Lettre commune avec M. de Kerlérec du 12. juillet 1763.; c'est le sort que vont eprouver plusieurs Officiers et autres serviteurs du Roi, qui ne subsistoient avec leur famille dans cette Colonie que par ses seuls bienfaits et qui se trouvent hors d'etat, par leur âge et leurs infirmités, de passer en france ou dans les Colonies, pour y jouir des avantages qu'on accorde à ceux qui y passent. Quelques soins que j'apporte, Monseigneur, dans l'economie des dépenses du Roi, elles seront encore considerables cette année; je nai reçu aucun des approvisionnemens que vous me marqués m'avoir fait passer, et j'ai eté obligé de me pourvoir de tout pour l'entretien et la subsistance de la garnison qui n'est reduite à 300. hommes que depuis le 1er juillet dernier, par la difficulté de faire replier la garnison des ilinois, et de faire passer en france les soldats congediés auxquels j'aieté obligé de payer en argent les parties d'habillement qui leur etoient dûes depuis plusieurs années. j'aurai l'honneur de vous presenter, Monseigneur des Etats tres detaillés des depenses de cette année, qui vous mettront à même de juger de leur necessité indispensable. [Translation] which I have already had the honor of making a representation to you in a joint letter with M. de Kerlérec, the twelfth of July, 1763; it concerns the fate which many officers and other royal servants will experience who are able to live with their families in this colony only by reason of their own good acts, and who are unable, on account of their age and infirmities, to cross over into France or to the colonies in order to enjoy there the advantages that are accorded those who so cross. Despite the care I am taking, my lord, to reduce the expenses of the king, they will still be considerable this year. I have received none of the provisions you say you have had sent to me, and I have had to provide myself with everything for the maintenance and sustenance of the garrison which was not reduced to three hundred men until the first of July last, on account of the difficulty of recalling the garrison of the Illinois and of sending to France the discharged soldiers, whom I have been obliged to pay in silver for the share of clothing due them for many years. I shall have the honor, my lord, of giving you very detailed accounts of the expenses for this year which will put you in a position to judge of their indispensability. Je suis avec un profond respect, Monseigneur, Votre tres humble et très obeissant Serviteur DABBADIE [Endorsed:] Colonies M. Dabbadie N° 85. a reçû par la voye de St Domingue lacte de cession faite a l'Espagne de la Louisianne, il se conformera a cet egard aux intentions du Roy. [Translation] I am, with profound respect, my lord, your very humble and very obedient servant, [Endorsed:] Colonies. M. Dabbadie DABBADIE M. Dabbadie No. 85 Has received by way of Santo Domingo the act of transfer of Louisiana made to Spain; he will comply, in this respect, to the purposes of the king CHAPTER VIII LETTERS ABOUT THE INDIANS OCTOBER 8, 1764-NOVEMBER 9, 1764 JOHNSON CRITICISES THE LORDS OF TRADE'S PLAN - ESTIMATE OF THE VALUE OF THE FUR TRADE - CAPTAIN MORRIS SENT TO THE ILLINOIS PONTIAC PROTECTS HIM - GAGE CRITICISES BRADSTREET FOR MAKING A TREATY - THE DUPLICITY OF THE SHAWNEE MATERIAL FOR BATEAUX ON THE OHIO PONTIAC RECEIVES A LETTER FROM THE FRENCH GAGE REPORTS TO LORD HALIFAX. JOHNSON TO THE LORDS OF TRADE, October 8, 17641 MY LORDS JOHNSON HALL, October 8th 1764 A few days ago I had the honour to receive Your Lordships letter of the 10th of July last with the Plan for the future Management of Indian Affairs which I consider as Judicious, as the Subject is important & necessary to the American Colonies. I have carefully examined & canvassed every Article of it, & in obedience to your Lordships I herewith enclose you my Sentiments Article by Article thereon, to which I have annexed as exact an Account as the time could possibly admit of, the Annual Quantity of Goods necessary for the Trade of the Indians in my Department with the Duties I imagine such Trade will bear, the Manner which occurs to me as best calculated and least burthensome for collecting the same, and an Estimate of the Annual Expence of the Several Establishments, Presents, & Contingencies of the Northeren Department of Indian Affairs. I could heartily have wished it in my power to have clearly and particularly described the Annual Quantity of goods sold to the Indians, and Peltry Received from them, the first for the reasons assigned in my remarks, cannot at present be ascertained, and the 1 Printed in New York Colonial Documents, 7:657 et seq. 2 Printed ante, 273. latter I apprehend cannot be justly known but by inspecting the Custom House Books, for, as before the reduction of Canada we enjoyed but a moderate Share of