entine, I have advised him to rely upon your procuring them, and take no other from hence, but one by way of a Servt

The Opinnion both the Gov' and my self Intertain of you abilities and Integrity, is such, that we should have been Satisfied with your Sole running this line, but as that might not be so satisfactory to the Publick, I send a Deputy to Act in Conjunction with you, and desire you will use your best indeavours that this line be Continued to the Western banks of the main Branch of Connecticut River Agreable to Gov' Tryon's Instruction, and that if by Sickness, or any other unforseen Accident M' Valentine should be prevented from proceeding, you will be pleased to proceed without him.

When I last had the pleasure to see you, you promised me on y' return home to send me a Map of the french Grants on Lake Champlain laid Down exactly by a large Scale. Such a plan is much wanted, and I shall esteem it as a particular favour to furnish me with one by the first safe Conveyance. It will come safe by the Post. Mr Colden and all the familly at the post office join in Sincere Complts to you. We wish to hear of your having got safe home. I shall be proud of a line from you before you set out on y' Survey and while you are upon it, if any op" presents. Heartily wishing you health I am

The Badness of the Roads and difficulty of Procuring a Sled hindered my arriving here 'till Saturday Night when I was informed that M' Collins had staid here till about eight days ago, and as the Lakes were then open, and he travel'd in Company with a Sickly Gentleman, 'tis thought I may overtake him, as I set out with a very good Sled and Horses a few Hours hence, what will delay me most is a very heavy Snow that has fallen on Friday and Saturday last.

I beg the favour of you to send the enclosed Letter to my Wife who was very uneasy at my Departure, and will continue so 'till she hears from me. You may depend on My using every Means in My Power to accomplish the Business I have undertaken

I remain
Sir

Y' Most Obed' Hble Serv

THO VALLENTINE

Albany 17th Feb" 1772

-[N. Y. Col. MSS., xcviii, 61.

Sir

Crown Point 26th Feb" 1772

I wrote you from Albany that M' Collins had set out but a few days before my arrival and that I had hopes of overtaking him here but he was more fortunate and passed the lake at the time he could have gone with any Degree of Safety, and even at that time they drowned some of their Horses going down and fell in six times coming back. They returned the morning after my arrival here and reported the Ice to be impassable and it has continued thawing almost ever since, so that at the time of My Writing this 'tis not safe to Pass from Crown to Chimney Point the Snow having Melted to a surprizing degree, it was very Bad when I came down, there was about a foot of water over the Ice on Lake George, and between Ticonderoga and Crown Point the water was in some places two feet deep so as to come into the Sled.

29th. Just this Instant a Sled and Horses belonging to Major Skein arrived from Montreal and altho' they fell once in report the Ice to be passable with care, they are the first that came over these six days, and they say that 4 or 5 more are expected up with Provisions for some Stone cutters who have been almost starving these eight or ten days With them I expect to go to River la Cole and hope to get there in about a week I am Sir your most Obed' Hble Serv1

-[N. Y. Col. MSS., xcviii, 68.

Dear Sir:

THO VALLENTINE.

[JOHN COLLINS TO ALEXANDER COLDEN.]

River La Cole March 5th 1772

By Mr. Valentine who arrived this morning I am Favoured with Yours of the 6th Feb' which Informs me that the Governour has appointed you on the Part of the Province of New York to run the Division Line Betwixt that Province and the Province of Quebec with leave to appoint Your Deputy, this Gives me Great Pleasure as it Convinces me that You are Upon amicable Good Terms with the Governour whom I am Persuaded will Protect Every Officer in his right. Indeed it would be absurd to Suppose that this Business Could be Carried on through any other Channel Than that of Yourself I much approve of Your Deputy Mr Valentine and Believe him to be Every way Qualified and make no Doubt but he will Give You Satisfaction I observe the Money Paid by Government To Him as also the Governours Promise for the Expenses that May accrue Which There's no Doubt but May be faithfully relyd on. You mention my Having agreed With Gov' Tryon to Meet the Surveyor appointed by Your Province with Provisions &

18

COPIES OF DOCUMENTS RELATING to the

for Carrying on the Survey. this agreem' was Punctually Complyed with on my Part as I had Ten Men Provi" & Necessarys, waiting the arrival of Mr Valentine I am Extremely Sorry I had not the least Notice that Men would be wanted on the Part of Your Government as I could readily have Engaged any Number before I left Montreal on Much Better Terms than they can be Got in Your Gover! However I have Sent an Express to Montreal and Expect to have them here in Four Days. the Kind Opinion the Governour and You are Pleased to Entertain of my Poor Ability And Integrity is Truly flattering to me The More so as Coming from so Candid a Quarter For which Please to Accept of my Cordial Thanks and rest assured the Trust You are Pleased to repose in me Shall never be abused. I shall in Conjunction with Mr. Valentine use my Utmost Endeavours to Carry on this Business with as much Accuracy and Diligence as the Nature of the Season will admit and in Case any accident Happens to Mr Valentine I shall act agreeable to Your Directions I am Heartily sorry I have it not in my Power to Comply with my Promise in Sending you the Plan with the French Grants. Occasioned by the Winter Setting in So Severely Obliged me to Stop Nine Weeks at that Miserable Place Albany which left me Barely Time to go to Montreal & Collect my People and Meet here at the Time appointed without Going to Quebec If opportunity Should Present in the Course of our Survey I shall Trouble You with a line

P. S. The Distance by Cap Hollands Survey of Connecticut River is about One Hundred and Twenty Miles *

-[N. Y. Col. MSS., xcviii, 69.

