such draughts may be made from such Town stocks of Gunpowder, in this Province, and delivered to the use of the said Army, as that all reasonable apprehensions of the want of Gunpowder may be fully removed from the minds of the most timid: Therefore,

Resolved, That Mr. Crane, Mr. Howard, Captain Goodman, Colonel Gushing, Mr. Swift, Captain Stearns, Colonel Cutts, Mr. Wheeler, and Mr. Jewel, be a Committee forthwith to consider what Towns in this Colony it is expedient for this Court to send to, for part of their Town stocks of Powder, in order to procure such full supplies of Powder for the said Army, as the said General conceives proper.

The Order of the Day moved for.

The Petition against Mr. Dix was read, and the Petitioners, with a number of evidences, were admitted on the floor, who were examined, and the consideration of the matter referred to to-morrow morning, eight o’clock.

Benjamin Chadbourn, Esquire, brought down from the honourable Board the following order of Council, viz:

In Council, August 2, 1775: Ordered, That Mr. Winthrop, Mr. Foster, and Mr. White, with such as the honourable House shall join, be a Committee to confer with Lewis, a Chief of the Caughnawaga Tribe of Indians (who is now in Town, being conducted here by Colonel Bayley of Cohoss,) in order to gain from him all the intelligence they can, respecting the temper and designs of the Canadians and Indians towards these Colonies, or any other matters that it may be of importance to us to know.”

Read and concurred, and Mr. Howard, Mr. Batchelder, Dr. Church, and Colonel Orne, are joined to the Committee of the honourable Board.

The Committee appointed to prepare a Letter to Col. Whitcomb, reported. The Letter prepared was accepted, and ordered to be transcribed and forwarded.

The House then adjourned till to-morrow morning, eight o’clock.

Thursday, August 3, 1775.

Ordered, That Mr. Rice, Colonel Lovell, and Colonel Spaulding, be a Committee to consider the Report of a Committee of both Houses, who conferred with Mr. Brown, and report what is best to be done.

Ordered, That one of the Committee appointed to countersign the Colony Notes, sign with black ink.

Mr. Chauncy brought down the Report of the Committee of both Houses, who were appointed to confer with Lewis, a Chief of the Caughnawaga Tribe of Indians, viz:

In Council, August 3, 1775.

The Committee appointed to confer with Lewis, a Chief of the Caughnawaga Tribe of Indians, who is now in Town, (being conducted here by Colonel Bayley of Cohoss,) concerning the temper and designs of the Canadians and Indians towards these Colonies, have attended to that service, and beg leave to lay before this honourable Court the several questions proposed by the Committee to the said Lewis, and the answers made by him; which were as follows, viz:

Question. How many are there in the Caughnawaga Tribe?

Answer. Five hundred Men able to bear Arms.

Q. How many in St. François?

A. I do not know: they are a different Nation.

Q. How many in Aronok?

A. I do not know.

Q. Is there any other Nation of Indians near your Tribe?

A. Yes; Cannasataug. The number of them I cannot tell.

Q. Has the Governour of Canada prevailed on the St. François Indians to take up Arms against these Colonies?

A. The Governour sent out Messrs. St. Lue and Bæhpassion, to invite the several Tribes of Indians to take up Arms against you. At his desire they held a Grand Council, and the French Officers gave each man half a pound of powder and a drink of brandy, and an ox among them for a Feast. They answered, no body had taken Arms against them, and they would not take Arms against any body to trouble them; and they chose to rest in peace. Upon this answer, the Officers told them, if you do not take up Arms the Yankees will come and destroy you all. The Indians answered again, when those men come here to destroy us, then we will take up Arms and defend ourselves; but we will not go to seek people to quarrel with them. The Officers then told them, if you will not take up Arms, the Regulars will come and destroy you and take your Lands. They answered, you may come as soon as you have a mind to; and whoever comes to attack us, we will take Arms and defend ourselves. The Officers tried to engage their young men to take Arms, by putting two Johannes a-piece into their hands; but when the Chiefs knew it, they took the money from them and returned it to the Officers, and told the young men if they offered to engage they would put them to death.

Q. Did you hear of any other Nations of Indians that consented to take Arms?

A. There is another Nation called Ottowas, at a greater distance, which the Governour endeavoured to engage, telling them that the other Nations had agreed to do it. Upon which the Ottowas sent twenty of their Tribe to the General Council before-mentioned, to inform them of the Governour’s Message, and inquire whether they had agreed to take Arms? They answered, they had not; and if they had had any thought of it they would have given them notice. The French Officers had further told them, that New-York and all the other Governments to the Southward were going to take Arms against the Yankees.

Q. What do you know of the disposition of the French Canadians towards us?

A. Their disposition is the same as that of the Indians. The Governour tried last winter to raise two thousand Troops, but he could not engage any. They were disposed to remain upon their own land in peace.

Q. What number of Regulars is there in Canada?

A. About five hundred in all.

Q. Where are they stationed?

A. A Sergeant and five privates at Quebeck; twenty at Montreal, and the rest are gone to St. John’s.

Q. What account did the French Officers give of us?

A. When I went for my pass, the Governour told me that you were not capable of defending yourselves, and read me a Letter, purporting that the King’s Troops had killed two thousand of your People, without reckoning the wounded, and burnt one of your Towns.

All which is humbly submitted.

By order of the Committee,

J. WINTHROP.

The Report of the Committee appointed to consider the situation of the Eastern parts of the Colony was again read, and accepted, and is as follows, viz:

Whereas it is necessary for the safety of this Colony, and the protection of the eastern parts of it in particular, that an additional force should be stationed in the County of Lincoln, to defend the Country from the inroads of our enemies and prevent their plundering the inhabitants of their Cattle, Sheep, Wood, &c., in order to supply the Fleet and Troops at Boston:

Therefore, Resolced, That the honourable Board be, and hereby are desired to direct Captain James Curtis’s Company, lately arrived at the Camp in Cambridge, from Brunswick, to repair immediately to Deer-Island with six Whale-Boats, and when arrived there, to be under the direction of some person who may be appointed by the honourable Board. And the Committee of Supplies are hereby directed to supply Captain Curtis with two months’ allowance of Provisions for his said Company.

And it is hereby Resolved, That the Officers and Soldiers of said Curtis’s Company shall receive forty Shillings advance pay, on their being mustered; and the honourable Board are desired to appoint some persons to muster them as soon as may be, and also, that some person or persons be appointed to muster the other two Companies as soon as raised.

And it is further Resolved, That there be two other Companies of fifty-nine Men each, including Officers, immediately raised for the purpose aforesaid; and that it be recommended to the honourable Board to appoint a Committee to deliver out enlisting orders to such persons as the