this war, being obliged from their situation. They consist of about 300 fighting men. Their hunting consists of deer, beaver, and small furs. The Ottawas, Chipawas, Putawatemies, Melhominys or Shockeys.These nations are in a confederacy, something like the Six Nations. They live on the west side of Lake Erie. They consist of about 2000 fighting men; are not counted by the other nations good warriors. Their hunting is beaver, deer, elks, and small furs. They have three large towns in sight of Fort de Troit. Nottoweasies.-A nation called by the French, Le Lue Lue. They live on a river that runs parallel with the Mississippi. Their settlements extend down the river to a small lake called Sacrama, where the French have a trading house, and at this place only they trade with this great nation of Indians, which covers a country 2000 miles in length. Some Indians that have travelled that way, say they have above 100 towns, and not less than 10,000 men. They have no fire-arms; the French not being able, or perhaps not choosing to supply them. These are the people called Welsh Indians, are very fair, and speak quick. There seems also some more of this Welsh race called Ousasoys. Their chief hunting, beaver and small furs. Their country abounds with all sorts of game, which they kill as they want with bows and arrows. The skins they dress for clothing. Musquakees.-A nation living on the Mississippi. Formerly a great nation, but by a continued war with the French are much reduced. Supposed to be now 200 fighting men. They have some large towns. Their chief hunting is beaver and small fur. Sagasey.-A nation living lower down the river; the French; are now but about 200 fighting men. town. Their hunting is beaver and small furs. mostly cut off by They have but one mostly cut off by Webings. A nation living lower down the river; the French. They have but one town and about 200 fighting men. Their chief hunting beaver and small furs. Ousasoys.-A nation so called by the Ottawas; by the French le grand Lue; living on one of the branches of the Mississippi called White Creek. They have several large towns, and consist of about 4000 fighting men. Their chief hunting is bears, elk, beaver and small furs. Linways. A nation lying on the Mississippi; have four towns. Their nation consists of about 1000 fighting men. Their chief hunting is bears, elk, beaver, and small furs. Missurey-A nation living on the Mississippi opposite the Illinois country. They consist of about 400 fighting men; have but one town Their chief hunting bears, elk, beaver, and furs. Kecopos. A nation which lives about eighty miles on the other side of Fort de Troit; have three towns, about 600 fighting men. Their chief hunting bears, elk, beaver, and small furs. Deer are very plenty on the Lakes, but as the French do not purchase deer skins in the hair, deer are seldom killed except for provision, and to make shoes for their families. It results from the premises, that there are an aggregate of 23,400 fighting men of the Indian nations living to the westward of the Ohio, known to the English, as computed by themselves. It seems remarkable that no buffalo are mentioned as killed among any. XVI.-Biographical Memoir of the HON. CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary of the First Congress. BY JOHN F. WATSON. -His course had been On those high places, where the dazzling ray Of honor shines,-and when men's souls were tried He was born in Ireland, of respectable parentage. He had the misfortune to lose his mother when very young. When he was but ten years of age his father embarked with his remaining family to this country, but being sick all the passage, he expired in sight of our shores, and was cast into the ocean near the capes of Delaware, thus leaving Charles Thomson and his brothers orphans in a strange land, at the most helpless stage of life! Their father had indeed property enough to have excited the cupidity of the remorseless and unfeeling captain. To that cause Charles Thomson in after life imputed his unwillingness to be at the pains or expense of his interment on shore. Young and inexperienced as the children were, they believed he readily made out his own tale respecting their property, when he landed them at New Castle with but a small supply for the future. His early and unexpected exposure, so far from home and friends, perhaps quickened his efforts and sharpened his intellect, for he immediately manifested a capacity of mind and maturity of judgment far above his years. Perhaps in his extremity "God had taken him up," in answer to the expiring prayers of his departing father. What a soulrending scene it must have been, when the father had so to commit his children to the mercy of a people and a land he had never seen, and his own body to the deep. And what the feelings, too, of weeping children, receiving the last blessing of such a parent in such a forlorn extremity. The remembrance and recital of them were always affecting to Charles Thompson. "I stood (said he) by the bed-side of my expiring and much loved father, closed his eyes, and performed the last filial duties to him." The Captain, when arrived at New Castle, placed Charles