and the letters winch passed between Mr. Hamilton and the Government of Connecticut, were put into the Council books, and a copy of those minutes of Council are exemplified under the great seal and sent to you.

The year following, namely, in the year 1754, there was a Congress, by order of the Crown, at Albany, between the whole body of the Six Nations and the King's Agent, together with the Governments of all the Northern Colonies. Four Commissioners were sent on the part of Pennsylvania; Mr. John Penn and myself on the part of the Governor, and Mr. Isaac Norris and Mr. Benjamin Franklin on the part of the Assembly, were the four Commissioners for this Province at that Congress. This being deemed a proper time to get a purchase from the Indians of more land, and which was become absolutely necessary by the numbers of people that had come into the Province, and could not be kept within the bounds of the purchased lands, Mr. John Penn and myself were instructed and empowered to make as extensive a purchase as the Indians could be prevailed on to make; and belts were sent to the Onondago Council by the Governor, to signify to them his desire to make another purchase of them when they should be altogether at this public treaty at Albany. Accordingly, as both sides were beforehand prepared for a new Indian purchase, the matter was gone upon, and a large extent of country, even as far as the western boundary of the Province, was treated for, and agreed to in open Council, and a deed executed by the Indians; and likewise another deed was executed by them, confirming to the Proprietaries a former deed, wherein the Indians bound themselves not to sell to any persons whatever any of the lands comprised within the bounds of his Majesty's Charter to the Proprietaries.

The Connecticut attempt was likewise made known by the Indians to us; and they, in their speeches, declared their absolute refusal to make any grant to them of any lands they were soliciting for; and, indeed, in their public treaty, they over and over declared that they would sell none of the Wyomink country, either to them or to us, it being what they had reserved for their own use, and for the reception of such other Indians as would want to come and reside amongst them. These, and further particulars, are to be seen in the exemplified copy of the report of that treaty made by Mr. John Penn and myself to Governor Hamilton, as the same is entered in the minutes of the Council.

This will serve to show, that at that time there was no Indian deed made to the people of Connecticut by the Onondago Council, and that if any deed is set up it must have been obtained in a clandestine manner from private Indians. Indeed, it was there currently reported that one Lydens, of the city of Albany, had undertaken this matter for the Connecticut people, and as he lived (and I think kept a public house) at Albany, he made it his business to get the Indians, as they came to trade there, into his house, and by liquor, or private bribes, by two's or three's, as he could find opportunity to prevail with them, to execute a deed, which was lodged with him for this infamous purpose. I have further to observe, that the persons to whom this pretended Indian deed was made were private people, and acting in direct opposition to their own laws, and in open violation of the right, if any, of the Colony of Connecticut to those lands. The Indians themselves, in public treaties, made mention that these very lands were formerly given by them to Colonel Dungan, by deeds regularly and duly executed, but in trust for them, as they said; and, that Colonel Dungan sold those lands to the late proprietor, Mr. Penn, who, notwithstanding this purchase from Colonel Dungan, did not hesitate to buy them over again of the Indians, and to give them the full consideration for them. Let it further be observed, that in the general treaty held at Fort Stanwix, by Sir William Johnson, his Majesty's Indian Agent with all the Six Nation Indians, in 1768, for the King's purchase of lands from them, and to settle a general boundary between the Indians and the King's subjects, at which the Governor of Jersey, and the Commissioners from the other Provinces, and from Pennsylvania in particular, were present and assisting, the Indians executed a deed to the Proprietors of Pennsylvania for all the lands within the bounds of this Province, so far as they had then settled the general boundary with his Majesty. That this purchase contains all, or most of the lands claimed by Connecticut, and that the consideration money, together with the expenses attending that treaty, amounted to the sum of eight thousand pounds, or some sum near that; and in that very treaty, this attempt of the Connecticut people was solemnly mentioned, and as solemnly condemned by all the Indians.

As this great treaty is deservedly esteemed the basis and foundation of all matters relating to lands between the Indian nations and his Majesty, it was transmitted by Sir William Johnson to the King's Ministers, and lies among the public papers in the Privy Council, and may be consulted for the truth of what is here set down by the Proprietaries' solicitors at any future time.

As it is supposed that the Susquehanna Company have assigned over their right under this deed to the Government of Connecticut, I have been thus particular; and this detail of the circumstances that attended the obtainment of the Indian deed, may be kept among the Proprietary papers, together with the exemplified minutes of Council that have been sent to you, and may be made use of, in order to furnish ample proofs for the invalidating of this pretended Indian deed, if it should ever be set up by the Connecticut Government. I am, sir, your most humble servant,

RICHARD PETERS.

To Henry Wilmot, Esquire, Bloomsbury Square, London.

CORRESPONDENCE LAID BEFORE THE COUNCIL.

ARTHUR ST. CLAIR TO BENJAMIN CHEW.

Carlisle, April 28, 1774.

SIR: In conversation with Colonel Wilson the other day, he mentioned a transaction in Virginia, which if it be as he represents it, will throw some light upon what has been the "sense of that Colony, with regard to the country about Fort Pitt." Colonel Stephens, it seems, in the year 1764, when that fortress was besieged by the Indians, sent a detachment of the militia to escort some provisions for the relief of the besieged; for this he was complained of to the Assembly, and censured for sending the militia out of the Government.

I have heard, sir, that you are to go to Williamsburg, and imagined in that case, this hint would not be disagreeable. I wish you a pleasant journey, and am, sir, your most obedient humble servant,

AR. ST. CLAIR.

The Honorable Benjamin Chew, Esquire.

ÆNEAS MACKAY TO GOVERNOR PENN.

Staunton, May 5, 1774.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HONOR: I have taken the liberty of acquainting your Honor with the proceedings of Doctor Conolly, in regard to the Justices Smith, McFarlane, and myself, the 9th of April last, when we were torn from our families and business by Conolly, and his militia, and sent prisoners to this Colony, where, when we travelled together one day's journey, Messrs. Smith and McFarlane accompanied the Sheriff to this place, and I found means to procure leave to go to Williamsburg, in order to lay Conolly and his militia's conduct before my Lord Dunmore, in as true and clear a light as we had experienced from their tyranny and oppression.

After six days riding, I arrived at Williamsburg, where my Lord heard my story to an end, and then told me that Conolly was authorized by him, as Governor of Virginia, to prosecute the claim of that Colony to Pittsburg and its dependencies, and as to taking of prisoners, he, Conolly, only imitated the Pennsylvania officers, in respect to Conolly's imprisonment by them.

After his Lordship and I spoke our minds very free to each other, relating to Conolly's claims and lines, he dismissed me at that time, desiring I would call upon him the next day, which I did, but all the satisfaction I could obtain, after waiting at Williamsburg three days, was a letter to the Sheriff of this county, to whose custody we were committed, a copy of which, together with one of the proclamations sent to Conolly, by express from this place yesterday, I take the liberty of enclosing with this for your Honor's perusal.

In consequence of the above letter, we are to set off from this place immediately, but how to act after our re-