of the Murders by you. You must be sensible that to see the Blood of our own People is aggravating and is sometimes of dangerous Consequence, if proper care be not taken by the wise men of the Place where it is shed. I must, therefore, charge you to make a strict enquiry what occasioned the Blood of my People, for you cannot expect, according to the Law of Nations, that I can treat with you on friendly terms till you have brought the Murderers to Justice. I have been informed that some of you said one of the persons killed was a Virginian, and this would not draw on you the anger of the Government of Pennsylvania, but I must tell you that to hurt or kill any of the Inhabitants of that Province will give us equal concern, equal offence, as if it was one who lived in my Government, we are all one People-there is no difference between us, and if any one be hurt all ought to resent it, and will do it you may depend upon it."

A String of Wampum.

The Governor then laid before the Board his Answer to the Message from the Twightwees or Miamis sent by Mr. Hugh Crawford, which is enter'd in the first part of this Minute.

"A Message from the Governor to the Twightwee Nation. "Brethren the Twightwees or Miamis :

"I have received Four Strings on Behalf of Four of your Nations by Mr. Hugh Crawford, and your Message purporting that a Number of French and French Indians came to your Towns last Summer, and by Perswasions and Presents, and when these were rejected by Menaces, endeavour'd to shake your friendship for us, but all to no purpose; and that you were determined to continue faithful to us and desired more traders may be sent with goods into your Country.

run.

"I have repeated the Message that you may know what was delivered to me by Mr. Crawford, and in answer I assure you, on behalf of this and the other English Governments, to whom I shall communicate your Message, that we have a grateful Sense of your Attachment to us, and desire our Alliance may be as strong as the strongest Mountain, and endure while the Sun shines and the Rivers I have proposed it to some of the best of our traders to carry on commerce with you, and to sell you their Goods at as easy a price as they can afford, and by all means to cultivate a good understanding with you, and they seem willing to do it; but as your towns are at a great distance from the Six Nations, and that several of your Tribes seem still to be firmly attached to the French, the traders cannot help expressing their apprehensions of the great danger their is in being intercepted either in their passage to or return from your country; and that unless some measures be concerted to preserve the road safe and commodious for their persons and effects it will not be possible to extend their Trade into countrys

so remote to any great degree. I mention this with the more earnestness as I have lately received information that two of our traders going from the Logs' Town to the Twightwees, about three hundred miles from the first place, were either killed, taken by the French or Indians, and that a Party of French Indians have killed fourteen of our people belonging to Carolina. I say our people, for the inhabitants of Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, this Province, and New York, are all one people, and if any be obstructed, robbed, or killed, all of us are equally affected, and must resent it alike. Some other stories are likewise told us, which if true make it evident that the road is by no means safe to travel.

"We give you four Strings of Wampum in acknowledgement of your professions, and thereby assure you that we desire to bind the chain of Friendship between us as firm as it can possibly be."

Here give a string of four rows of Wampum.

"Inasmuch as the road is insecure, and the traders make a difficulty of travelling in it while it is so, we give you this belt to remove out of it every thing that renders it dangerous."

Here a belt of Wampum of eight rows.

"There is a hearty inclination in the English Governments towards all the Twightwee Nations, and it would be a pleasure to them to have an opportunity of showing you the many advantages which would accrue to you from your alliance with the English. If I receive the answer from the other Governors time enough to send it this fall I will transmit it to you, if not you may expect it early in the Spring.

"PHILADELPHIA, 27th August, 1750."

At a Council held at Philadelphia, Monday, the 8th August, 1750.

PRESENT:

The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov

The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved. The Governor informed the Board that on the Receit of Mr. Peters' Report of the Proceedings against the Trespassers over the Hills, he had thought proper to write a Letter to the Justices of Cumberland County, commending them for their Zeal shewed on this occasion, and recomending it to them that the Recognizances which they had taken might punctually be put in execution against

all of the Trespassers which should incur the forfeiture, to the end that all persons might hereafter be deterr'd from such illegal and dangerous Settlements; And that in answer to his letter he had received one from the said Magistrates wrote at their Court held last week at Shippensburg, which with some Informations and Petitions he ordered to be read and enter'd:

A Letter from the Justices' of Cumberland County to the Governor. "CUMBERLAND, July 25th, 1750.

"Honoured Sir:

"Your favor of the 13th instant we have received with the Recognizances of the Trespassers on the unpurchased Lands. We shail proceed to return the Recognizances of such of them that have not removed agreeable to their Promises and Bonds. The Recognizances of such of them as have removed off the Lands we humbly judge it most prudent not to return. Inclosed we send you a letter which we received from the Inhabitants of the Great Cove-think it inexpedient for us to determine in a matter of such importance; but in the mean time we have written an answer to them, a Copy whereof we also send.