Sir

[THOMAS VALLENTINE TO ALEXANDER COLDEN.]

On my arrival at River l'cole the 4th Inst I had the Pleasure of meeting Mr Collins who had waited there two days, during which time he had employed his People Baking Biscuit and making other preparations. But had provided only ten men which were to be his own party, however as soon as he had Perused the Governor and your Letters a Messenger was dispatched to Montreal to Procure Nine men who with Young Slack were to be employed on behalf of Our Government (And as you may think 20 men a great number to be employed on this Occasion, I will give you an account of the manner we intend disposing of them Viz. 8 to carry Provisions, 4 to cut down such trees as happen to stand in the Line, 2 Blazing the trees that is to say one on each side of the Line, 2 Chainmen, 1 Man to carry Pickets, & 3 Men to

carry Our Instruments and Baggage) the messenger has not yet returned, yet there is no doubt but he can procure men enough

We reduced Captain Holland's Map of Connecticut river and Joined it to one of Metcalfs maps of that Country if both are right the whole distance is about 120 Miles. M' Collins did not expect the distance to be near as much and therefore has not laid in near Provisions enough; But that wont delay us for we have as much as will serve us while we can keep the Woods which M' Collins says will not be longer than the Middle of April at farthest, as the snow will then be near gone and the Waters so high as to render them Impassible after which he says we must lye by 'till the Middle of May or Beginning of June before we can proceed during which time we can provide provisions to supply us during the time it will take us to compleat the Work

We have also made the best calculation we were able of the Sum that Labourers hire and Provisions will come to and I believe four Hundred Pounds New York Currency the one half of which you will please to have remitted to Mr Drumond of Quebec in order to enable me to pay the men I employ and to discharge the Sum due to the Kings Contracter for Provisions &c. My reason for desiring A remittance to Quebec is because we at present imagine that St Francis River will be our best rout when we are obliged to leave the Woods as 'tis next to impossible by all accounts to return to Lake Champlain.

I hope we shall be ready to set out by the middle of the next week, and altho' Mr Collins is very uneasy to get to work in the Woods his Impatience is not equal to mine, for I shall lose the Seasons of Grafting and Inoculating my fruit trees and of Collecting many sorts of seeds, by which means I shall lose more than I shall get by the Survey. When I set out I thought to return by May, but to my Great Mortification find that if I stay to finish, it will be August before I shall see New York.

I expect you will please to Inform me whether the Assembly have provided for this expence, And who is the Proper person for me to draw on, as I expect my Wife may have Occasion for Some Cash before my return.

Give me leave to Assure you that no opportunity Shall be missed whereby an Account of what we shall have done can be forwarded to you, but at present there appears so many difficulties in the way that I fear it will be almost impossible to give you any intelligence from the time we enter the woods till we leave them.

I shall also beg leave to put you in mind of some little Concerns which I have in Lands, and make no doubt but you will suffer them to go for ward as soon any Lands in their Situation are Patented by others.

River la Cole 7th March 1772

I am Sir Your most

Obed Hble Serv

THO VALLENTINE.

P. S. I beg the favour that you may please to have the enclosed Letter sent to my Wife the Postage of which I will pay as my only Motive for enclosing it to you is that it may go

-[N. Y. Col. MSS., xcviii, 70.

[IN COUNCIL.]

At a Council held at Johnson Hall in the County of Tryon

on Wednesday the twenty ninth Day of July 1772.

His Excellency next laid before the Board a Letter he had received from Thomas Valentine dated the River Le Cole 11th July 1772 in the following Words.

May it please your Excellency.

We set out from Quebec the 20th of June, took the Stores we wanted from three Rivers, called at St Francois in our way with intent to send part of our Provisions up that River, but received Information that we could as easily transport them up Missishoi River, which we rather chose, as it is not safe to entrust them in the Hands of Savages.

We depart hence immediately, and hope to be able to compleat in two Months if no Accident happens: And if your Excellency proposes to have the Line continued to the River S Lawrence, it can be done this Fall at a much less Expence, than if postponed to another Season. I expect your Instructions by the Time We return, and am

. Your Excellency's

most obed' Humble Servant

THOS VALLENTINE.

and desired the Opinion of the Council whether they thought it advisable to give Instructions to the said Vallentine, in Conjunction with the Surveyor from Quebec, after having run the Line Eastward to Connecticut River, to return to Point Moore the Place of Beginning, and extend the Division Line between the two Governments until it should intersect the River St Lawrence in the forty fifth degree of Northern Latitude. His Excellency at the same Time observing to the Board, that he considered the running of the Division Line to the Westward, as a very necessary and essential Service to Government; and that he was willing to advance the Money on the Faith of the Publick for carrying the same into Execution: Whereupon the Council humbly advised the running of the Partition Line to the River S Lawrence, as a Measure highly proper and necessary for ascertaining and establishing the Boundaries between this Government and that of Quebec.

-[N. Y. Council Minutes (MS.) v. 26, p. 314.