and we set out to

proceed. A Nontagué Chief carrying a British flag in his hand, called out to me to embark. I forbid my people to do so, telling them I would not march under an English flag, and they heard me. I told them we should start when the English flag was no longer to be seen, which we did. I reproached the Nontagués with their weakness and the little respect they paid their Father and his Flag since they dared not pass Choueguen without a British flag. They answered-You're right, Father; but you know we have every thing to manage here. I replied-Under their Father's flag, there was nothing to be feared. And forthwith they furled the British flag which has not made its appearance since.

GOV. CLARKE TO THE COMMANDER AT OSWEGO.

[ Lond. Doc. XXV. ]

New York Nov'r 1st 1736.

Sir-I am truly sorry to hear so many complaints of your conduct at Oswego. I hope for better things, but am now in fear, if some better care be not taken, that the Garrison will all desert or perish for want of provision of which I am told there is no manner of Oconemy, it behooves you, Sir, to be very circumspect, and I earnestly recommend to you, to keep good dissipline, and to take care of the provissions and of the security of the house and garrison.

Mr Beauharnois complained to me of your Commanding a French Canoe a shore, which was passing by, I assured him I wo'd enquire into it, and I hope you will be able to acquit yourself of what he lays to your charge.

I desire you will be very vigilant and guard carefully against all surprizes of the Indians or others, Capt: Dick will convey this to you to whom you ought to give an account of your Garrison by all opportunity's as he is the Commanding Officer on the Frontiers. Capt. Congreve.

Sr &c

G. U.

[Journ. of General Ass. ]

Die Sabatii May 23. 1741.

Resolved, That there be allowed a sum not exceeding the sum of Six Hundred Pounds, to and for erecting a sufficient stone Wall, at a proper Distance, round the Trading House at Oswego, either in a Triangular or Quadrangular Form, as the Ground will best admit of, with a Bastion or Block House in each Corner, to flank the Curtains, which are to be single for the Accommodation of Men, if need be.

MR. CLARKE TO THE BOARD.

[ Lond. Doc, XXVI. ]

New York Aug: the 20th 1742.

My Lords-If the loss of Oswego (which I much fear will fall into the hands of the French on the first rupture) does not stagger the best resolutions of the Six Nations, who at present fear more than they love the French; that Fortress, or rather Trading house, for it is no better, is in a very defenceless condition, the Garrison consists but of a Lieutenant, Sergeant, Corporal and 20 men it is and has been without Ammunition, the Assembly refusing to be at the expense, as well as to make provision for victualling a larger Garrison; it is true they have given money to build a wall round the house, but the Director of the works, instead of laying the stones in lime and sand, as by the Act he was to do, is laying them in clay ;1 it is, as it is managed a jobb calculated rather to put money in the Pockets of those who have the management of the business, than for any real service to the publick; tho' it is a thing of the utmost importance, as the loss of it will certainly be followed by the loss of the furr trade, and very probably may by a defection of the Six Nations, the consequence whereof your Lordpps know perfectly well.

1

GOV. CLARK'S REPORT

ON THE STATE OF THE BRITISH PROVINCES WITH RESPECT TO THE FRENCH WHO SURROUND THEM.

[Lond. Doc. XXVII. ]

1743.

Tho' it has been my duty to consult in a more particular manner the welfare of the Province; which I have had the honour to Govern some years, yet I never took myself to be thereby discharged from carrying my thoughts to things of a more extensive nature, especially to such whereon the peace & happiness of the Plantations, and the Trade of England, if not the very being of His Majesty's Dominion on this continent depend, I have often reflected on the progress that our natural Enemies the French have made in their settlements on the back of us, Chiefly since the peace of Utrecht, the vast increase of their Indian Trade, the interruption of ours by the power which their communication between Canada and Messassippi, (by means of the Lake Cadaraque or Ontario) gives them over all the Indian Nations, living on that, and all the other Lakes, which disembogue into Cadaraqui, and from thence into the River St. Lawrence, & by what means that communication may be cut off, & those Indian Nations brought to an absolute dependence on His Majesties Provinces, who will thereby be possesst of a very great additional Trade, and (which is principally to be considered) be for ever secured from the annoyance of the French, and may without danger or interruptions extend their settlements as far back as they please.

