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[GOVERNOR DONGAN TO GOVERNOR TREAT.]

Honored S'. I am heartily sorry to hear that you have been so much indisposed; and I assure you, as gladd of your safe recovery.

It is my earnest desire to be in a right understanding with all my neighbours,. and in particular with so good a person, as the world gives you the character to be; and if I must have any contention with you, I wish it might be who should do one another the better offices; but, S', I must be obedient to my Master and not unmindfull of his interest; therefore you cannot take it amiss from me if I claime twenty miles from Hudson's River eastward, as I am informed the agreement was between the King's Commissioners and your Colony. The King's Commissioners being strangers, and relying upon your people, were assured by them that the River Mamaranet was twenty miles every where from Hudson's River; as we have very creditable witnesses can testify, and that it was Coll" Nicolls his intentions. Notwithstanding all that, you pretend to within 16 or 17 miles of this town and, for ought we know, to Esopus and Albany allso; which is argument sufficient it was none of Coll. Nicolls his intention.

If you do not submitt to let us have all the land within twenty miles of Hudson's River, I must claime as far as the Duke's Pattent goes; which is to the River Connecticut. There is land enough for us all, and I love not to do my neighbors ill offices.

Since you are pleased to promise to do me the honour to see me, pray come with full power to treat with me; and I do assure you, whatsoever is concluded betwixt us, shall be confirmed by the King and his R" Highness, why other agreements, I heare, are not. If you like not of pray take it not ill that I proceed in a way that will bring all your patent in quaestion.

it,

The Gentleman who brings you this letter is one of the Councell, and, as I find by him, a friend of your Colony; and will better cleare things

to you.

I have no more but that I shall be very gladde to shake hands with you, and that we may lay a foundation that we may allways live like good neighbours.

I am, S', with all respect,

Y' most affectionate & humble Serv*,
[THO. DONGAN.]

New York, Novemb' 5th, 1683.

For his Honoured Friend, Governor Treate.

Conn. Pub. Rec., 1678-1689, p. 329.

61

Commission of Delegates appointed by the General Assembly of Connecticut Nov. 14, 1683, to negotiate with Gov. Dongan of New-York respecting the boundary.

*

To the Honor,d Robert Treat, Esq! Gov., Maj. Nathan Gold, Capt. John Allyn Esq, assistants, & Mr. W Pitkin, Gentleman:

The General Assembly of his Majesties Colony of Connecticut at their present session the 14th day of Nov. 1683, do hereby nominate commissionate and fully empower as also desire you to take your first oppertunity to travel to the city of New-York where you are to visit the Hon Thomas Dongan Esq Gov' of his Royal highness the Duke of York his territories in America and to congratulate his honours safe arrival to New England and his highness territories and to manifest to him this courts grateful resentiment of his honours professions by his letters of his desire to be in good amity with us, and to assure his honor that we shall study and endeavor as we may by all good ways and means to show ourselves as amicable and serviceable to his Royal highness and his honour as we are capable of, and to that end we shall endeavour to remove all obstructions and do what is in our compass to settle and maintain a good & neighbourly correspondence with him for our mutual advantages,

Also whereas his honour hath been pleased in his letter to signify to us that he is not satisfied with the former stated bounds between this colony and his Royal highness's territories and hath moved for a treaty and settlement of what is or may be matter of difference between his highnesses claims and ours in that respect, You or any three of you are hereby fully commissionated and impowered to treat with his honour thereabout or such as he shall please to appoint, And if you shall see just reason to vary anything from the former settlement of the bounds between his Royal highnesses territories and his majesties Colony, by his majesties commissioners thereunto, by his majesty especially appointed and a committee from this Colony farther towards the east than was agreed on and hath been since approved by his majesty you have hereby full power and authority to do and agree therein with the said Governor Dongan, or those he shall appoint for a final issue and settlement according to your best judgment, provided that his majesty and his Royal highness approve of and confirm the same.

-[N. Y. Col. MSS., lxix, 8; as abridged in Sen. Doc., 1857, No. 165, p. 107; Conn. Col. Rec., 1678-1689, p. 134.

Instructions for the Hon. Robert Treat Esq., the worshipful Maj. Nathan Gold and Capt. John Allyn Assistants, and Mr. William Pitkin. Gentlemen - You are to take by order of this court our commission given to yourselves to congratulate the Hon. Col Thomas Dongan, Esq., Gov. of his highness the Duke of Yorkes Territories his safe arrival into these parts and to treat with him as therein mentioned as also an attested copy of the former settlement of our Westward bounds by his Majesties Commissioners with a copy of Col. Nicholls commission impowering him and the others with him thereunto, and of the commission of our committee that concluded with them, as also of his majestys gracious letter, wherein the same was confirmed with what other papers you may think necessary and as soon as God give you opportunity to get to New-York and there to visit the honorable Gov. Thomas Dongan and to salute and congratulate him according to your commission which you may show him and deliver him a copy of it if you see cause.

