"Governor Shirley's Regiment will be at New York about the 15th Instant, and are without debarking to proceed to Albany; Sir William Pepperell's is not yet full nor do I imagine he will be able to compleat it in Time For this Summer's Service, as I am told it wants nigh four hundred, this will render Governor Shirley much weaker than he expected to be. I don't learn the State of the other Eastern Expeditions, but suppose the Letters I have the Honour to send You by this Conveyance will inform You of every thing that is doing.

"I am, Sir, Your Excellency's most obedient humble Servant, "ROBT H. MORRIS.

"Philadelphia, 12th June, 1755."

The Governor having received the following Examination of a French Deserter from the Governor of New York, the same was read and ordered to be enter'd as follows:

"Jean Silvestre of Nants in Britany, Trader, being examined says, that he arrived at Quebec about nine Years since, where he resided about Five Years and removed from thence to Montreal, where he lived four Years, which Place he left with his Wife the. 24th April last because the General would not give him Leave to trade as he had done formerly, but would oblige him to go to trade on the Ohio, where the Examinant apprehended he shou'd lose what he had. That the French in February last sent 250 Men to the Ohio, who went in Snow Shoes; about the 2d or 3d of April they sent 400 in large Battoes, who he supposes went on the North Side of the Lake, and the 16th April they sent from Montreal about 300 (whom he passed at La Gaulet, where the French have a Stone Fort with a Garrison of about 30 or 40 Men, which Place is about 35 Leagues above Montreal and 25 below Cataraqui), and that about 250 wintered at the three French Forts in that Country; Of all these there are not more than 300 Regulars, the rest being Inhabitants. The Men who went in the Winter had two Indian Guides, those who went afterwards had no Indians with them that he knows of, but that the four (Cachnewago) Indians who brought him up to Oswego told him that the Cachnewagos had offered the General to go to the Five Nations to endeavour to bring them over into the French Interest, to which the General agreed; that the Cachnewagos had invited the Abinekies of St. Francis to go with them on that Design, who had not come to any Conclusion upon it; That the French in Canada have Wheat enough till the next Harvest: That at Quebec and Montreal they had a sufficient Quantity of Ammunition, but that the out Forts were badly supplied; That in October last the Governor of Canada sent to Crown Point as many Men as would make up that Garrison 300, a Report then prevailing that the English intended to build Forts there, who were not returned when he came away, and that the French talked of sending

Forces to no other Part of the Country than Ohio; That the Troops. sent thither carried Six Pieces of Cannon, 3 & 4 Pounders; That about Four Years ago he was in the Fort at Crown Point, which is the best they have in Canada, and is capable of mounting 36 Guns, but knows not how many were mounted; That he arrived at Oswego the 6th May and stayed there 3 Days; That only one Ship of War of 34 Guns arrived at Quebec last Year and not any Soldiers; That he knows the Number of Troops in the Towns, and from the best Informations from the Officers of the Out Garrisons he thinks there may be about 2,100 Regular Troops in Canada; That the People of Canada are much oppressed and greatly discontented, the General taking two Men out of every House where there are three, and where there are two one of them; That those who went to the Ohio last Year are exempted from going this, And that the men the General raises he sends to the Ohio, De Troit, and other Places he judges proper. Being asked what number of men able to bear arms are in Canada, says that in Quebec there are about 700, at Trois Riviers 350, and at Montreal 600, and that there are 120 out Parishes containing one with another 150, making in all 19,650 Men able to bear Arms.

"A true copy of the Original taken before the Governor in Council at New York the 26th May, 1755.

"GEO. BANYOR, D. Cl. Con."

Captain Ord coming to Town with a Detachment of the Artillery Company from Nova Scotia, on his way to the Army now on their March to Fort Du Quesne, the Governor applied to the Speaker and to the Committee for Waggons for the Men and a Chaise for Captain Ord, as he was fatigued and hurt with his Voyage and Journey here and unable to ride on Horseback; and notwithstanding the consequence of such a Detachment to the King's Cause and the Reduction of Fort Du Quesne, the Governor could not prevail with the Committee to dispatch them, or to furnish necessary Carriages, so that he was obliged to hire a Chaise himself and to give Warrants for pressing carriages, which occasioned great Delay at a Time when the utmost Dispatch and Kindness was so necessary for the King's services.

A Petition of Watman Sipple was read in these words:

"To the Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania and the Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, upon Delaware."

The Petition of Watman Sipple of the County of Kent, upon Delaware, most humbly Sheweth:

"That whereas, your Petitioner upwards of Twenty Years ago did purchase a Tract or Parcel of Land and Meadow Ground comVOL. VI-22.

monly called Tappahannah, lying within the reputed Lines of the said County of Kent, of divers Persons who originally seated and improved the same under the Honourable the Proprietaries of this Province and the said Counties, and in their Right had been possessed thereof for many Years, during all which Time they had paid their Taxes in the said County of Kent; But your Petitioner apprehending that the Persons of whom he had so purchased had not taken the proper and Legal Steps to secure to themselves the Title of the said Land, did soon afterwards in his own Name obtain of the said Proprietaries of this Province divers Warrants for the same Land and had them regularly laid and located thereon. Your Petitioner further sheweth, that he at a great Expence hath improved the said Land, and hath continued in the quiet and uninterupted Posession thereof under his said Purchase and warrants until the second day of May last, when a certain Thomas Harris, of Queen Ann's County, as Bailiff of the Lord Proprietary of Maryland, under a false Pretence that the said Lands did of Right belong to the said Lord Proprietary, and that there were great Arrears of Rent due to him thereon to the Amount of Fifty-nine Pounds Two Shillings and Six Pence Sterling Money, did come to the Said Land and distrain one of your Petitioner's Negro men and thirty-one Head of his Cattle for the said pretended Rent, and and carried them away into the Province of Maryland, as may ap pear to your Honour by sundry affidavits and a Notice of Distress under the Hand of the said Thomas Harris herewith exhibited to You. To the End thereof that Peace and good Order may be preserved between the Inhabitants of the said Lower Counties on Delaware and the Province of Maryland, agreeable to his Majesty's Royal Order, until the Determination of the Dispute subsisting between the said Proprietors about the Bounds of their Respective Provinces, and that your Petitioner in the mean Time may be quieted in the Possession of the said Lands so long held under the Proprietor of this Province, and to the End also that the Tumults and Disorders which would probably arise and be committed in case your Petitioner should take Remedy for the above Injuries he has received by a legal Course of Procedure, he humbly prays your Honour's Interposition in the Premises, and that you will be pleased to administer to him such Relief and give him such Instructions therein as You in your Wisdom shall think proper and expedient; and your Petitioner as in duty bound will pray, &c.

