USA > New York > The history of the late province of New-York, from its discovery, to the appointment of Governor Colden, in 1762. Vol. I > Part 18
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accounts of the members, that colonel Schuyler, during his presidentship, had orders from Mr. secretary Craggs, neither to dissolve them himself, nor permit them to be dissolved ; and at the spring session, in the year 1721, Mr. Burnet informed them that his continuance of them was highly approved at home. Horatio Walpole, the auditor-general, who had appointed Mr. Clarke for his deputy, thought this a favourable conjuncture for procuring five per cent. out of the treasury. But the house were averse to his application, and, on the 2d of June, Abraham Depeyster, jun. was appointed trea- surer by the speaker's warrant, with the consent of the governor, in the room of his father, who was infirm ; upon which he entered into a recognizance of £5000 to the king, before a judge of the supreme court, for the faithful execution of his trust, which was lodged in the secretary's office. The house, at the same time, in an address, declared their willing- ness that the treasurer should account ; but utterly refused to admit of any drafts upon the treasury for the auditor-general, who was constrained to depend entirely upon the revenue, out of which he received about £200 per annum.
Mr. Burnet being well acquainted with the geo- graphy of the country, wisely concluded that it was to the last degree necessary to get the command of the great lake Ontario, as well for the benefit of the trade, and the security of the friendship of the Five Nations, as to frustrate the French designs, of confining the English colonies to narrow limits along the sea coast, by a chain of forts on the great passes from Canada to Louisiana. Towards the
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subversion of this scheme, he began the erection of a trading house at Oswego, in the county of the Senecas, in 1722; and recommended a provision for the residence of trusty persons among them and the Onondagas, which last possess the centre of the Five Cantons. This year was remarkable for a congress of several governors and commissioners, on the renewal of the ancient friendship with the Indians at Albany. Mr. Burnet prevailed upon them to send a message, to threaten the eastern Indians with a war, unless they concluded a peace with the English, who were very much harassed by their frequent irruptions. On the 20th of May, in the year following, the confederates were augmented by their reception of above 80 Nicariagas, besides women and children, as they had been formerly by the addition of the Tuscaroras. The country of the Nicariagas was on the north side of Missilimaki- nack; but the Tuscaroras possessed a tract of land near the sources of James's river, in Virginia, from whence the encroachments of the English induced them to remove, and settle near the south-east end of the Oneida lake.
The strict union subsisting between the several branches of the legislature, gave a handle to Mr. Burnet's enemies to excite a clamour against him. Jealousies were industriously sown in the breasts of the people. The continuance of an assembly after the accession of a new governor, was represented as an anti-constitutional project; and though the affairs of the public were conducted with wisdom and spirit, many were so much imposed upon, that a rupture between the governor and the assembly was
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thought to be absolutely necessary for the weal and safety of the community. But this was not the only stratagem of those who were disaffected by the prohibition of the French trade. The London merchants were induced to petition the king for an order to his governor, prohibiting the revival of the act made against it, or the passing any new law of that tendency. The petition was referred to the board of trade, and backed before their lordships with suggestions of the most notorious falsehoods. The lords of trade prudently advised that no such directions should be sent to Mr. Burnet, till he had an opportunity of answering the objections against the act. They were accordingly sent over to him, and he laid them before his council. Dr. Colden and Mr. Alexander exerted themselves in a memo- rable report in answer to them, which drew upon them the resentment of several merchants here, who had first excited the London petition, and laid the foundation for a variance between their families, which has manifested itself on many occasions. In justice to Mr. Burnet's memory, and to show the propriety of his measures for obstructing the French trade, I cannot refrain the republication of the council's report at full length.
" May it please your Excellency, 1
" In obedience to your excellency's commands, in council, the 29th of October, referring to us a peti- tion of several merchants in London, presented to the king's most excellent majesty, against renewing an act passed in this province, entitled, 'An act for the encouragement of the Indian trade, and rendering
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it more effectual to the inhabitants of this province, and for prohibiting the selling of Indian goods to the French.' As likewise the several allegations of the said merchants before the right honourable the lords of trade and plantations, we beg leave to make the following remarks.
"In order to make our observations the more distinct and clear, we shall gather together the several assertions of the said merchants, both in their petition, and delivered verbally before the lords of trade, as to the situation of this province, with respect to the French and Indian nations ; and observe on them, in the first place, they being the foundation on which all their other allegations are grounded. Afterwards we shall lay before your excellency, what we think necessary to observe on the other parts of the said petition, in the order they are in the petition, or in the report of the lords of trade.
"In their geographical accounts they say, 'Besides the nations of Indians that are in the English interest, there are very many nations of Indians, who are at present in the interest of the French, and who lie between New-York and the nations of Indians in the English interest .- The French and their Indians would not permit the English Indians to pass over by their forts.' The said act 'restrains them (the Five Nations) from a free commerce with the inhabitants of New-York.
