Mr. Hutchinson reported the following message.

May it please your Honor,

The Commissioners from the several Governments now met at Albany observe, that in the speech your Honor proposes to make this day to the Indians of the Six Nations, and which you have caused to be communicated to the Board by their Secretary, no notice is taken of the complaints of the said Indians relating to their lands.

This complaint seems, by the letter from the right honorable the Lords of Trade, which your Honor has laid before the Board, to have been the principal occasion of this unusual and expensive meeting of Commissioners from so many Colonies; and it appears by the last answer from the Indians, that their uneasiness still remains.

The Commissioners therefore think it incumbent on them to pray your Honor, that they may be acquainted with the particulars of the complaint, and that they may have an opportunity of consulting with your Honor proper measures for removing the causes thereof.

Which was read, and unanimously agreed to; and it was thereupon ordered that Mr. Welles and Mr. Pitkin wait upon his Honor the Lieut. Governor of New York with the same. Adjourned to three o'clock this afternoon.

At a meeting, &c. on Saturday, the 6th July, 1754, P. M. Present,

All the Commissioners for Massachusetts Bay; all the Commissioners for New Hampshire; the Commissioners from Connecticut; Stephen Hopkins, Esq. one of the Commissioners from Rhode Island.

Mr. Welles reported to the Board, that he and Mr. Pitkin had delivered the message they were appointed in the morning to deliver to his Honor the Lieut. Governor of New York.

The four gentlemen of the Council of New York, Martin Howard, Esq. Benj. Franklin and Abraham Barnes, Esq'rs, took their seats.

Mr. Murray delivered to the Board his Honor the Lieut. Governor's answer in writing to the message delivered to his Honor in the morning by Mr. Welles and Mr. Pitkin; which was read, and is as follows:

Gentlemen,

In answer to your message to me of this day, I acquaint you that yesterday I had the sachems of the Canajoharie castle before me in Council, to conclude the matter in controversy between some Germans and one Teady Magin, relating to an Indian purchase, that had occasioned the greatest uneasiness among the Indians of that castle; which, after two meetings, was then formally and finally settled, to the satisfaction of all parties.

I then took occasion to observe to them, that at their meeting on the 2d inst. I desired them to open their minds fully, and that I expected they would then have laid all their complaints before me; that as to what they had mentioned in their public speech on the 4th inst.. I was not acquainted with any other particular complaints until I came to this place, being abroad on the circuit at the time they made them at New York; and then I promised, as soon as I returned thither, I would look into them, and do them all the justice that lay in my power; with which they declared themselves well satisfied, and thanked me.

Albany, 6th July, 1754.

JAMES DELANCEY,

The Board being obliged to attend at the interview of the Schaticook and River Indians, adjourned to Monday morning at nine o'clock.

At a meeting in the Court House at Albany, on Monday, the 8th July, 1754, A. M. Present,

William Johnson and William Smith, Esq'rs, two of the Council of New York, and all the Commissioners.

The speech proposed by his Honor to be made to the Indians of the Six Nations having been again read to the Board, and the complaints of the Indians relative to their lands coming under their consideration, the Board were acquainted that Mr. William Livingston and Mr. William Alexander, two of the heirs or devisees of Philip Livingston, Esq. deceased, the proprietor or patentee of the lands on which Canajoharie castle stands, had declared their readiness to give up all right to said patents, or such parts as shall be

thought necessary. It was ordered, that the said Mr. Livingston and Mr. Alexander be informed that the Board desired to speak with them.

Mr. Livingston and Mr. Alexander, being present, informed the Board that their father was one amongst other patentees of the lands mentioned; that they were interested one eighth each of them in their father's right. The circumstances of his title they had made no inquiry into, but were ready to make any resignation which either justice or the public service required.

The Board being informed that his Honor the Lieut. Governor desired a gentleman from each Government might be appointed to be present with him in making inquiry of the Indians of the Canajoharie castle how far they were satisfied respecting their land, Mr. Peters and Mr. Howard were appointed to wait on his Honor and acquaint him that the Board agreed to the proposal.

