sioners from Albany to lay before You my Instructions to them, & their Report of the Treaty held with the Indians of the Six Nations at that Place, and I make no doubt but their Conduct will be as satisfactory to You as it is to me. You will observe by the last Article of these Instructions that had I been at liberty to follow my own Judgment, and been secured of Fund for supplying those Nations with Arms, Ammunition, and other Necessaries for acting offensively against the French, I should, in conjunction with y Neighbouring Governments, have urged them to an immediate Declaration of War as the only means, in my opinion, of securing their fidelity to His Majesty; for as it seems next to impossible for them to maintain their Neutrality much longer, if they are not speedily engaged by His Majestie's Colonies, their own security will oblige them to join with the Enemy. Besides, it is certainly the reverse of good Policy to indulge our Indians in a Neutrality after the French have compelled their's to take up the Hatchet; it is giving the Enemy an Advantage which they have already made use of, and will continue so to do to the Destruction of the Inhabitants upon the Frontiers of the several Provinces. Before I quit this Subject I must acquaint You, that by a Letter received since your last Meeting from the Governor of Virginia, I am informed that the Catawbas have refused to come to Philadelphia, as being too distant from their Country, and have declared that they will not regard any propositions made to them by the Six Nations, without first receiving a Token from them, attested by the Marks of some of their Sachims; and that from hence it is concluded any farther Endeavours to reconcile them will be ineffectual. As this Mediation was set on foot at the desire of Governor Gooch, was to be carried on at the Expence of his Government, and has since been declined by him for the reasons before mentioned, I forthwith took the properest Measures to make the Six Nations acquainted with the Catawbas' Resolutions, that their Deputies might be prevented from coming hither in the Spring, as well to save them the trouble of a fruitless Journey as us the Expence of maintaining them for some time here, & of making them a Present at their departure. There will probably be too frequent Occasions, during the continuance of the War, for Expences of this kind.

"You will observe from the Information transmitted by the Governor of New York that preparations have been making by the French & their Indians upon a Branch of the River Mississippi, for an Attack upon the back parts of this & some of the Neighbouring Colonies. Although there shou'd be no real foundation for this Account, it is not improbable that something will be attempted upon Us this Winter by the Enemy, since Chartier is gone over to them with a considerable Party of the Shawnese, who is well acquainted with the back parts of this Province, knows the defenceless Condition of the Inhabitants, & is of a savage, treacherous Disposition. This & some other Circumstances consider'd, I forthwith Dispatched a Messenger with

Circular Letters to the Officers appointed for a Militia in Lancaster County, with Orders to them to be upon their Guard, and to make the best preparations they cou'd for their Defence, enjoining them at the same time to be very careful not to do any injury to the Indians in Amity with us, or to molest them in their hunting. I likewise sent Directions to Mr. Weiser to employ some of the Delaware Indians at Shamokin as Scouts to watch the Enemy's Motions, and to engage the whole Body of Indians there to harrass them in their March, in case they should attempt any thing against us, and afterwards to join our remote Inhabitants for their mutual Defence. These measures appeared to me so absolutely necessary that I could not doubt of your enabling me to defray any Expence that may attend them.

"The last Post brought me a Letter from Admiral Warren, dated at Louisbourgh the Twenty-sixth of November, in which he advises me that no Ships were then arrived from Britain, and that as it is probable the Regiments expected from Giberalter will be forced to Leeward Islands by the severity of the Season, and not arrive at Louisbourgh in time for its Defence against the Preparations which he hears are making in Canada to attack it early in the Spring, and even then be perhaps extremely weaken'd by Sickness and other Accidents, he calls upon me, agreable to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle's Letter, formerly laid before You, to raise a number of Men for the Defence of that Important Acquisition, and to send them with a quantity of Provisions sufficient for their Support there by the middle of March next. He further informs me that he thinks himself authorized, in conjunction with Sir William Pepperill, to draw Bills for defraying the Expence, and has sent me an Extract of the Duke of Newcastle's Letter to that purpose; but as no Bills have been remitted to me for this Service, nor Officers sent to raise the Men, I must apply to You, and I doubt not but it will be a Service very acceptable to His Majesty, for an advance of so much of the Publick Money as will be necessary for paying, victualling, & transporting as many Men as can be raised in so short a Time, and for rewarding such Officers as shall be commissioned to raise and to conduct them to Louisbourg, since no commissions granted by me can intitle them to any Command in that Garrison, or elsewhere out of this Government.

"I need not tell You that the last Vessels from Europe confirmed the Account that a most unnatural Rebellion had broke out, and was then carrying on in Scotland, in favour of a Popish Pretender, supported by France and Spain. At this Distance we can only pray that the Great God of Battles will grant Success to His Majestie's Arms, and that he will confound the Devices of His & our Enemies, open and concealed. I trust that, through the favour of Heaven and the Justice of His Majestie's Cause, we shall soon have an opportunity of offering our Congratulations upon an Event so desira

ble by Protestants of all Denominations, as well as by all that are for preserving the Freedom and Independency of their Country.

"Having mentioned everything to You of a Publick Concern that occurr'd to me, I have only to assure You that whatever shall be laid before me for the Welfare of this Province, will meet with a favorable Reception and as much Dispatch as the Nature of the Business will admit of.

"January 8th, 1745."

"GEO. THOMAS.

AN ACCOUNT OF THE TREATY

Held at the City of Albany, in the Province of New York, By his Excellency the Governor of that Province, and the Honourable the Commissioners for the Provinces of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, with the Indians of the Six Nations, in October, 1745.

