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1777- had one the last Auguft at the German Flatts; when Adam, an Oghuaga Sachem, made mention of the line that was fettled between the Indians and whites at the treaty at Fort Stanwix; and observed, that by the agreement the whites were not to encroach upon their lands; but that of late fome of the white people had made encroachments by furveying their hunting grounds, close up to their habitations. He defired the commiffioners to confider it, and hoped for redrefs. They affured the Indians, that the great council at Philadelphia would effectually put a stop to fuch wicked practices, and punifh every person that fhould offend against their orders. "If any perfons (fay they) fhall come upon your lands, we defire you will immediately bring them to the minifter, that he may write down their names and inform us of it, and then we fhall immediately proceed against them. Brothers, you may all rest assured, that no white people will be fuffered to pass the line fettled at Fort Stanwix; for although that agreement was made with the king, yet as you are fatisfied with it, we fhall take care that it is complied with." Since then, fome of the Indians have complained of a number of people, who have gone over the line, and fettled on the west branch of the Susquehanna, contrary to the Fort Stanwix treaty; and threatened they would not fuffer them to ftay. The people have not any legal claim to the ground in the opinion of the commiffioners; who fuppofe that col. Butler, upon coming to Niagara, feized upon this affair as a fit inftrument to foment a difference. But the difference, it is hoped, will be prevented by a late treaty at Easton, which ended February the fixth to mutual fatisfaction. The commiffioners fay, "We remember

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the agreement at Fort Stanwix. Our people ought not 1777 to have bought, and your people not to have fold lands contrary to the former agreement. We blame both. We will tell this matter to congrefs, who will inquire, and not fuffer the old agreement, to be broken by any of their people. They will call the intruders back, and do ftrict juftice to both fides." The Indians feemingly mean to adhere fteadily to their engagements of neutrality; and abfolutely protest against either the enemy marching through their country by way of Niagara, to attack the united states; or the army of the latter marching that way to attack their enemy.

The Americans were not in readiness to begin their naval hoftilities at a diftance from their own coafts till late in the last year. That circumftance however, was of no great difadvantage, by reafon of an unexpected .occurrence. The discovery of an intended confpiracy among the negroes of Jamaica, detained the fleet till af ter the customary time of failing. Through this detention, it failed at a feafon that was accompanied with much tempeftuous weather, which fcattered the fhips, and exposed them to fuch American cruifers, as lay in wait for them in the latitudes through which they were to pass in their voyage homeward. The confequence was, that many of them were taken by the American privateers. The trade from the other iflands fuffered proportionably; fo that by the close of the year, the Britifh lofs in captures, exclufive of tranfports and government ftore-fhips, was confiderably higher than a million fterling. The privateers were at no difficulty as to the -difpofal of their prizes. The ports of France and Spain, efpecially the first, were open to them, both in Europe,

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and in their American dominions. In the last the captors fold them openly, without any colour of disguise. On remonftrances from the British court, a little more decorum was obferved in Europe, and a check given to the avowed fale of them; for a while they were obliged to quit the harbours, and were purchased at the entrance, or in the offing. But in the Weft India Islands the real inclinations of the French were undisguised. They not only purchased the prizes as faft as they could be brought into port: they moreover fitted out privateers, under American colours and commiffions, and with a few American feamen on board (at times probably not any) carried on a war upon the British commerce.

Though many have been the captures made by the fhips and armed veffels of the British navy, they have not counterbalanced, either in number or value, thofe taken by the Americans from Great Britain. Several of them indeed were laden with flour, and other articles for the trade of the Weft Indies; and fo proved a timely relief to the British islands, which were fuffering much, through the deprivation they lay under, of thofe various fupplies with which they had been before furnished from the American continent.

The ministerialists at New York will undoubtedly amufe the nation with accounts of the thousands, who have formed themselves into military corps under the aufpices of gen. Sir William Howe, as he is now to be ftiled from the honor conferred upon him, for his fuccefs on Long Island. But when the campaign comes to be opened by Sir William, you will find that they are reduced to hundreds; and that the acquifition of ftrength derived from the country, whatever flattering

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appearance it may have upon paper, is no wife answerable to the report. Gov. Tryon may parade in black and white before lord George Germain, with his two thousand nine hundred and feventy inhabitants of New York, who have qualified by taking an oath of allegi ance and fidelity to his majefty. By the aid of the mayor, he may increase them to three thousand and twenty. He may add those attested on Staten island and elsewhere, and make the whole amount to five thousand fix hundred men. He may alfo tell of the loyal inhabitants of Queen's county, who have received eight hundred stand of arms, with demonftrations of joy, and with a professed refolution to use them in defence of the island *. But the fervice they will be of to government, in the great American contest, will be next to nought.

The Georgia representatives, met in convention, una nimously agreed in a conftitution for that ftate, on the 5th of February.

LETTER

FRIEND G.

Μ'

IX.

London, June 7, 1777.

R. Sayer fued lord Rochford, in the court of 1776. Common Pleas, about this time twelvemonth, for illegal imprisonment; the jury granted him a thou

See his letter published in the Gazette, and in the Remembrancer, vol. V. p. 101.

1776. fand pound damages, fubject to the opinion of the court upon a point of law. Thus ended an affair, which in the commencement occafioned a great bustle among the people.

An unaccountable indifference poffeffed the nation, through the laft fummer. When at length the American cruisers, not only scoured the Atlantic, but spreading over the European feas, brought alarm and hostility to our doors-when the deftruction which befell the homeward bound richly laden Weft India fleets, poured equal ruin upon the planters in the iflands, and the merchants at home-even in that ftate of public lofs and private diftrefs, an unufual phlegm prevailed, and the fame tranquil countenance was preserved, by those who had not yet partaken of the calamity.

Adminiftration had acquired fuch an appearance of ftability, as feemed to render them, for fome confiderable time to come, fuperior to the frowns of fortune. Supported by an irrefiftible majority in parliament, they were already armed with every power, which they were capable of defiring for the establishment of their American fyftem. But the conduct of the French and Spaniards gave them just cause of alarm. The French and Spanish miniftry not only connived at the encouragement given to the American privateers, but filled the ports of both kingdoms, with fuch indications as denoted that objects of far higher and more dangerous importance were in contemplation. The naval preparations carried on by the house of Bourbon, became at oa. length fo formidable, that fixteen British fhips of the 25. line were fuddenly put into commiffion; and the ufual methods taken for manning them, by a very hot unex

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