Thomson in the house of his acquaintance, who was a blacksmith by occupation. While he tarried there he chanced one night to hear the smutched artificer relating to his wife how much he was pleased with his young inmate, much praising his activity and intelligence, &c., and concluding with a resolution to go the next day and take measures to have him indented to him as his apprentice. Charles Thomson, who had seen better life, and in whose mind was the germ of greater things, was speedily put to his expedients and resolves. He determined to elope! Behold, then, this future man of excellence, the future Secretary of Congress, &c., a lonely, friendless boy of ten years of age, carrying his little of clothing upon his shoulder, urging his way upon the high road "to a land he knew not whither!" It was, however, on the road to Wilmington. As the sun arose he was overtaken by a humane, inquisitive gentlewoman, who kindly, but without much motive, enquired where he trudged so early, &c. The lad at a loss how to answer, who had formed no plan for himself, and too ingenuous even then (before he even thought of being called "the man of truth,") to attempt to invent a lie, with much frankness and simplicity told her the escape he was attempting, and his actual friendless condition. The gentlewoman enquired what he thought he could do for a livelihood, that would be more agreeable to his feelings and views. He answered that he saw men of education useful to themselves and others, and he thought if he had the chance he could be successful in that way. The humane gentlewoman forthwith became his friend, and introduced him to the then best school in the colony, to wit: at Thunder Hill, where the Rev. Dr. Allison, a fine scholar, who was himself from Ireland, presided. Charles Thomson's elder brother was very kind to him while at this school, in helping him with funds, in gratitude for which, he in later life bought a farm in Delaware and presented to that brother as a gift. These are facts to be confided in, because I have heard them from time to time among the several members of his family. Charles Thomson told me while at that school, such was his ardor for knowledge, that having accidentally got hold of some loose leaves of the Spectator, by which he learnt its name and style, he so longed to possess the whole work, that he walked all night to Philadelphia on foot to buy it, and thence walked back in time to be no loser of his lessons in his class. After he was initiated into Greek, and was yet a young man, he told me he actually walked to Amboy and back again, to visit a British officer there, a perfect stranger to him, who was said to have been a fine Greek scholar. He told me that although he was then defective in that language, he was esteemed among the best scholars then in the city of Philadelphia, and for that reason was solicited by Dr. Franklin to become an assistant in the first Philadelphia Academy. His first passion for Greck literature was induced, as he told me, by a seeming accident. Passing an auction store he heard the crier proclaiming the sale of an "unknown outlandish book," he bid a trifle for it and got it. It proved to be a part of the Greek Septuagint. When he had mastered it enough to understand it, his anxiety was extreme to see the whole; but he could find no copy, until, strange to tell, in the interval of two years, passing the same store and looking in, he actually saw the remainder selling off, when he joyfully bought it at a few pence. I used to tell him the "Translation," which he made from that copy, (the first, I believe, in the English language,) should have been furnished with the story as a proper subject for its preface. For this great work, on which he occupied himself so many years, is strangely enough without any introduction or advertisement to the reader. It wanted something of the kind, and a hint to the common English reader that it was a book of great authority in biblical elucidation. His modesty kept him from giving any preface; and being offered for sale without any published commendations from others, it did not receive its meed of praise, nor its proper pecuniary reimbursement. Dr. Adam Clarke declares that no man can adequately understand the New Testament Scriptures who has not diligently read the Septuagint. It was a similar conception which made Mr. Thomson decline the proffered offices of President Washington, that he might give his days and nights to this his favourite study. For several years preceding the Revolution, he was actively concerned in iron works situated at Egg Harbor. I learn this fact from many receipts of his in my father's receipt book, for articles employed at those works. The public spirit and patriotism of Charles Thomson were elicited at an early period. As early as 1765 he was made Secretary to the Convention or Congress of Colonial Delegates, which met at New York, to deliberate on measures to be pursued concerning the Stamp Act, &c. The minutes of that body, and sundry subsequent papers I have seen in a folio book preserved by Mr. Thomson. For this service he was peculiarly qualified, by his integrity and intelligence, as well as by his readiness in