GOV. DONG AN* 3 REPORT ON THE PROVINCE OF NEW'YORK.
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their lands to this Governm 1 @ have ever since constantly renewed the same with every Governorthat has been here both in the time of the Dutch @ the English @ in particular to myself who havegiven them largely in consideration of their lands And I am certainly informed that they have de-clared they will go @ live on y e other side of the lake than be under any other Govern 1 on this thanours, Endeavors have been used (tho to noe purpose) to p’suade some of our Traders who speak thelanguage to goe and live upon the Susquehanna river tho I cannot yet find out by whom this hasbeen made.
The five Indian nations are the most warlike people in America , @ are a bulwark between us @the French @ all other Indians they goe as far as the South Sea the North West passage @ Florida towarr. New England in their last warr with the Indians had been ruined had not S* Edmund Andros sent some of those nations to their assistance, and indeed they are soe considerable that all the In-dians in these parts of America are tributary to them. I suffer no Christians to converse with themany where but at Albany @ that not without my licenseSince I came here the people of Boston have sent them presents in acknowledgement of their favor@ friendship. @ I was forc’t to goe with my Lord Effingham to bury his hatchet and theirs which istheir way of making a peace
_ I have sent herewith what the nations that conquered the Susquehannas desired of the
pre«m ^mg xn m J Lord Effingham’s presence and I believe it to be of dangerous consequence ifdenyed
This Governm 4 has always been and still is at a great charge to keep them^peaceable @ annexedto this government which is of that moment that upon any occasion I can have three or four thousandof their men at a call.
I cannot believe that ever it was the King’s intention to grant away soe considerable a part of thisPensyivaniaa^ 0Vernmen *' has ^ 3een s0 appropriated to it @ even the people think it as a part
Trade BeRver °f > themselves @ would be much troubled at a separation from soe good @ ancient neigh-bours that at first of their own free wills become soe and have ever since continued withsuch constancy to desire and maintain a mutual friendship and correspondence If therefore hisMaty were pj ease( j ]i, ave a p ne run f rom 41 d an d 40 m in Delaware River to the Falls upon theSusquehanna and to let Mr. Pen keep all below that it would be sufficient for him the bounds belowit being conjectured to contain more than all England besides the loner Countys which is near upon100 miles from the Cape up the river ; and in bredth more than 30 miles as is generally beleevedTo preserve the Beaver @ Peltry trade for this @ Albany and to be an encouragement to ourBeaver hunters I desire I may have order to erect a Campayne Fort upon Delaware River in 41 d40 m; another upon the Susquehanna where his Maty shall think fit Mr. Penns bounds shall ter-minate. And another at Oneigra near the great lake in the way where our people goe a Beaverhunting or trading or any where else where I shall think convenient it being very necessary for thesupport of Trade, maintaining a correspondence with the further Indians, @ in securing our right inthe country the French making a pretence as far as the Bay of Mexico , for which they have no otherargument than that they have had possession this twenty years by their lathers living so long amongthe Indians they have fathers still among the five nations aforementioned viz. the Maquaes, Sinicaes,ayouges, Oneides, and Onondagues @ have converted many of them to the Christian Faith @ doetheir utmost to draw them to Canada , to which place there are already 6 or 700 retired and morelike to doe, to the great prejudice of this Goverm 1 if not prevented. I have done my endeavours @Indians from have gone so far in it that I have prevailed with the Indians to consent to come back fromCanada on condition that I procure for them a piece of land called Serachtague lying uponHudson’s River about 40 miles above Albany @ there furnish them with priests.
Thereupon and upon a petition of the people of Albany to mee setting forth the reasonablenessand conveniency of granting to the Indians there requests I have procured the land for them, altho