the Fur trade, it is to be considered, that we were only beginning to establish ourselves in the sole possession of it, and the Indians but beginning to settle and apply themselves to hunting at the breaking out of hostilities, which unfortunately for this Country put a period to Commercial Expectations, which a more intimate acquaintance with the more distant Nations gave reason to hope for, & which, nothing else could have prevented, on due Consideration of all which, your Lordships will I presume, excuse my only being enabled to transmit an Acct of the Value of Goods (as purchased at the cheapest rate here) Necessary for an extensive Trade, with the Number of Indians, which I am confident require them, & reside within my Department. In this Estimate I have made the Number of Hunters but ten thousand, wh is much less than the Number of Men in these Several Nations, exclusive of the Sioux, with whom an Advantagious Trade may soon be opened, and I have added the necessary goods for a like Number of Women, together with a Suppositious Sum for the Children, without making an Allowance for the consumption of the Old People &ca, least I should advance Articles at too great an uncertainty, notwithstanding there are annually goods purchased by them, or for their use, and I have placed the quantity for each Man, & Woman, on an Average, because tho some Hunters will much exceed, So others will fall short of purchaseing the Quantity I have mentioned. The reasons assigned in my Remarks for the Sale of Rum appeared so convinceing to me, that I could not avoid recommending it, and at the same time with the utmost deferrence to your Lordships Sentiments I have presumed to compute the Quantity on an Average, the like has been done with regard to Silver Trinkets, Paint & because these are Articles which greatly depend on the Disposition of each Indian, Some purchaseing more, others less, according to fancy. Paint, that is Vermillion, is much esteemed & has a great consumption amongst both Sexes; Silver being a durable Article, tho often lost and broken by them I have allowed accordingly; the Amunition is calculated at a moderate rate for a Hunter, and Arms, at not quite a third of the Number of Men in the Estimate; at which rate the Consumption will nearest amount to, the rest of the Articles being always annually required, are determined with more exactness; My reason for valueing the goods at the Prices contained in the Estimate, is, that the much greater part of the Traders purchase goods in the Capitals of the Colonys, at the usual rates of which they are calculated, the difference between the small Remainder imported for the Acct of the Traders themselves will be easily made up by the Sums which many others pay who purchase at a third hand. The occasion of my computeing but 10,000 Hunters is, that many Tribes within the Department particularly those amongst the Settlements & in their Neighbourhood have greatly disused that practice, partly thro their imitateing the manners of the Inhabitants, but cheifly by reason that Game begins to grow verry scarce, and gradualy abandons the Country as the plantations encrease and Settlements are made in the Woods, a Circumstance which cannot happen in many Ages amongst the more remote Indians. Another reason for my fixing on that Number is, that many of the Inhabitants of the Frontier Counties in these Colonies keep Goods & liquor which they Sell to the Indians particularly such as live at no great distance, I can at present recollect near 30 such Houses at & in the neighbourhood of the Mohawks River within this County, and so soon as the Trade is again fully opened they will encrease in all parts. These People sell at their own extravigant [sic] rates, blinding the Indians wth one Article at a small price, whilst they take what they please on another, and as they are Subject to no Inspection, neither is there any Law can be expected here to suppress them, I have in the annexed Estimate made a rough Calculation of the duty on an average, which they might pay Supposing 200 Such houses thro'out the Northeren District, wh I look upon as short of their Number. If that Scheme should not be Judged adviseable, & that your Lordships will Judge it best to suppress them by a Law, the Consumption at some of the Posts will encrease, so that that Duty will become payable by the Traders. In my Observations on the 2d Article of the Plan I have given my Sentiments with regard to the Boundary of the Districts. I shall only observe that I conceive the Ohio from the Mississipi upwards, thence up the Catewaba River & an Easterly line (wh would be verry short) to the great Mountains, would I think make a good boundary, As none of the Northeren Indians are at present beyond it. I have Stated my Sentiments fully wth regard to the Posts, which |