""' The five Indian nations are settled upon the banks of the river St. Lawrence, directly opposite to Quebec, two or three hundred leagues distant from the nearest British settlements in New-York.
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" They (the five nations of Indians) were two or three hundred leagues distant from Albany ; and that they could not come to trade with the English, but by going down the river St. Lawrence, and from thence through a lake, which brought them within eighteen leagues of Albany.'
" These things the merchants have thought it safe for them, and consistent with their duty to his sacred majesty, to say in his majesty's presence, and to repeat them afterwards before the right honorable the lords of trade, though nothing can be more directly contrary to the truth. For there are no nations of Indians between New-York and the nations of Indians in the English interest, who are now six in number, by the addition of the Tusca- roras. The Mowhawks (called Annies* by the French) one of the Five Nations, live on the south side of a branch of Hudson's river, (not on the north side as they are placed in the French maps) and but forty miles directly west of Albany, and within the English settlements ; some of the English farms upon the same river, being thirty miles further west. The Oneidas (the next of the Five Nations) lie likewise west from Albany, near the head of the Mohawks' river, about one hundred miles from Albany. The Onondagas lie about one huudred and thirty miles west from Albany ; and the Tuscaroras live partly with the Oneidas and partly with the Onondagas. The Cayugas are about one hundred and sixty miles from Albany ; and the Senecas (the furthest of all these nations) are not above two hundred and forty miles from Albany, as may appear
* Agniés,
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from Mr. De Lisle's map of Louisiana, who lays down the Five Nations under the name of Iroquois : and the goods are daily carried from this province to the Senecas, as well as to those nations that lie nearer, by water all the way, except three miles, (or in the dry seasons five miles) where the traders carry over land between the Mohawks' river and the wood creek, which runs into the Oneidas' lake, without going near either St. Lawrence river, or any of the lakes upon which the French pass, which are entirely out of their way.
" The nearest French forts or settlements to Albany, are Chambly and Montreal, both of them lying about north and by east from Albany, and are near two hundred miles distant from it. Quebec lies about three hundred and eighty miles north-east from Albany. So far is it from being true, that the Five Nations are situated upon the banks of the river St. Lawrence, opposite to Quebec, that Albany lies almost directly between Quebec and the Five Nations. And to say that these Indians cannot come to trade at Albany, but by going down the river St. Lawrence, and then into a lake eighteen leagues from Albany (we suppose they mean lake Cham- plain,) passing by the French forts, is to the same purpose as if they should say, that one cannot go from London to Bristol, but by way of Edinburgh. " Before we go on to observe other particulars, we beg leave further to remark, that it is so far from being true, that the Indians in the French interest lie between New-York and our five nations of Indians ; that some of our nations of Indians lic between the French and the Indians from whence VOL. I .- 33
-
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the French bring the far greatest quantity of their furs : for the Senecas (whom the French call Sonontouons*) are situated between lake Erie and Cadaracqui lake, (called by the French Ontario,) near the great fall of Iagara,t by which all the Indians that live round lake Erie, round the lake of the Hurons, round the lake of the Illinois, or Michigan, and round the great upper lake, gene- rally pass in their way to Canada. All the Indians situated upon the branches of the Mississippi, must likewise pass by the same place, if they go to Canada. And all of them likewise, in their way to Canada, pass by our trading-place upon the Cada- racqui lake, at the mouth of the Onondaga river. The nearest and safest way of carrying goods upon the Cadaracqui lake, towards Canada, being along the south side of that lake (near where our Indians are settled, and our trade of late is fixed) and not by the north side and Cadaracqui, or Frontenac fort, where the French are settled.
" Now that we have represented to your excel- lency, that not one word of the geography of these merchants is true, upon which all their reasoning is founded, it might seem needless to trouble your excellency with any further remaks, were it not to show with what earnestness they are promoting the French interest, to the prejudice of all his majesty's colonies in North America, and that they are not ashamed of asserting any thing for that end, even in the royal presence.
"First they say, ' That by the act passed in this
* Isonnontouans.
+ Sometimes Oniagara, Ochniagara, but commonly Niagara.
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province, entitled an act for the encouragement of the Indian trade, &c., all trade whatsoever is prohibited in the strictest manner, and under the , severest penalties, between the inhabitants of New- York government, and the French of Canada.'
" This is not true ; for only carrying goods to the French which are proper for the Indian trade is prohibited. The trade, as to other things, is left in the same state it was before that act was made, as it will appear to any person that shall read it; and there are, yearly, large quantities of other goods openly carried to Canada, without any hindrance from the government of New-York. Whatever may be said of the severity and penalties in that act, they are found insufficient to deter some from carrying goods clandestinely to the French ; and the legislature of this province are convinced that 1 no penalties can be too severe, to prevent a trade which puts the safety of all his majesty's subjects of North America in the greatest danger.
