and do find Corlear to be a good brother to us, therefore did not delay.

I shall speak first of the Seales; We know the ffrench by their Coats and the other Christians by their habitts & if we should take their goods from them, it would create trouble or warre & therefor deliver the same againe.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM GOVR DONGAN TO M. DE DENONVILLE, DATED 31 OCTOBR 1687.

[Lond. Doc. VI.]

Sir, I doe not take the King my Master's right to the five nations on this side of the lake from Mons de la Barr, but from our records which demonstrates that these five nations has been in a free and brotherly correspondence from the first Settlement of this towne, and further they have submitted themselves, there country and conquests to the Dutch in their time and to the Kinge of England since this Colonie came under His Majesties obedience, so that the King haveing given a Pattent to M Wm Penn of a tract of land in which there conquest land uppon the Susquehana River was included in the grant, Since all this they came to me in the presents of the Lord Effingham now Gov of Virginia presentinge two dorst [dressed?] Deerskins desiringe me to send them to the Kinge that a red broade seale might bee affixed to them, that, that part of Susquehanna river might be an exed to this Collony haveinge some of their friends livinge there.

THE HUMBLE ADDRESS

OF THE GOVERNOUR AND COUNCILL OF YOUR MAJESTY'S PROUINCE OF NEW YORKE AND DEPENDENCYS. [6 Aug. 1691.]

[Lond. Doc. VIII.]

Most Gracious Sovereigne

May it please Yo! Most Excell Majt

There being nothing so dear unto us as the prosperity of your Majesty the increase of your empire and the safety of your

people planted in these remote parts of America, We therefore in all humble manner find it is our duty to represent unto your most sacred Majesty the State and Condicon of this your Majesty's Province, that by a view thereof our Majesty may be truely informed of the advantages accruing to your Majesty and also of the great detriment and prejudice that threatens your Majesty's interest by the pretences of our Neighbours and the strength of the French your Majesty's declared enemys.

Therefore Most Excel Sovereigné

This your Majtys Province was first settled and planted in the year of our Lord 1619. by the States Generall of the United Provinces, who did extend the line of their dominion from this your Majesty's Citty of New Yorke to the Eastward so farr as Connecticut River and to the Westward along the Coast beyond the Delaware River, and to the Northward up Hudson's River so farr as Schenetady and from thence to the Lakes of Canada, and from thence to the Westward so farr as the Sinnekes land or the Indian hunting reacheth. Since which time in the year of our Lord 1664. King Charles the Second did subdue and reduce to the allegiance of Your Majesty's Crowne all the Inhabitants and Territorys within the limitts aforesaid; all which was granted by King Charles the Second unto His Royal Highness James Duke of Yorke in the same year together with the governm of all that tract of land to the Westward of Delaware River unto Maryland.

His Royal Highness was pleased out of the premises to grant a certain tract of land unto the Right Honorable John Lord Barclay and Sir George Carterett limited and bounded by Hudson and Delaware Rivers, as per the Deed of Conveyance relation being thereunto had may more fully appeare; the remaining part continued in His Royall Highnesses possession untill the yeare of our Lord 1682, William Penn procured a Pattent from King Charles the Second for land to the Westward of Delaware River, now called Pensilvania, as per said pattent doth more largely

appeare.

His Royall Highness was also pleased to grant unto the said William Penn, New Castle upon Delaware River and twelve

miles round about and afterwards he made another grant unto him of all the land to the Southward of New Castle.

Now, may it please your Majesty, all that been reserved out of the Territorys and dominion aforesaid is only Long Island and some other small Islands adjacent, New York, Zopus, Albany and the limitts thereof; for the preserving of which the Crowne hath been at great charge, and for the support of your Majties governm' there is now in Generall Assembly a revenue established upon the trade thereof which is managed in manner following.

New Yorke is the Metropolis, is scituate upon a barren island bounded by Hudson's River and the East River that runs into the Sound, and hath nothing to support it but trade, which chiefly flows from flower and bread they make of the Corne the West end of Long Island and Zopus produceth; which is sent to the West Indies, and there is brought in returne from thence amongst other things a liquor called Rumm, the duty whereof considerably encreaseth your Majesties revenue.

Zopus is a place upon Hudson's River, 80 miles distant from New Yorke; consists of five small towns whose inhabitants manage husbandry and have not above 3000 acres of manureable land; all the rest being hills and mountains, not possible to be cultivated.

