Yesterday I received the duplicate of your Excellency's favour of the 24th of May, with the addition thereto, and copy of your letter to Governor Delancey. It is likely the original of the latter will not be produced to the Council or to the world here, and that some kind of excuse will be made to your Excellency for Oliver's assertions in the presence of Mr. Fitch-wherefore, I shall not let them know that I have a copy of that letter, till it is probable they have wrote you in answer thereto; for Oliver has often since his return from Connecticut, made the same assertions here, with other things unbecoming him; and I doubt not but by his answer he will bring some contradiction on himself. In the meantime the matter shall be truly represented to the proper persons here.

In my last letter, I acquainted your Excellency that I had directed two storehouses to be built on the carrying place; but on talking to Colonel Johnson about it, he told me he thought it would displease the Indians to do it without their consent, and promised me that he would use his endeavours to obtain that at the meeting of the six nations at his house, which is to be about this time; wherefore I directed the matter to be suspended till then, and shall now write to Colonel Johnson that it may go on.

We are now fitting out with provisions and necessaries, the two hundred men for Sir William Pepperell's regiment, which your Excellency has ordered to encamp on the carrying place; which shall all be ready to-morrow. But I do not expect they will move from hence till Monday or Tuesday next, as some of the officers for that service are still out recruiting. By Saturday, I hope to dispatch Captains Broadley and Laforey, with all the remainder of the stores for the vessels, and that they will be so forward as to be at Schenectady ready to embark when the two hundred men are there. I am, &c.

SIR,

THE SAME TO THE SAME.

NEW YORK, June 9th, 1755.

The foregoing is a copy of my last, which went by Captain Owen (via Rhode Island) who is going by order of Commodore Keppel to Funda bay, to take command of the Vulture Sloop. The

vacancy thereby made of the Oswego and Ontario is filled by Captain Laforey, who is arrived here from the Commodore for that purpose.

Your Excellency's favour of the 2d I have received, and shall immediately write to Mr. Stevenson of Albany to have materials ready in case you should order a hundred batteaux more; and if you do determine to have them, it will be best to let Mr. Stevenson know of it direct from Boston, as it will save a good deal of time.

The Council here on Friday last agreed to spare your Excellency seven of the eight brass cannon here-six twelve pounders, and one eighteen pounder.

*

*

Those seven brass cannon were yesterday put on board of a Sloop for Albany; also, seven iron nine pounders, to be exchanged at Albany for six pounders (for the defence of Oswego) there being no six pounders here; the carriages for the latter, we had made here, are also going up.

Mr. Morris and I now write to the Committee at Philadelphia, to proceed as you direct with regard to the provisions. About 120 barrels of beef, which came from thence lately, we took into store to wait your further orders; but we shall now send them to Mr. Emerson.

What articles we have yet paid for (of those your Excellency ordered) we have taken receipts for on the accounts; but, for the future, we shall pay all accounts in the presence of one or two witnesses, who may swear to the bona fide payment of them, and your Excellency may depend that we shall endeavour to have all our accounts as clear and as well vouched as the nature of the business will admit of.

We have enlisted fourteen good seamen at £3 10 00 this currency per month; besides two riggers at six pounds; and a gunner at £4 10 0 for the Oswego and Ontario; and hope to get some more in the morning, and to send them all away, with the officers, to-morrow.

Since writing the above, I have received your Excellency's favour by Thorp, with a copy of your letter of the 1st to Governor DeLanceyand shall do therewith as you have directed. I am, &c.

THE SAME TO ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS.

NEW YORK, June 9th, 1755.

SIR, I do almost deserve your displeasure, but have hopes that you will forgive me for not writing you, from time to time, what is doing.

here, and that you will attribute it to my being necessarily out of town and in a great hurry of business.-which were the real causes-and on promising very fairly to write you hereafter as often as I can, The best way now of letting you know what is done here by your nephew Lewis and me towards the Niagara expedition, is to send you copies of our letters to Governor Shirley, in which we have, from time to time, acquainted him with what we were doing. Of mine, you have copies herewith; and, as it is Sunday, I can't at present send you Lewis's; but you shall have them by next conveyance. I know it will give you pleasure to hear that Governor Shirley expresses great satisfaction at what is done-which he does very politely in all his letters to us.

By letters which we have from Boston by this post, and by express, I find Governor Shirley's regiment begins to move from thence tomorrow for Providence, where vessels are ready to take them in. Captain Kinner is appointed aid-de-camp.

I am,

&c.

INDEX.

199