short-hand writing, then a much rarer accomplishment than at present. His very acceptable services on that occasion, presented a ready introduction to his appointment as Secretary to the first Congress, held in Philadelphia in 1774. The manner of his engagement at that time was singular. He had then lately married Miss Harrison, (the heiress to the estate of Harriton, where he spent the remainder of his days, otium cum dignitate,) and coming to Philadelphia in his carriage with his wife, he had but just alighted when a message came to him from the President of Congress that he must see him immediately. He went, not conceiving what it could be for, and was told they wished him to take their minutes. He set to it as for a temporary affair, but, in fact, the service so commenced continued throughout the whole war. As no compensation was recieved for the first service, the Congress presented him with a silver urn, inscribed as their gift, and as a compliment to his lady for having so unexpectedly deprived her of the attentions of her husband. She was consulted to learn what the present should be, and she chose an urn. Mr. Thomson used jocularly to say he was at least half an Indian. This he said in allusion to his having been an adopted son into the Delaware tribe after the treaty at Easton, in 1756-8. The occasion was this: At that time he was invited by the Society of Friends, then and there to be present and take minutes for them in short hand. It was the proper business of the Rev. Mr. Peters, the Secretary of the Governor, to have done this, and he in fact did so act, but his minutes were so often disputed (in the reading of them) by the Indian chief Tadyuscung, that Mr. Thomson's unofficial minutes were called for, and they in the opinion of the Indians were so true, that they solemnly adopted him into their family, and gave him the name of "the man who tells the truth." It happened in process of time that Mr. Thomson forgot the orthography of his Indian name, and actually took occasion to write to the Rev. Mr. Heckewelder to furnish him with it. It was cumbrous enough, "Wegh-wu-law-mo-end." It is a little singular that this name from the Indians was, in substance, the same appelation universally given during the war to all the publications appearing under his signature. In a time of such general anxiety and inquiry, many reports were in circulation, but when they came sanctioned by his name, (as a Congressional paper,) it was usual to forget his official character and say "There comes the Truth!" He was, after the peace, much urged to write a history of the Revolution; and after the year 1789, (when he first went to dwell at Harriton,) he actually gathered many curious and valuable papers for that purpose. But after writing many pages, he at length resolved to destroy the whole, alleging as his reason that he was unwilling to blur the reputation of many families then rising into credit and esteem, whose progenitors must have had a bad reputation in his contemplated book. As Secretary of Congress at that eventful period, he possessed very much of that confidence, and that general intelligence respecting the secret machinery of government, which is now more properly the proper business of the Secretary of State. Never changing his office nor opportunities, as the members did who depended on their elections for their places, he became in time their common friend and common depositary of important state secrets and measures. From this cause we find John Jay, when Minister at Madrid, writing to him in April, 1781, saying, "I wish in my heart you were also Secretary of Foreign Affairs, I should then have better sources of information," &c. The same John Jay, in his letter to him of 19th July, 1783, from Passy, thus endeavours to incite him to the history before mentioned, saying, "When I consider that no person in the world is so perfectly acquainted with the rise, conduct, and conclusion of the American Revolution as yourself, I cannot but wish that you would devote one hour a day to giving posterity a true account of it, &c." Col. David Ramsay, too, the historian, in 1809, thus confirms that idea, saying, "He must earnestly beg him to bestow him some names before concealed:" and adds, "I suspect that your modesty has restrained you from doing justice to yourself in many services you have rendered the memorable cause of American liberty. It will give me pleasure to let the world know how much they are indebted to the Secretary of the Old Congress." Charles Thomson used to say in later life that he and the celebrated tory printer Rivington, of New York, had their mutual understanding. The latter had his price, and used to convey useful intelligence to the Secretary. He told Mrs. Logan that it was he who gave him an intimation of an intention to poison General Washington, whilst he was quartered on the North river. By Mr. Thomson's nephew I was told, that he said he was himself poisoned in his foot while there, and that he owed his recovery to the excellence of his constitution. He also told me that Mrs. Thomson, General Washington's house-hold manager at that place, used to taste all the food prepared for General W. while |