" Their next assertion is, ' All the Indian goods have by this act been raised 25l. to 30l. per cent.' This is the only allegation in the whole petition that there is any ground for. Nevertheless, though the common channel of trade cannot be altered without some detriment to it in the beginning, we are assured from the custom-house books, that there has been every year, since the passing of this act, more furs exported from New-York, than in the year immediately before the passing of this act. It is not probable that the greatest difference between the exportation any year before this act and any year since, could so much alter the price of beaver,
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as it is found to be this last year. Beaver is carried to Britain from other parts besides New-York, and it is certain that the price of beaver is not so much altered here by the quantity in our market, as by the demand for it in Britain. But as we cannot be so well informed here, what occasions beaver to be in greater demand in Britain, we must leave that to be inquired after in England. However, we are fully satisfied that it will be found to be for very different reasons from what the merchants allege.
" The merchants go on and say, ' Whereas, on the other hand, this branch of the New-York trade, by the discouragements brought upon it by this act, is almost wholly engrossed by the French, who have already by this act been encouraged to send proper European goods to Canada, to carry on this trade, so that should this act be continued, the New-York trade, which is very considerable, must be wholly lost to us and centre in the French. Though New- York should not furnish them, the French would find another way to be supplied therewith, either from some other of his majesty's plantations, or it might be directly from Europe-many of the goods which the Indians want, being as easy to be had directly from France or Holland, as from Great Britain.'
"This is easily answered, by informing your excellency, that the principal of the goods proper for the Indian market, are only of the manufactures of Great Britain, or of the British plantations, viz: strouds, or stroud-waters, and other woollens, and rum .- The French must be obliged to buy all their woollens (the strouds especially) in England, and
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thence carry them to France, in order to their transportation to Canada.
" The voyage to Quebec, through the Bay of St. Lawrence, is well known to be the most dangerous of any in the world, and only practicable in the summer months. The French have no commodi- ties in Canada, by reason of the cold and barrenness of the soil, proper for the West-India markets ; and therefore have no rum but by vessels from France, that touch at their islands in the West-Indies. New- York has, by reason of its situation, both as to the sea and the Indians, every way the advantage of Canada. The New-York vessels make always two voyages in a year from England, one in summer, and another in winter, and several voyages in a year to the West-Indies. It is manifest, therefore, that it is not in the power of the French to import any goods near so cheap, to Canada, as they are imported to New-York.
" But to put this out of all controversy, we need only observe to your excellency, that strouds, with- out which no considerable trade can be carried on with the Indians, are sold at Albany for 10l. a piece ; they were sold at Montreal, before this act took place, at 13l. 2s. 6d. and now they are sold there for 25l. and upwards ; which is an evident proof, that the French have not in these four years' time (during the continuance of this act) found out any other way to supply themselves with strouds ; and likewise that they cannot trade without them, seeing they buy them at so extravagant a price.
" It likewise appears, that none of the neighbour- ing colonies have been able to supply the French
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with these goods, and those that know the geography of the country, know it is impracticable to do it at any tolerable rate, because they must carry their goods ten times further by land than we need to do. " We are likewise assured, that the merchants of Montreal lately told Mr. Vaudreuil, their governor, that if the trade from Albany be not by some means or other encouraged, they must abandon that settle- ment. We have reason therefore to suspect that these merchants (at least some of them) have been practised upon by the French agents in London ; for no doubt, the French will leave no method untried to defeat the present designs of this govern- ment, seeing they are more afraid of the conse- quences of this trade between New-York and the Indians, than of all the warlike expeditions that ever were attempted against Canada.
" But to return to the petitioners. ' They conceive nothing can tend more to the withdrawing the affections of the Five Nations of Indians from the English interest, than the continuance of the said act, which in its effects restrains them from a free commerce with the inhabitants of New-York, and may too probably estrange them from the English interest ; whereas by a freedom of commerce, and an encouraged intercourse of trade with the French and their Indians, the English interest might, in time, be greatly improved and strengthened.'
" It seems to us a strange argument to say, that an act, the whole purport of which is to encourage our own people to go among the Indians, and to draw the far Indians through our Indian country to Albany (and which has truly produced these effects) would,
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on the contrary, restrain them from a free commerce with the inhabitants of New-York, and may too probably estrange them from the English interest ; and therefore that it would be much wiser in us to make use of the French, to promote the English interest ; and for which end, we ought to encourage a free intercourse between them and our Indians. The reverse of this is exactly true, in the opinion of our Five Nations ; who, in all their public treaties with this government, have represented against this trade, as the building the French forts with English strouds : that the encouraging a freedom of commerce with our Indians, and the Indians round them, who must pass through their country to Albany, would certainly increase both the English interest and theirs, among all the nations to the westward of them; and that the carrying the Indian market to Montreal in Canada, draws all the far Indians thither.