"WATMAN SIPPLE. "Kent, upon Delaware, June the 8th, 1755."

And the Facts being prov'd by Depositions to the Satisfaction of the Governor and Council, a Draught of a Letter was prepared to Governor Sharpe and approv'd, and follows in these Words:

"Sir

"I send you inclosed the Copy of a Petition exhibited to me by

Watman Sipple, of Kent County, upon Delaware, complaining that Thomas Harris, of Queen Ann's County, as Bailiff of the Lord Proprietary of Maryland, had enter'd into a Tract of Land which was taken up above twenty Years ago under the Proprietors of this Province and the three Lower Counties on Delaware, and has ever since been peaceably held and enjoyed by him under the said Grant, and distrained on his Goods for a large Sum of Money pretended to be due to the Lord Baltimore for Arrears of Quit Rent. I am also informed that Anderson Brown, one of the Under Sheriffs of Dorsets County, with some Others, in February last came to the House of one James Anderson, who lived in the said County of Kent, upon Land taken under the Proprietors of Pennsylvania, and upon Anderson's refusing to pay him a Sum of Money which he demanded for his Levy, seized him in a violent Manner in order to carry him to Prison in the said County of Dorsets, whereupon Weapons were drawn and a Quarrel arose between the contending Parties which was near ending in Bloodshed. As it is the Mutual Interest of the Proprietors of both Provinces to preserve Peace and good Order among the Inhabitants that live near the Borders or reputed Line till the final Determination of the Dispute at present subsisting between them, and Practices of this sort may be attended with very fatal Consequences if they are not timely discouraged, and are Infractions of his Majesty's Royal Order in Council made for quieting Tumults and Disorders on or near the Borders, I doubt not but You will join with me in suppressing them, and give Orders that his Lordship's Officers proceed no further in the Cases that are the Subjects of the Complaints I have mentioned above.

"I am, Sir, your most humble Servant,

"To Governor SHARPE."

"ROBT. H. MORRIS.

A Letter of the second Instant from the Govornor of Virginia was read in these Words:

A Letter from Governor Dinwiddie to Governor Morris.

"Sir:

"VIRGA Williamsburg, June 2d, 1755.

"Your favour of the 2d Ult" I received, and am glad Mr. Shirley and Yourself had the Success in the Jerseys of having their Forces employed against Niagara, as S Wm. Pepperell's Regim was not compleated, & as that is an essential Piece of Service, and am heartily glad Col Schuyler takes the Com" of them.

"The Arms I promis'd them were safely delivered the 19th of last Month. I have supplied the General with 400 and New York with 800, so that I have left few in our Magazine, but as I have the Expedition so sincerely at Heart I was glad that I had those Arms to supply them, not doubting they will be duly replaced.

"Our Assembly now sitting I hope they will give a Vote for £10,000. I wou'd fain have it 20,000, but I am afraid they will not come into it from the Backwardness of our Neighbouring Colonies. The General wants Men to take Care of Fort Cumberland after he marches over the Allegheny Mountains; pray cannot you supply 50 or 60 Men. I shall send all I can. I find the want of Pasture and some Money has detained them so long at Fort Cumberland.

"Col Washington carried from this last Friday 4,000, so that I hope he will begin his March soon. I sincerely wish him Success. The Commodore is very well & now at Hampton, but I expect him here next Week.

"No Ships from England, wch makes me uneasy to know whether War is declared or not.

"I wish You Health & Happiness, & I am sincerely,

"Gov MORRIS."

"Sir, Your most obed" h'ble Serv
"ROBT DINWIDDIE.

John Shick Calamy having mention'd to the Governor "that People were beginning to settle to the Northward of the Albany Purchase," the following Letter was wrote and deliver'd to him:

"The Honble. Rob't. II. Morris, Esq'r., Lt. Governor, & Lica., &.ca:

"To our very good Friend John Shickealamy:

"I have laid your Complaint before the Council in weh. You set forth that sundry People have settled beyond the Line of the late Purchase made at Albany upon Lands not yet conveyed by the Six Nations, & it is determined that the Line shall be run that it may be known for certain where the Limit extend; & when this is done I will issue a Proclamation prohibiting all Persons from Settling to the North of that Line, and I hope this will have its Effects. You shall have Notice when the Line is run that you may be present & see all done right. If after this any shall presume to settle they will be punished.

"I am your Hearty Friend,

"ROBT. H. MORRIS."

And a Letter of the ninth Instant from Governor Sharpe was read as follows:

"Sir:

"Your Letters dated the 29th of May and 2d of June I have received, and also one from General Braddock much to the same Purport with that of which You sent me a Copy; a Duplicate was also sent to Governor Dinwiddie, which was laid before the Virginia Assembly that was then sitting; and he tells me they have