"To the Honourable GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., with the King's Royal Approbation Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania, and Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, on Dela-ware, under the Honoble. John Penn, Thomas Penn, and Richard Penn, Esqrs., true and absolute Proprietaries of the said Province and Counties:

"May it please the Governor:

"Having been honoured with a Commission authorizing us, the Subscribers, in Conjunction with the Governors of the Neighbouring Colonies or their Delegates, or seperately, to treat with the Indians of the Six United Nations at Albany in October last, we think it our Duty to render an Account of our Conduct therein, which be pleased to receive as follows:

"The next Day after the Receipt of the Commission, that is, on the Twenty-seventh Day of September last, we set out for Albany, where we arrived on the third of October following. On the Fourth of October, the Day appointed to treat with the Indians, pursuant to the Instructions given us, we waited on the Governor of New York, acquainted him with our Appointment and shewed him the Commission by which we were impowered to treat.

"The Governor desir'd his Secretary might take a Copy of it, to which we consented. The Indians of Five of the Six United Nations, in number about Four hundred and sixty, arrived the same Day, none of them Senecas, it being, as we were inform'd, a time of great Sickness and Mortality among them, which prevented their coming.

"But the Commissioners from the Massachusetts not being come, the Treaty was deferr'd until their Arrival. Two Days after, being

the Sixth of October, in the Evening we received a Message 'from the Governor of New York, by his Secretary, desiring to know of Us at what time we would confer with a Committee of his Council either alone or with the Commissioners of the other Colonies, all then arrived, viz. :

Stanley.

For the Massachusetts.

Jacob Wendal, Esqr., a Member of the Council.

John Stoddard,

Samuel Wells,

Thomas Hutchinson,

Esqrs., Members of Assembly.

For Connecticut Colony.

Wolcot, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor, and Col.

"We agreed to return our Answer to his Message in the Morning.

"Accordingly in the Morning we returned our answer by James Read, that we would meet the Committee of Council at a Quarter after Ten that Day, and chose to have our first Conference with them only. About the time appointed we went, but the Commissioners from the other Colonies coming into the Room soon after, deprived us of the separate Conference proposed. Being all thus met, the Gentlemen of the Council, to wit, Daniel Horsmanden and Joseph Murray, Esqrs., let us know they were appointed by the Governor of New York a Committee to confer with us concerning the Treaty which was to ensue, that their Governor desired to be inform'd of our Sentiments, whether we were inclinable to speak to the Indians of the United Nations seperately, or whether we thought a joint Speech to be delivered on behalf of all the Colonies might be best, either indifferent to him.

"The Commissioners from New England declared their opinions for a joint Speech, as what would show our Union, and consequently have the greater weight with the Indians. On the part of Pennsylvania it was objected that we had divers Matters in Charge which related to our own Government only, which would be improper in such a joint Speech, and perhaps it might be the case of other of the Colonies: That such a joint Speech would require much time in forming, and with Difficulty, if at all likely, to be agreed on.

"But it was replied this would be the best judged of when the heads of such joint speech were read; & the Committe of Council producing what they prepared to this purpose, it was agreed to be read. On reading of which, we observed that it mentioned a Complaint against the Eastern Indians for Killing some white People, and therefore among other things proposed the Indians of the Six United Nations should be put on Declaring War against the Eastern Indians, and to assure them that the several Colonies would support

them in it. To this Article it was objected, on the part of Pennsylvania, that it was necessary the Legislature of each Government should be consulted before the Indians were put on Declaring of War; That it would be very mischevious to all the Colonies, as it would be a means of drawing the War nearer on their Borders; That the Indians did not seem disposed to enter into a War with each other, but rather to remain Neutral; That in this Disposition little better could be expected from them than what was remarked to be the case in the last War, when the Indians of opposite Parties passed each other without Fighting, and only Scalped the white People; That as to the People who had been killed the Indians might be put on demanding Satisfaction, and might possibly obtain it and prevent the Cause of War; or if they were put on Declaring of War, at least Care should be first taken to provide them with the Requisites necessary for defending themselves and carrying on such War, without which it would in Effect be a betraying them. What Provision was made by the Government of New York the Gentlemen of the Council best knew. In Pennsylvania we knew no Provision was made for them; That, therefore, if this Article was inserted in the Speech proposed, we must insist on Treating seperately. To the Proposal for putting the Indians of the Six United Nations on demanding Satisfaction, one of the Commissioners of the Massachusets answer'd, That Proposal ought to come on the part of the Indians, for that if no more was proposed to them on the behalf of the Governments than that they shou'd demand Satisfaction for the Injury done, they would offer some thing yet less. At length it was agreed all the other Governments, Pennsylvania excepted, should treat jointly, and we were desired to be assistant in their joint Treaty so far as we judged fit.

"A Committee was then named to prepare the joint Speech to be delivered by the Governor of New York. When it was prepared we were to meet again to consider the same.

"It was two Days after this before the Speech was ready; and in the mean time the Governor and Council of New York made Inquiry concerning the Alarm which happened the last Winter among the Mohawks, occasioned by a Report spread amongst them that the English were coming to cutt them off. To this purpose the Governor of New York sent for the Mohawks, and let them know that the String of Wampum which had been sent him by them, not to make any further Enquiry concerning that Affair, he could not accept of; that it was necessary the Authors of this false Rumour should be known and punished; and therefore he insisted they would discover all they knew concerning the Authors; and if they had any other cause of uneasiness, to communicate it to him; And thereupon he delivered back the String of Wampum sent him. The Mohawks agreed to return their Answer the next Day. Some of the Mohawks accordingly attended the Governor of New-York