6

"We are credibly inform'd that Mr. Delany at last Court held at Frederick's Town, speaking of the Conduct of our Government towards the Trespassers on the uupurchased Lands to the Northward of the Kittochtinny Hills, said in Public Company that if the people of the Great and little Coves would apply to Maryland they might have Warrants for their Lands, and if those of the Tuscoraro Path Valley would apply to Virginia he did not doubt but they might obtain Rights there.' We are determined to take the Depositions of those who give us such like Informations for the future. Whatever is our duty to do in this or any other publick affair we huribly assure your Honour we shall always be ready to do to the best of our knowledge. We wait for instructions in these difficult matters, and in the mean time beg leave to subscribe ourselves "Your Honour's most obedient and most humble Servant, "SAM SMITH.

Copy of the unsign'd Paper mention'd in the above Letter.

"To whom it may concern-this from the Inhabitants of the Great Cove: This is to acquaint your Honours the great difficulty that we labour under, as we always was subject to the Government of Pennsylvania and their Laws, and desired to live so, and put ourselves under your mercies by complying to your Authorities. Will. Shepherd was in Maryland and got a Warrant for one hundred

Acres of Land in the little Cove, and was urged to take a Warrant for his Place in the Big Cove, and might have Warrants for all the Inhabitants there, and six Years to pay the purchase of said Land on easy terms. It is our desire to make our redress to your Honours for your directions what we shall do as speedily as possible, for if we do not comply with Maryland Offers we are afraid that some of their Gentlemen will soon deprive us of any Privilege in either Province. We hope your Honours will consider our Case and send us an Answer. From your distressed Friends and humble Servants.

"GREAT COVE, July the 21st, 1750.

"To SAMUEL SMITH, Esquire, and his Brethren."

Copy of the letter sent by the Justices of Cumberland County to the Inhabitants of the Great Cove in answer to their unsign'd Paper.

"Gentlemen:

"CUMBERLAND, July 25th, 1750.

"We receiv'd yours of the 21st instant, to which we cannot give you a full answer, because your case lies properly before our Government and our Honourable Proprietarie's Commissioners of Property, and not before us. We have, therefore, sent your letter to our Governor, and when his answer comes to us we shall communicate it to you. As you declare in your Petition that you have heretofore been subject to the Laws of this Province, and claim the Benefits and Privileges of our good Constitution for the future, all which we think you have a right to, and as we are sensible you are settled to the Northward of the Temporary Line, we make no doubt but the Governor, considering your Petition, will be of our opinion; and in the mean time any Services in our power you may expect from,

"Gentlemen, your assured Friends.

"To the Inhabitants of the Big Cove, In Pennsylvania."

"The Petition of the Settlers of the Little Cove on the Temporary Line,

"To the Honourable Thomas Penn and Richard Penn, Esquires, true and absolute Proprietaries of the Province of Pennsylvania, &ca

"The Petition of the Subscribers, Inhabitants of small Tracts of Land situate Westward of the Kittochtinny or Blue Hills, at a Place known by the Name of the Little Cove and Conolloway's Creek, humbly sheweth:

"Whereas, sundry Inhabitants of the Province of Maryland (some

of 'em vested with Authority) divers times within these three Years past have attempted to survey and take possession of the aforesaid Tracts, being at or near where the Temporary Line when extended will run, as we believe; We, therefore, willing to live under the Protection of the good Constitution and Government of the Province of Pennsylvania, have hitherto prevented the various Attempts of the People of Maryland, and have presumed to seat ourselves, and have made small improvements on the said Lands.

"As we have done this purely to defend it from the People of Maryland, and not in Contempt of the Laws of the Province of Pennsylvania nor the Governor's Proclamation, we humbly pray that we may be permitted to live on our respective Improvements at least untill the Temporary Line shall be extended.

"And your Petitioners shall pray, &c.

After this the Governor order'd to be read the Draught of what he proposed to say to the Assembly, who by their Adjournment were to meet to day, and desired that if they could think of any thing else necessary to be said they would mention it, but no Member offering any thing it was order'd to be transcribed fair and delivered to the House to-morrow.

A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.

"Gentlemen:

"Finding that the Proclamation which I issued last Summer on the Complaints of the Deputies of the Six Nations against such as had presumed to settle on their unpurchased Lands had no Effect, I thought it dangerous to suffer any longer such an open Contempt of the Authority of Government, and therefore gave orders that