LORD DORCHESTER TO LORD SYDNEY

1

No 122.

QUEBEC 15th July 1789. MY LORD, Since my letter No 120 I am informed the Indians between the Ohio and Detroit are removing towards that post, and abandoning the interjacent country on account of the near approach of the American Settlements upon the great Miami, or Rocky River, and other parts. Five hundred Indians are arrived at the Graize, a branch of the Miami River, which runs into the head of Lake Erie, with a view of forming a village at the mouth of it. A general meeting of the western nations is expected to be held at the Miamis Towns, the result of which is to guide their future conduct, Till then nothing material is likely to happen amongst them, though messengers had arrived giving information of preparations at the American Post Vincennes to take possession of the Weaughs or Ouitanon, an Indian Town towards the head of the Wabash river, and that the nations of that vicinity were preparing to oppose it.

Should the Indians not be able to maintain the possession of their country, it is supposed they will remove to the Spanish side of the Mississippi, an idea of which begins already to gain ground among some of the nations. I am with much respect & esteem Your Lordship's most obedient,

The Right Hon'ble Lord Sydney

and most humble servant

DORCHESTER

Endorsed: Quebec 15 July 1789. Lord Dorchester No 122 R. 25th Augt

[Q 42 page 62.]

MEMORIAL.

To His Excellency the Right Honorable Guy Lord Dorchester Captain General and Governor in Chief in & over the Province of Quebec &ca &ca &ca

The Memorial of the Secretary of the Province.

Respectfully sheweth That in consequence of the Establishment of a Civil Jurisdiction in those parts of the Province comprehending the new Districts, and the Representation made to Your Excellency by the Merchants and others of the necessity of Agents being appointed there for the distribution of Licences &ca which your Excellency was pleased to lay before the Council: Your Memorialist has among others whom he has solicited to take upon them

that Charge, wrote to Mr Thomas Smith of the District of Hesse, whom your Excellency was pleased to honour with the appointment to the Clerkship of His Majesty's Courts in that District, and in consequence, has received his answer, signifying his readiness to accept that Trust; at the same time, requesting Instructions on the following Questions: Whether Persons resident within the extent of the authority of the Crown, on both sides of the Treaty Line, should not be required to comply with the Law in taking out Licences for the sale of Spirituous Liquors, and paying the Duties thereon? Whether the Licences issued out to Tavern Keepers for the present year by the Commanding Officer at Detroit are to be held as valid?

Your Lordship's Memorialist humbly conceives that these Questions are unanswerable to Mr Smith until Your Memorialist may be honoured with Your Excellency's Commands on those Questions and most respectfully soliciting Your Excellency's Instructions therein.

23rd July 1789.

(signed)

Endorsed :-A. In Lord Dorchester's letter to Lord Sydney, No 125 [242 p 72.]

GEO; POWNALL

No 8.

FROM MR. DEASE. UNADDRESSED

MICHILIMAKINAC Augt 19th 1789.

SIR-Having received instructions from Sir J. Johnson Bar't Superintendt General & Inspector Genl of Indian Affairs, to pursue such measures as would appear to me most condusive to the accomplishment of the business on which he sent you into the Indian country last year, And the different Indian Nations lately at war, having earnestly and repeatedly solicitated your return amongst them once more to confirm them in their present amicable dispositions towards each other, I think it necessary for the good of His Majesty's Service that you immediately prepare to return among these Indians & use your best endeavours to establish a lasting peace among them.

You will on every occasion inspire them with Sentiments of Respect & Attachment to the British Government and in your distribution of the presents you take along you will represent to them the great power & goodness of the Great King their father, and the expence he incurs on their account by appointing his servants to watch over their welfare and promote their happiness by uniting them with each other, you will warmly recommend to them the interest of trade and the protection of those who on that account & to supply their wants at the hazard of their lives & the risque of their property

go and winter among you. You will shew them that a fair and open trade will always be the firmest source of their happiness, that in proportion as they promote trade & observe the advice of their father they will be the objects of his attention.

In giving presents you will particularly distinguish such nations or bands whose commerce is most valuable to the traders, explaining to them distinctly that the presents they receive are not by way of trade but merely from the King's bounty.

You will keep a regular journal of your proceedings in which you will record whatever relates to the King's Service.—

You will report to me any abuses in Trade that may come to your knowledge, or any obstruction you may meet with in the discharge of your duty & from whom.

