lived on a good Hunting Place and were in a manner only gone to hunt there, and their Relations at home received hitherto their Share of the Consideration or Presents for the Lands.

Onondago was thick with French praying Indians when I was there; cight or nine of them came to see me, and owned they came from Canada to see their Friends at Onondago, and behaved very civil to me. I was told by Tahashronchdioony the Chief, that all the Belts of Wampum belonging to the Publick from the several English Governors that remained unanswered at the Death of Canassatego, and found in his Possession, were by his orders burned with him. This the said Chief said to make Canassatogo a Thief after his Death; some imagine that his Widow and Family stole them. "CONRAD WEISER.

"The 10th of October, 1750."

A Letter from the Governor of New York, dated the 8th Instant, and Coll. Johnson's letter inclosed, were read and ordered to be enter'd:

A Letter from Governor Clinton to Governor Hamilton. "S":

"I now send you enclosed further Information which I have received from Coll. Johnson, relating to the Designs of the French; though the English Colonies be, beyond comparison, superior to the French in North America, both in Numbers and Money, yet as the Assemblies of the several Colonies do not act in concert, but pursue different Interests, the French may succeed in their designs to our prejudice by their being directed by one Council and pursuing steadily the same View.

"This I think deserves the serious Attention of all the Governors of the Colonies on the Main, and I shall gladly join with you and them in any Method which may prove effectual for uniting the Colonies in pursuing their general Interest, but I doubt whether this can be effected without an immediate Application to his Majesty for that purpose.

"I am, with great Respect, Sir, Your Honour's most obedient and very humble Servant.

"FORT GEORGE, 8th October, 1750."

"G. CLINTON.

Copy of a Letter to his Excellency Governor Clinton from Coll.

William Johnson.

"May it please your Excellency:

7625th, 1750.

"This is to acquaint your Excellency that the bearers hereof are

two Englishmen belonging to Pennsylvania Government, and as they were trading among the Indians of Ohio River last Summer as usual, were taken Prisoners by Seven Indians sent by the Commanding Officer of Detroit for said purpose, and by him detained ever since the beginning of last June; it plainly appears by all the Circumstances that he, the said Officer, sent the Indians to take or destroy what English Men they could meet, as the Indians told those young men so, and shewed them the Ammunition, Tobacco, &, which the said Officer gave them for their Journey, and when they brought said Prisoners to him he was very thankful and rewarded them well, which said Prisoners were Eye Witness to. He being relieved by another Officer, took those two Prisoners with him in order to bring them to Quebec, but they luckily made their Escape from him halfway between Niagara and Oswego, from whence they came to me quite in a miserable naked Condition. They say the French are making all the Preparations possible against the Spring to destroy some Nations of Indians very steadfast in our Interest, which if they succeed in will be of very bad Consequence; they met in the Lake ten or twelve large Battoes laden with Stores and Ammunition for said Purpose, with whom were several Officers, in particular two Sons of one of their Lieutenant Governors, whom I suppose to be Monsieur Longquilles' Sons. Certainly they have something in agitation which they want to put in Execution as soon as they can, having Accounts from several Hands lately which corroborate. Those two men say that the French at De Troit and thereabout have offered and given some Indians great Presents to go and take or destroy one Mr. Croghan and Lowry, two of the Chief Men who trade from Pennsylvania, and have the most Influence on all Indians living thereabouts of any that ever went among them, or in all likelihood ever may. Should they succeed therein it would certainly be a great step towards their gaining them Indians, who are as yet very strongly attached to the British Interest, and double the Number of the Five Nations. Moreover if the French go on so, there is no man can be safe in his own house, for I can at any time get an Indian to kill any Man for paying of him a small matter; their going on in that manner is worse than an open War. Jean Ceur, whom I mentioned to your Excellency some time ago is now gone among said Ohio Indians in order to spirit them up against the English. I wish he may meet with his proper Deserts. I hope your Excellency will pardon my troubling you with so long a Detail of this kind, but as I thought it my Duty to acquaint You of every thing may come to my Knowledge relating to the Service of the Province, hope you will excuse it, and believe me to be with all Sincerity and Esteem,

"Sir, Your Excellency's most obedient Servant.
"WILLIAM JOHNSON.

VOL. V.-31.

"P. S. I should have been to wait on your Excellency long ago, but was much out of order as was most of my Family, having eleven sick at once with a violent cold and sore Throat which raged here very much.

"NEW YORK."

"A true Copy Examin'd by

"GEO. BANYAR, D. Sec'ry."