Accordingly, Mr. Hutchinson was appointed for Massachusetts Bay; Col. Atkinson for New Hampshire; Major Wolcott for Connecticut; Mr. Hopkins for Rhode Island; Mr. Norris for Pennsylvania; Col. Tasker for Maryland.

Joseph Murray and John Chambers, Esq'rs, of the Council of New York, took their seats.

His Honor's draught of the speech he proposes to make to the Six Nations, which was delivered to the Board the 6th inst. was read, and after debate had thereon relative to the sale of rum amongst them, and the Canajoharies' desire about a church, some alterations and additions to it were agreed to be proposed to his Honor.

The representation of the present state of the Colonies was again read through, but no final resolution thereon agreed to.

The answers of the Schaticook and River Indians to the speech made them the 6th inst. were read, and are as follows. The speech of the Schaticook Indians :

Father,

We are glad that the Governor sees his children now before him. We are small in number, but next time we hope we shall be more. Your Honor may see that we are but young and inexperienced, our ancient people being almost all dead, so that we have nobody to give us any advice; but we will do as our fathers have done before us. Gave a Belt.

Father,

This belt came from our forefathers, and we will be true and faithful to the King, as they were. Gave a Belt.

They gave also to the Governor a small bundle of skins, and desired that the sale of rum might be stopped at Schaticook; and that if they want it, they will come and buy it at Albany.

The speech of the River Indians :

Fathers,

We are greatly rejoiced to see you all here. It is by the will of Heaven that we are met here, and we thank you for this opportunity of seeing you all together; as it is a long while since we have had such a one.

Fathers who sit present here,

We will just give you a short relation of the long friendship which has subsisted between the white people of this country and us.

Our forefathers had a castle on this river. As one of them walked out, he saw something on the river; but was at a loss to know what it was. He took it at first for a great fish. He ran into the castle, and gave notice to the other Indians. Two of our forefathers went to see what it was, and found it a vessel with men in it. They immediately joined hands with the people in the vessel, and became friends. The white people told them they should not come any further up the river at that time, and said to them they would return back from whence they came, and come again in a year's time. According to their promise they returned back in a year's time, and came as far up the river as where the old fort stood. Our forefathers invited them ashore, and said to them, Here we will give you a place to make you a town. It shall be from this place up to such a stream, (meaning where the Patroon's mill now stands) and from the river back up to the hill.

Our forefathers told them though they were now a small people, they would in time multiply, and fill up the land they had given them. After they were ashore some time, some other Indians, who had not seen them before, looked fiercely at them; and our forefathers observing it, and seeing the white people so few in number, lest they should be destroyed, took and sheltered them under their arms. But it turned out that those Indians did not desire to destroy them, but

wished also to have the said white people for their friends. At this time which we have now spoken of, the white people were small, but we were very numerous and strong; we defended them in that low state. But now the case is altered; you are numerous and strong, we are few and weak. Therefore we expect that you will act by us in these circumstances as we did by you in those we have just now related. We view you now as a very large tree, which has taken deep root in the ground, whose branches are spread very wide. We stand by the body of this tree, and we look round to see if there be any who endeavor to hurt it; and if it should so happen that any are powerful enough to destroy it, we are ready to fall with it. Gave a Belt.

Fathers,

You see how early we made friendship with you. We tied each other in a very strong chain. That chain has not yet been broken. We now clean and rub that chain, to make it brighter and stronger; and we determine, on our part, that it never shall be broken; and we hope you will take care that neither you nor any one else shall break it. And we are greatly rejoiced that peace and friendship have so long subsisted between us. Gave a Belt.

Fathers,

Don't think strange at what we are about to say. We would say something respecting our lands. When the white people purchased from time to time of us, they said they only wanted to purchase the low lands. They told us the hilly land was good for nothing, and that it was full of wood and stones. But now we see people living all about the hills and woods, although they have not purchased the lands. When we inquire of the people who live on the lands, what right they have to them, they reply to us that we are not to be regarded, and that these lands belong to the King. But we were the first possessors of them; and when the King has paid us for them, then they may say they are his. Hunting now has grown very scarce, and we are not like to get our livings that way. Therefore we hope that our fathers will take care that we are paid for our lands, that we may live. Gave a Belt.

Made a present of a bundle of skins. The Board then adjourned to 3 o'clock this afternoon.