252

PAPERS RELATING TO THE SIX NATIONS.

pearance may not be much in his favor and his voluminous Work may rather be deemed Curiousthan entertaining, but he is certainly well acquainted with the Southern Indians, and a man ofLearning tho Rusticated by 30 years residence in a Wild Country—He thinks that I could servehim by mentioning him to you, and I hope that his importunity in consequence of that opinion willapologize for the Liberty I have taken in Giving you this Trouble.

SIR WM. JOHNSON TO THE REVD. WM. SMITH.

Johnson Hall Jany 3 d 1769.

Sir The return of M r M c Clay affords me a good opportunity of answering your favor of last monthon the subjects you mention on some of which M r Peters & I have conversed, and to whom I havewrote fully the other day as well concerning M> Murray, as of the Two Young men you mention forOrders your Sentiments on which I greatly approve.

I long since informed the Society that if his Majestys permission was obt d I would use my Interestto get a valuable Tract of Land for the Church but have never since received any thing concerned it,I however lately secured a purchase made by myself for these purposes, & if the Society will usetheir Interest to obtain the Royal Grant, I will still endeavor to get a large purchase to the North-ward where the Line is not yet Closed.

M r . Barton and yourself may be well assured of my friendly regards, and of my inclination to doyou any good office in my power, I am likewise Sensible of your care of my Son, and your goodinclinations towards him, and wish I could obtain the Tract you require in a Convenient place.The Line as I before observed is not closed to the Northward so that Lands there must lye till hisMajestys pleasure is known, and for the rest it is Ceded to the King by the late Treaty, so that itis hard to know what will be the Channell for Patents in future, and the fees here are Extremelyhigh—at the late Treaty nothing was done with regard to Lands but what related to the boundary,or had been before determined on, should any Tract answer that may be had on a reasonable lay,worthy your attention, I shall be very Glad to serve you in it. I am much obliged by the honordone me in Choosing me a Member of the Philosophical Society , and altho’ my Necessary Avocationsmust deprive me of much of the pleasure I might otherwise receive as one of that Body. I cannotbut accept it with many thanks, heartily wishing that their Institution may be attended with thatUtility to the public & Reputation to the founders which may be reasonably expected from theTransact" 8 of Gentlemen who apply themselves to studies of such Importance.

Be assured, Sir, of the perfect Esteem with which I am always. &c.

*«* Rev Dr. Smith to whom the above letter is addressed, was a native of Scotland and graduated at Aberdeen in 1747. Hethen immigrated to this country, and on being invited to take charge of tho College in Philadelphia , returned to England andreceived orders in the church of England in December 1753. In May following he was placed at the head of the Philadelphia institution. He revisited England in 1759 when the degree of D.D. was conferred on him by the University of Oxford . Aftera life of much usefulness he died in that city May 14. 1803, aged 76 years. His works in 2 v. 8vo. are in the StateLibrary. Ed.