The Examinations of Morris Turner and Ralph Kilgore were taken in Council, and being sworn to, were ordered to be enter'd as follows:

"These Examinants say that they are hired Servants of one John Frazier, of the County of Lancaster, in the Province of Pennsylvania, Indian Trader; that in May last they were trading for him among the Twightwees to whom they had sold a large quantity of Goods, and had received in Return mofe Skins than they could carry with their Horses at one time; that after having delivered one Parcel of their Skins at Allegheny, as they were returning for a Second with empty Horses, and were got within Twenty-Five Miles, as they think, of the Twightwee's Town, on the TwentySixth Day of May last, Seven Indians came into their Cabins a little before Sun-set, received Victuals from them, and dress'd and eat it, and behaved like Friends. That some time after their coming into the Cabin the Indians in the way of curiosity took up the Guns belonging to these Examinants and a Tomhock, and ask'd them for Knives to cut their Tobacco with, which as soon as they had given them they seized them and tied their Hands with Ropes, and told them they must carry them to their Fathers the French, and, accordingly, they took them along with them, pinioning them in the day and fast'ning them in the Night with Ropes to the Ground; that they did not go the direct Road to Fort De Troit, but went round about ways, for that they did not reach it in less than sixteen Days, though from the Place where they were taken it is not as they think above one hundred and fifty miles. That all the way they were very inquisitive about the Courses of the Road and of the Waters between the Twightwee Country and the Allegheny Towns, and made these Examinants draw Draughts of those Roads and Waters. That when they came about a mile from the Fort they unpinioned them and marched them into the Town called De Troit, consisting of one hundred and fifty Houses stockaded all round.

"That on their Arrival at the Town more Indians join'd them, when a Council was imediately convened by the Commander of the Fort, in which the Indians gave a formal Account of their taking these Examinants Prisoners, delivered them to the Commander in

Council, and received some Presents in reward of their Services, viz a ten gallon Cag of Brandy and about one hundred Pound Weight of Tobacco.

"That the Commander of the Fort sent them to a Farmer's House about a mile from the town, where they were made to reap Wheat and how Indian Corn, and work Country Work. That about six Days after they were placed there the Indians who took them came to see them, and treated them very contemptuously, flirting their Fingers against their Noses and saying they were Dogs, and they were going for more of them. That they remained in this Farmer's House about three Months, when there arrived a new Commander, one Monsieur Celeron, the same Officer who the Year before had commanded a Detachment of French Soldiers sent to Ohio with design to intimidate those Indians and the Twightwees.

"That about three Weeks before their leaving, the Farmer's House one of the Garrison Soldiers came to visit them along with two or three others who talked English. This Soldier told them that he was but just come to the Fort, having been taken Prisoner by the Catawbas, who carried him to Williamsburg, where he was treated very civilly and permitted to go home, and that he came through Philadelphia and New York, and was every where entertained much to his satisfaction; and hearing that there were two English Men Prisoners at that house he came to see them, and in Confidence told them that in the Spring an Army of Five Hundred French Men would march to Ohio, and either bring back the Shawanese and Owendats or kill them, and that they had offered One Thousand Dollars for the Scalps of George Croghan and James Lowry, imagining if they were taken off as they had great Influence with the Ohio Indians they could easily gain over those Indians to them.

"That the late Commander of the Fort departing for Canada, they were committed to his Care, and in fourteen Days arrived at Niagara, where they found one Jean Ceur, the Head Interpreter for the French at Quebec, conducting, as they were inform'd, a large Present of Goods to Ohio which lay upon the Bank, and which they believ'd if they were to be bought in Philadelphia could not cost less than Fifteen Hundred Pounds.

"These Examinants likewise saw at this Place eight or nine Batteaus laden with Bacon, Peas, and Flower, which they were told were to be stored in the Magazines at Fort De Troit for the use of the Spring Expedition.

"That somewhere between Niagara and Oswego, on Lake Frontiniac, these Examinants made their Escape in the night time, the Persons appointed for their Guard being asleep, and got safe to

the Fort of Oswego, and from thence came by New York to this Place.

.his

"MORRIS M T TURNER. mark.

"RALPH KILLGORE."

"Sworn before the Governor in Council.

"RICHARD PETERS, Secretary."

At a Council held at Philadelphia, Wednesday the 10th October, 1750.

PRESENT:

The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor.

Thomas Lawrence,

Benjamin Shoemaker,

Thomas Hopkinson,.

Samuel Hasell,
Joseph Turner, Esqrs.
Richard Peters,

The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approv'd. Six Members of Assembly waited on the Governor last night with a Message from the House, that pursuant to the Charter and Laws of the Province a Quorum of the Representatives had met and chose a Speaker, and desir'd to know when he wou'd be pleased to receive' them that they might present him. By the Appointment of the Governor the whole House came into the Council Chamber and presented Isaac Norris, Esquire, as their Speaker, Who, having made the Request for Privileges as usual, and received the Governor's Approbation and favourable Answer, they withdrew.

The Governor informed the Board that he had communicated the Intelligences relating to Indian Affairs to the Governments of Virginia and Maryland, with his earnest Request that they wou'd lay the same before their respective Assemblies, and recommend to them to consider the Contents thereof that such measures might be taken by their Colonies, either separately or in Conjunction with New York, as might prevent the Defection of the Indians, which was much to be apprehended.

The following Message drawn in order to be sent to the Assembly was read and approved:

"Gentlemen:

"In my Message of the eighth of August to the late Assembly, I mentioned the Apprehensions the Indians at Ohio were under from the Menaces of the French, who frequently threatned to attack them for adhering to their Friendship with Us; yet as no Hostilities had then been attempted I was in Hopes, from the Caution and Unani