PAPERS RELATING TO THE SIX NATIONS.

221

REV. MR BROWN TO SIR WM JOHNSON.

S' I have received y r kind Favor by Paulus, & have, (I hope) given him Satisfaction. I havepaid him in cash

’ Bills of Ten pounds 2

D to of Two D t0 2

D to of Jersey £3.5 0 1

In gold 3.30

Total 30 8 0

I have likewise Paid to M r Ab m Lyle for goods Twenty Pounds eighteen shilling’s, so that I havepaid him three shillings too much.

I shall do the Duty at Albany on Sunday next; but propose being at the Mohock Castle theSunday following, shall therefore be obliged to you to acquaint the Indians of it. As for News weexpect all from you ; we are quit dull & stupid in this Place. I see you laugh & say to y'self whenwas you otherwise. However the Weather being Dull & Heavy I think it add’s to my dullnesslikewise, so shall conclude by subscribing myself.

y r oblidged Hum Serv 1

Albany Jan 8 th 1765 T : Brown.

SIR WM. JOHNSON TO THE SOCIETY EOR THE PROMOTION OF THE ARTS.

Johnson hall Feby 27 th 1765.

Gentlemen

I have received your favor of the 5 th Inst and I am very glad to hear that the Society do not avowany articles affecting England, as such would have evidently apeared in the Mother Country to bethe result of rancour and passion, which might be productive of Disagreeable effects to the provincein General, & I am Persuaded that a due attention to those Improvements, which can in no wise beconstrued to affect his Majestys dominions at home will answ r er many Salutary purposes.

The state of Agriculture in this country is very low, and in short likely to remain so to the greatDetriment of the Province, which might otherwise draw many resources from so extensive andvaluable a Country, but the turn of the old settlers here is not much calculated for improvement,content with the meer Necessaries of Life, they don’t chuse to purchase its superfluities at theexpence of Labour neither will they hazard the smallest matter for the most reasonable prospect ofgain, and this principle will probably subsist as long as that of their equality, which is at present atsuch a pitch that the conduct of one neighbor can but little influence that of another.

Wheat which in my opinion must shortly prove a drug, is in fact what they chiefly concern them-selves about and they are not easily to be convinced that the Culture of other articles will tend moreto their advantage. If a few of the Machines made use of for the breaking of hemp was distributedamongst those w r ho have Land proper for the purpose it might give rise to the culture of it—or ifone only properly constructed was sent as a model, it might Stir up a spirit of Industry amongstthem, but Seed is greatly wanted, & Cannot be procured in these parts, and the Germains (whoare the most Industrious people here) are in general in too low r circumstances to concern themselves