2d. As to your treating and concluding with about setling the bounds between that territory and this colony you shall not exceed his demands of twenty miles eastward from Hudson's River but get him to take up with as little as may be. 3d you are to see his power to treat and conclude or if that appears not to your satisfaction then you must treat and conclude conditionally and with this proviso, that his majesty and the Dukes highness shall please to ratify it. 4th As to the rise of our line at Mamaroneck you are to declare there could be no mistake between the Commissioners about that and therefore endeavour to hold that bound. 5th If you grant any part of the lands within any of the townships of this Colony you are to endeavour to reserve those lands to the towns propriety though as to jurisdiction they belong to his highness 6th You are to endeavour that the former line concluded on in all places shall take place unless it be where it is nearer Hudson's River than such a distance as you can agree on. 7th. You are to remember all along to make his honour sensible how firm and legal the former settlement was, and that our varying from it is to oblige his honour and promote a perpetual good correspondence between this his majestys colony and his royal highnesse's territories and the successive Governors of them both.

-[Idem.

[IN N. Y. COUNCIL.]

November 25th 1683.

*

The Governor of Connecticut M: Robert Treate M: John Allyn Secretary Major Nathan Gold & Mr Pitkin appearing to ascertain the Limitts of their Colony with this Government Capt M. Nicolls & M: John Lawrence affirmed that Governo! Nicolls said his Intention was when he treated wth Connecticut that the Line weh was to make the partition bounds was not to be within twenty Miles of Hudsons River & they had both often heard him say soe Cap! Youngs said he had heard often say that the Line was to be twenty Miles from Hudsons River & had been so agreed on in their Writings but that it was objected that the River being Crooked it Could not be Done & So it was agreed on to run the Line by a Point of the Compasse wh he thinks is the reason of the Mistakes after some Debates M: Robert Treate, the Governor M Allen &c withdrew & Staying about an Hower returned wth Proposi tions that what they should Act Should be Confirmed by his Ma & that there Should be consideration of the Settlements they had made. I Certify the aforegoing to be a true Copy of the Record remaining in the Secretary's Office of the State of New York Examined and Compared therewith October 6th 1785.

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By me ROBT HARPUR D. Secr

-[N. Y. Col. MSS., lxix, 9.

ARTICLES

Of Agreem', Concluded November the twenty eighth One thousand six hundred Eighty three Betwen the Right Honoble Coll Thomas Dongan Governour under his Roy" High: James Duke of Yorke Albany etc of New Yorke and its Dependencyes and the Councell and Robert Treat Esq' Governour of Connecticutt Major Nathan Gold Cap' John Allen Secretary and Mr William Pitkin, in Commission with him.

It is Agreed that the bounds Meares or Dividend between his Roy" High Territoryes or Province in America and the Collony of Connecticutt forever hereafter shall begin att A Certaine Brook or River called Byram Brooke or River which River is between the Towns of Rye and Grenwich, that is to say att the Mouth of the said Brooke where it falleth into the Sound at A Point Called L[yon's] Pointe which is the Eastward Point of Byram River And from th[e s]aid Point to goe as the said River Runneth to the place where the Common Road or Wadeing place over the said River is and from the said Road or Wadeing

place to goe North North West into the Country soe farr as will be Eight English Miles from the Aforesaid Lyon's point and that A Line of twelve M[illes being measured from the said Lyon's point according to the line or Gennerall Course of the sound Eastward where the said tw[elv]e Miles Endeth Another line shall be runn from the Sound Eight Miles into the Country North North West And alsoe that a fourth line be Runn that is to say from the Northmost end of the line first menconed unto the northmost end of the Eight mile line being the third Menconed line which fourth line with the first menconed Line shall be the bounds where they shall fall to runn And that from the Eastward End of the fourth menconed Line (which is to be twelve miles in Length) A Line Parralell to Hudsons River in every place twenty Miles Distant from Hudsons River shall bee the bounds there between the Said Territory or Province of New York and the said Collony of Connecticutt soe far as Connecticutt Collony Doth Extend Northwards that is to the South line of the Massachusetts Collony.

Only it is Provided that in Case the Line from Byrams Brooks Mouth North North West Eight Mile And the line that is thence to runn twelve Miles to the end of the third foremenconed line of Eight Miles Doe Diminish or take away any Land within twenty Myles of Hudsons River that then soe much as is in Land Diminished of twenty Miles from Hudsons River thereby shall be Added out of Connecticutt bounds unto the line aforemenconed Paralell to Hudson's River And twenty Miles Distant from it the Addition to be made the whole Length of the said Parralell line And in Such breadth as will make upp Quantity for Quantity what shall be Deminished as Aforesaid.

That what Arrearages are Due from the Towne of Rye to the Collony of Connecticutt for former yeares and the present yeares Rate shall be paid to Connecticutt.

That two Surveyors be Appointed the one from New Yorke and the Other from Connecticutt to make A Survey and Runn the beforemenconned Lines Partitions Limitts and bounds between his Roy" High Province of New Yorke And the Collony of Connecticutt and the Surveyors Are to meete att the towne of Standford on the first Wednesday of October next Ensueing And to be Directed by one of the Counsell and two more Commissionated from Each Goverm*.

That if it shall Please the Kings Majesty And his Roy" High" to Accept and Confirme these Articles they Shall be good to all Intents for ever between his Roy" High" and his heires and Assignes And the Corporacon of Connecticutt And their Successors and this Agreem' is to be in full force Power and Virtue from the Day of the Date hereof, IN WITNESSE whereof the Parties Above menconed have to these Presents Interchangeably Sett their Hands and Seales at forte James in New

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