You will in all your proceedings observe the strictest œconomy consistent with the business you are sent on, and, on every occasion make the good of His Majesty's Service the principal object of your attention,

Wishing you every possible success in your undertaking and a safe return. I am with due regard

Dear Sir I send you according to my promise of yesterday a copy of Mr Symers Speech of 19th July together with the answer of the Indians

Capt McKee

Yours faithfully

PAT MURRAY,

Major Commanding.

"MIAMI'S NORTH BEND 19th July 1789

"Brothers Warriors and Chiefs of all the Nations of Red People, living between the Great Lakes and Mississippi river, listen to your white brother at the mouth of Miami, on the Ohio, and all his young Men Warriors who live between the great Miami and the little Miami.

"Brother Warriors and Chiefs of all the Nations of Indians we your Brothers are glad that you received into your town Manoque, and Isaac Freeman who I sent with Manoque, to tell you that your flesh and blood was with us, and that you believed what I told you, I was glad to see Manoque and my young Man come back again, and to see four of our people which had been with you come in, and I am glad that you tell us in your letter that you will send in more white prisoners when you can get them ready to come.”—

Brothers of all the Indian Nations, I am now going into Kentucky and shall come back here again in fourteen days, I shall then be glad to see you come in with horses and take away your women and children that are with us. You shall have all of them, but you will be our good brothers and bring in to us, all the white prisoners that you can-I send you some salt and some Tobacco and some Bread, when you come in to see me your good brother, you shall have whisky, and you shall all eat and drink with us, and live with us like brothers and like friends-Manoque now goes out to your hunting camp to stay with you some days. I send with him one of my young men who comes out your friend and brother-when Manoque and my young white man comes back, some of you my good brothers will come in to this place with Manoque"

"Caucomme is now here with us and we are glad to see him, we gave him bread and meat and whisky, and we shall be glad to see you when you come here with Manoque-I shall be home to my house again in twelve or fourteen days, and then I hope to see many of my red brothers here.

"Warriors and Hunters farewell”

"I am your Brother Friend"

"JOHN CLEVES SYMMERS"

"My Indian name is Weconolly"

A true copy
Pat Murray

Indian Papers

M. G. II.

MIAMIS September 4th 1789.

"Brothers Americans, We have heard the Speech you have sent to us, don't think hard that we have not sent an answer sooner, our men are at a great distance from this, and it requires time to acquaint them of what you mentioned in your last speech to us.

"Brothers be strong and keep in your young men, be quiet and don't think hard that we have not sent in the minds of all our Brother Nations but we

hope in a short time we can let you know all their minds, we are now doing all we can on that business. Brother Warriors it is you and us that have caused all good affairs to be at present in so bad a state, now Brother Warriors we tell you to be strong & let us try to clear this troublesome affair that is now between us. Brothers Americans, some of our Foolish Young Men have brought in your Flesh and Blood, We the Warriors took immediately in our possession the prisoners and now send them to you. think not hard of what foolish young men do. You see we have sent in your Flesh & Blood and we hope you will send in ours, so that we may live in peace and quietness with each other."

"Brothers you have seen your flesh & Blood and we have seen ours, we hope you are contented we are also. Now Brothers you see we are working for peace and quietness with all nations."

"You are always making peace, and we are doing all we can towards it; but there are so many foolish young men that go to hurt the good we are making between us Warriors. We ask their reason, they make answer that you are daily encroaching on the Land this side the river, and spoil their hunting, that is the reason they give us." Now Brothers let us try to settle all the affairs between us, and touch not our Lands, and then you will see that we will live in peace & quietness."

"Now Brothers be strong and let us know your minds as soon as possible for you know ours. Brothers be strong and let all your People know our minds in all parts and keep your young men in for we now intend to take all our Young Men into our lands to try to keep them from doing mischief. Brothers we think it is you at the Big Miamis that is always wanting to make peace, for that reason we hope you will let all your People know our good intent and we now go to all the Nations to try to make peace & quietness between us"

"Brother Americans be strong and make a good road between us that your young people may go from one to another in safety so that we can have word from each other without danger."

"Brothers be strong and let us have an answer as soon as possible, we are impatient for your answer.

A true copy

Pat Murray

Indian Affairs M. G. II