Albany lyes upon the same River distant from New Yorke 144 miles, only settled for Indian trade; its commerce extends itself as far as the Lakes of Canada and the Sinnekes Country in which is the Susquehannah River; their chiefe dependance is upon their traffick with the 5 Nations called Sinnekes Cayeugoes Ọneydes Onondages and Maquase; which Indians in the time of the Dutch did surrender themselves and their lands to the obedience & protecôn of Albany, and upon that place's reduccôn to your Majesties Crowne of England they continued confirming the same successively to all the Governours of this Province, and hath now ratifyed and confirmed the same unto your Majesty; so that all that tract of land from the Westermost extent of the Sinnekes Country unto Albany hath been appropriated and did absolutely belong unto the Inhabitants of Albany, upwards of fourty yeares; The Indian inhabitants have always reckoned themselves subjects

to your Majesties Crowne, and are not willing to submitt or have any trade or Commerce with any of your Majesty's subjects but those att Albany, your Majesty's forts of New Yorke and Albany had always an absolute dominion over all the Indian Nations adjacent to this Province but especially of all those to the Westward; and they were accustomed annually to bring tribute to your Majesty's forts, acknowledging the same, but of late years the neighbouring Collonys have obstructed them which we conceive highly injurious to your Majesty's interest and that this royalty is not conveyed by any of the afore recited grants.

Long Island is pleasantly scituated and well planted but brings little gain unto your Majesty, the East end being chieffy settled by New England people who have erected five towns. Their improvements are most in pasturage and whaleing. What is produced from their industry is frequently carried to Boston and notwithstanding of the many strict rules and laws made to confine them to this place they interlope that the revenue there is not able to defray the expence of looking after it. The middle of the Island [is] altogether barren; the West end chiefly employed in tillage, which in a great measure supplys the traffiq of New Yorke

All the rest of the Province, West Chester, Staten Island and Martin's Vineyard excepted, consist of barren mountains hills not improveable by humane industry.

Now May it please Your Majty:

The revenue that is established in this Province is in such a nature that if the encroachmts and pretences of our neighbours be removed, it will not only be sufficient to defray the charge of your Majties Governmt but also bring in profitt into your Majties Coffers.

East Jersey is scituate on Hudsons River over against Long Island Staten Island and New York, and they pretend by the aforementioned grant to be a free place and to have free ports to trade as they please, which if admitted must certainly destroy yo Majties interest and revenue here; for what merchant will come to New York and trade and pay to yor Majty 2 and 10 p cent with the excise and yor Majties duties settled here, if they can at

2 or 3 miles distance over against the same place go and be free from any duty or imposition whatever.

Conneticutt lyes to the eastward of us & pretends to the like freedome as East Jersey, and doth in the same degree threaten yr Majestys interest with the like inconveniency and prejudice. Therefore may it please our Majty if Connecticutt East and West Jersey be not annexed to your Majesty's Government of this Province it will be alltogether impossible to raise such a revenue to yor Majesty here as will be sufficient to defray the charge of the government, and the annexing thereof cannot be injurious to the proprietors, but on the contrary advantageous to them, for it will ease them of the charge of governmt which hath allways exceeded the quitt Rents accrueing to them; wheras if they were annexed the profits would be freed from that charge, retain their propertys and putt the Quitt Rents clear in their pocquets.

These inconveniences of Connecticutt East and West Jersey are not only prejudiciall to yo" Majys intrest, but also the pretences of William Penn Esq to the 3 lower Countys on Delaware River and to the Susquehanna River are equally if not more injurious to your Majty and particularly in this respect Susquehanna River is scituate in the middle of the Sinnekes Country which they gave unto your Majesty's Crowne and hath belonged as an appendix to this your Majties Governmt many years before Mr Penn had his pattent." Notwithstanding thereof Mr Penn endevors to disturb your Majesty in the peaceable and quiett possession of the premises; endeavoring to tempt the Indians to sell it again to him, by that means not only to dispossess your Majesty of your antient rights, but also to pervert and draw away the trade of the Indians to his Province; which will be an irreparable loss to your Majesty, all the Nations with whom Albany hath their trade liveing at the head of Susquehanna River. So the revenue of 10 pr Cent, the impost upon powder, lead, alumn and furrs, quite lost, and if Mr Penn should attain his pretences to the Susquehanna River, it will not only destroy the best branch of your Majties revenue, but it will likewise depopulate your Province, the inhabitants of Albany haveing only seated themselves there and addicted their minds to the Indian language and the misteries of the said trade with purpose to