PAPERS RELATING TO THE SIX NATIONS.
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at Conojoharee until he lias taken Orders. The design is good, and I wish lie was now there to enterupon it—I have built a handsome Church there at my own Expence 1 Tho’ I had been promised theassistance of others but the times did not admit of it, and as that village is equal in zeal & attach-ment to the Mohocks and is 30 miles farther up the Country, M 1 Halls establishment & success therewill contribute greatly to enlarge the design of the plan, and to point out its benefits to the public,which so soon as these persons are properly Seated and have acquired a share of the Language andConfidence of the Indians, may be so far Extended as to comprehend all that can be wished for, toform one vast & Generous design.
It is extremely probable that a War with Spain is not very distant, and indeed I believe it isCovetted by many people but Spain will have powerfull alliances, and without great Care France ,may give us fresh trouble in America , particularly thro’ the Influence they still retain over so manyIndian Nations. I am much obliged to the worthy D 1 ' Johnson for his kind remembrance andsincerely wish him all happiness. My Son, who desires his Complements to you purposes to visitN York soon Col : Johnson also desires to be kindly remembered, and be assured that I am alwayswith perfect regard
The Rev a M r . Cha s Inglis. Dear Sir &c.
SIR WM. JOHNSON TO ARTHUR LEE ESQ., M. D. F. R, S. a
ON THE CUSTOMS, MANNERS AND LANGUAGES OF THE INDIANS.
Sir, I should be w’anting in duty to the public if I withheld from a Gentleman of D r Lee’sCharacter any information I am capable of affording on the subject of y r Letter wch thro’ my Absencefrom home havg been some time in the Ind. Country & since entirely occupied with affairs of apublic nature, it w T as not in my power to ans 1 ' till now.
I am only apprehensive that any account in my power respecting such enquiry’s amongstthe unlettered Indians will prove inadequate to the Expectations formed in your Letter, notwith-standing my long residence in this country, |“ of more than thirty eight years,”] the Nature of myoffice and the most diligent enquiry's into these curious particulars, I find all researches of that sortfor reasons which I shall give presently involved in such difficulty's & uncertainty as to affordbut slender satisfaction. At least far short of my inclination to gratify your desire thereon—how
1 An account of monies expended by John Danl. Muller in building a Church at Canajohary, for the use of the Indianshy the direction of the llonble Sir'William Johnson . £459.1 11.
2 Arthur Lee was born in Virginia on the 20th Dec. 1740. He was sent at an early age to Eton , and afterwards to theUniversity of Edinburgh , where he obtained his degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1764. He returned to his native countrywhere he practised his profession for a short period, but soon went to London and entered the Temple with a viewof being called to the bar. Here he became the associate or correspondent of the principal literary and scientific men°f the day, and was elected Fellow of the Royal Society. Previous to the Revolution, he acted as agent in England for theProvinces of Massachusetts and Virginia, and in that capacity acquitted himself as a zealous and sound friend of American liberty. In 1776, he was appointed, conjointly with Dr. Franklin and Silas Deane, Commissioners to France on the part ofthe United States, and assisted in negotiating the Treaty between these countries. He returned to America in 1780 and in1784 was appointed one of the Commissioners to treat with the Six Nations. He executed this trust at Fort Schuyler, (nowPome, Oneida Co.) with much credit. He died, unmarried, Dec. 12, 1792, aged nearly 52 years. He was a distinguishedscholar, and a statesman, rigid in principle and unsullied in integrity. His life hy R. H. Lee, was published in 2 vols. 8vo.in 1829.— Ed.