The French had lately three, and have now two sailing vessells, each of about 50 or 60 Tons, on the Lake Cadaraqui: On the North East end whereof, near the entrance into the River of St. Lawrence, they have a small stone Fort called Frontenac, with a Garrison of about thirty or thirty five

1 "He pretended that there was not Limestone to be gotten and without giving himself much trouble to search went on his own way.”— Lond. Doc. xxvii. 3. The wall above alluded to, cost when finished £630.11.114 Cury.-Journal of N. Y. Assemb. 1744.

men, and on the Southwest End, near the fall of Niagara, another with the like garrison, a trading house under the cover of it, and are now building there one or two more trading houses. In those vessells they carry the Soldiers, Artillery, Ammunition and Provision to the Forts, and transport to & fro the goods they sell to & buy from the Indians: It is through this Lake they pass from Canada to Messasipi, & from thence back again to Canada: By means only of their Mastery on that Lake it is that, they have acquired, and still hold their power over all the Indian Nations, from Canada to Messasippi, except only the Indians who are next adjoining to our Provinces, and have all along been dependent on them, (of which the Five Nations or Cantons are the most considerable) and in all those they have of late gotten too great an influence, especially among the five Nations whose youth being of a martial spirit, they intice (contrary to the Public Engagements of those Nations) to join them in their Expeditions against the Indian Nations, subject to His Majesty, and depending on the Governments of Virginia, the two Carolina's & Georgia, who have it in their power (by their situation, if their strength were equal, as it would be, were they united and resolved) to interrupt the march of the French from Niagra to Messasippi: this the French know full well, and fearing that they may sometime or other confederate against them for that purpose, they seldom fail once a year, to attack one of those Nations while they are disjoined, thereby to exterpate, or bring them over to their Interest, and they have gone but too great a length towards it, none of those Nations daring now to give them any interruption & thinking themselves happy when they are not annoyed by the French. We have a trading House and a Garrison of 20 men in it at Oswego, almost opposite to Fort Frontenac, which in our present situation will inevitably fall into the hands. of the French, on the first opening of a War, & with it the Five Nations, the only Barrier against the French to all the Provinces from this to Georgia, for tho' they now intice some of their youth to join them in their hostile marches, yet the Body of those Nations oppose it all they can, & live in a good intelligence with us, professing to observe inviolably their original Allyance, (or Covenant Chain as they phrase it) which has subsisted ever since we first settled this Country, yet if Oswego be taken, (as nothing can hinder it while the French are masters of the Lake) the Five Nations will, and must of course, submit to our Enemy, who will oblige them to assist in all their expeditions: In which Event every one of our Provinces may be so attacked, that the Planters will be obliged for the security of their Persons to quit their settlements, retire into the Towns, wherever they are, or under the cover of Forts, of which we have very few on the whole Continent, or, what is worse, leave the Country to seek a living elsewhere, the consequences whereof to England are but too obvious, & this the Enemy will more easily do, as they have a line of Forts from Canada to Messasippi. As a remedy for these Evils, which are almost as great as can befall the Nation, I propose that a Regiment of eight hundred men be sent from England (or if half the number of private men be sent, the other half I believe may be raised here) with an Engineer, Artillery, and Ammunition, & posted in the Sineca's Country on the Lake Cadaraqui, at a proper Harbour for building of Vessells their being more than one of sufficient depth of Water, That the Harbour be fortified and Barracks erected for the men. That there be then built two or three Vessells of superior force to those of the French, on board whereof a few sailors, & a sufficient number of soldiers being put with proper Officers, we may take, sink or otherwise destroy the French Vessells, and then easily take their Forts on the Lake, & for ever hinder them from building more on those shores, or any Vessells on the Lake, nor, (if they should build any in the River St. Lawrence) can they carry them against that rapid stream into the Lake. The consequences whereof will be of the greatest moment. All our Colonies from this to Georgia, will be secure from the incursions of the French in time of War. The Indians depending on the Governments of Virginia, Carolina and Georgia, who are now almost every year attacked by the French, and their Indians will live unmolested; All the Indian Nations living on or near the Lakes, and all those over whom the French at present have a very great power, will no