" The last thing we have to take notice of is what the merchants asserted before the lords of trade, viz. 'That there has not been half the quantity of European goods exported since the passing of this act, that used to be.'-We are well assured, that this is no better grounded than the above facts they assert with the same positiveness. For it is well known almost to every person in New-York, that there has not been a less, but rather a greater quan- tity of European goods imported into this place since the passing of this act, than was at any time before it in the same space of time ; as this appears by the manifests in the custom-house here, the same may
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likewise be easily proved by the custom-house books. in London.
" As all the arguments of the merchants run upon the ill effects this act has had upon the trade and the minds of the Indians, every one of which we have shown to be asserted without the least foundation to support them; there nothing now remains but to show the good effects this act has produced, which are so notorious in this province that we know not one person that now opens his mouth against the act.
" Before this act passed, none of the people of this province travelled into the Indian countries to trade. We have now above forty young men, who have been several times as far as the lakes a trading, and thereby become well acquainted, not only with the trade of the Indians, but likewise with their man- ners and languages ; and those have returned with such large quantities of furs, that greater numbers are resolved to follow their example; so that we have good reason to hope, that in a little time the English will draw the whole Indian trade of the inland countries to Albany, and into the country of the Five Nations. This government has built a public trading-house upon Cadaracqui lake, at Iron- dequat, in the Senecas' land, and another is to be built next spring, at the mouth of the Onondagas' river. All the far Indians pass by these places in their way to Canada ; and they are not above half so far from the English settlements, as they are from the French.
" So far is it from being true what the merchants say, ' that the French forts interrupt all communica-
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tion between the Indians and the English ;' that if these places be well supported, as they easily can be from our settlements, in case of a rupture with the French it will be in the power of this province to intercept the greatest part of the trade between Canada and the Indians round the lakes and the branches of the Mississippi. Since this act passed, many nations have come to Albany to trade and offer peace and friendship, whose names had not so much as been heard of among us. In the beginning of May, 1723, a nation of Indians came to Albany singing and dancing, with their calumets before them, as they always do when they come to any place where they have not been before. We do not find that the commissioners of Indian affairs were able to inform themselves what nation this was.
" Towards the end of the same month, eighty men, besides the women and children, came to Albany in the same manner. These had one of our Five Nations with them for an interpreter, by whom they informed the commissioners that they were of a great nation, called Nehkereages, consisting of six castles and tribes ; and that they lived near a place called by the French, Missimakinah, between the upper lake and the lake of the Hurons. These Indians not only desired a free commerce, but like- wise to enter into a strict league of friendship with us and our six nations, that they might be accounted the seventh nation in the league, and being received accordingly, they left their calumet as a pledge of their fidelity. In June another nation arrived, but from what part of the continent we have not learned.
VOL. T. - 3.1
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" In July the 'Twightwies arrived, and brought an Indian interpreter of our nations with them, who told that they were called by the French, Miamies, and that they live upon one of the branches of the river Mississippi. At the same time some of the Tahsagrondie Indians, who live between lake Erie and the lake Huron, near a French settlement, did come and renew their league with the English, nor durst the French hinder them. In July this year, another nation came, whose situation and name we know not ; and in August and September, several parties of the same Indians that had been here last year : but the greatest numbers of these far Indians have been met this year in the Indian country, by our traders, every one of them endeavoring to get before another, in order to reap the profits of so advantageous a trade, which has all this summer long kept about forty traders constantly employed, in going between our trading places in our Indian country, and Albany.
" All these nations of Indians, who came to Albany, said that the French had told them many strange stories of the English, and did what they could to hinder their coming to Albany, but that they had resolved to break through by force. The difference on this score between the Tahsagrondie Indians and the French (who have a fort and settle- ment there, called by them Le Detroit ) rose to that height, this summer, that Mr. Tonti, who com- manded there, thought it proper to retire, and return to Canada with many of his men.
" We are, for these reasons, well assured that this year there will be more beaver exported for
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Great Britain than ever was from this province in one year ; and that if the custom-house books at London be looked into, it will be found that there will be a far greater quantity of goods for the Indians (strouds especially) sent over next spring, than ever · was at any one time to this province. For the mer- chants here tell us, that they have at this time ordered more of these goods than ever was done at any one time before.
"These matters of fact prove beyond contradic- tion that this act has been of the greatest service to New-York, in making us acquainted with many nations of Indians, formerly entirely unknown and strangers to us ; withdrawing them from their dependance upon the French, and in uniting them to us and our Indians, by means of trade and mutual
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