sooner hear of our conquests, than they will submit to, & trade altogether with us, The Five Nations will no longer be divided by French Intrigues, but will be absolutely at our Devotion, and the Trade & Influence of our Enemy will be confined to the Cold Country of Canada, which will scarce be worth keeping, and to the Banks of the River Messasippi, Nay, no sooner will the Five Nations see us masters on the Lake, than they will assist us to take the two Forts of Frontenac, & Niagra, for they are now complaisant to the French only through Fear, knowing them to be a treacherous & enterprising people. It was I presume to think, a very great Oversight, to suffer the French to build those two Forts, & I am persuaded if it had been strongly & rightly represented by the Governors of this & the other Provinces a stop would have been put to it. Those Forts being built on the Lands of the Five Nations (whose native and conquered countries encompass the Lake on the shore whereon they are built) who by the 15th Article of the Treaty of Utrecht are explicitly acknowledged to be subject to the dominion of Great Britain, I am sensible that by the same article it is stipulated that both the English & French, shall have a free Intercourse for Trade with all the Indians & the Indians with them, let them enjoy it, (when we are Masters of the Lake) in the like manner that ours is now carried on, vizt By Canoes and small rowing Boats, but I am pretty sure that when the French yoke is taken off their necks, the Indians will no longer trade with them, for the English Manufactures are much better, and they prefer them to French goods, but supposing that they should still trade with them, it will be in a much smaller proportion than they now do, & besides they cannot then march in any numbers to disturb our Provinces, or the Indians, now & of old depending on them. An Event of the highest importance, nor can Canada supply Messasippi, or Messasippi Canada, with forces or merchandize in time of need: Before the French begun to build the Fort at Niagra, which is about 20 years ago, they cajoled some few of the young fellows of the Five Nations, to give them permission to build a trading House there, but so soon as it reached the ears of the Sachims or Rulers of those Nations, they resented it, acquainted the Governor of this Province, that the French had begun to build, & offered to join any force he should send to demolish the works, and to drive the French from thence, but this was unhappily neglected: incouraged by their success there, they did, about twelve years ago, erect another Fort, and much stronger (on the lands likewise of the Five Nations) at a place called the Crown Point, about 160 miles from Albany between that & Canada. In that part of the Country, where the Senecas chiefly dwell, & where I propose our Vessells should be built, and the Regiment quartered, the Climate is temperate, and the lands exceeding Fertile, so that in three years time from their going thither, provisions of all kinds (sufficient for the Regiment & Vessells) may be raised, Except only Beef, which will require a year or two more, in the mean time cattle may be drove thither from the County of Albany, with as much ease as they are now to the Garrison at Oswego, and no sooner will the Regiment march towards it, than farmers will go thither under their cover to settle in that Country, being sure both of protection, & of a market for what they raise, The Five Nations being acknowledged by the Treaty of Utrecht to be subject to the Dominion of Great Britain, & the Lake lying in their Country, it being surrounded by their Lands, I humbly submit it, whether we have not a Right even before a Rupture to assume the Dominion. thereof, and to destroy the Forts the French have built in the Country of those Cantons, especially if we have their concurrence, of which & of their assistance too, I make no doubt, when they see the Regiment among them.

When we have thus vindicated our Right and established our Dominion on the Lake, the Regiment may then be employed in the reduction of the Fort at the Crown Point, wherein, if there be need, we may I believe have assistance from the Provinces of Massachusetts Bay and New Hampshire, who have settlements not far from thence, and who claim the lands adjoining to it, & one of them even that whereon the Fort is built.