under my Direction, excepting within the undoubted Limits of His Majesty's Territories. And I added that as I had the Honour to be acquainted with your Lordships's Sentiments concerning the Isthmus of the Peninsula of Nova Scotia, where the French have erected their forts, and the River of St. John's in the Bay of Funda, founded upon the Vouchers and Evidences produc'd by the Commissaries of both Crowns in the Negotiation at Paris, vizt that they are clearly within the Limits of His Majesty's Province of Nova Scotia, I suppos'd we might deem them to be so, notwithstanding the Claims of the French in their Memorials, which extend as far as the River Kennebeck to the Westward, and to the City of Annapolis Royal, as also part of the Lands lying between that and the Sea Coast of Nova Scotia from Cape Sable to Cape Canseau, to the eastward. I have the Honour to be with the highest Respect My Lords your Lordships' most Humble W. SHIRLEY. P.S. I inclose likewise to your Lordships a Copy of M. Du Quesne, the Governour of Canada's Letter in Answer to my Letter to him dated 22d of last October upon the Detention of some English Children as Slaves in Canada, a Copy of which last Letter, and of the Assembly's Message to me thereupon, I have before transmitted to your Lordships. Rt Honble the Lords Commissioners Lre from Wm Shirley Esqr Govr of the Massachusets WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE GENERAL COURT OF MASSACHUSETTS 1 Gentlemen of the Council and House of Representatives: Having received, in the Recess of the Court, some Dispatches, which nearly concern the Welfare of the Province, I thought it necessary to require a general Attendance of the Members of both Houses at this Meeting of the Assembly, that the Matters, contain'd in them, may have as full and speedy a Consideration as the Importance of them seems to demand. By Accounts sent from Richmond Fort and Declarations made before Me and His Majesty's Council by two of the Settlers at Frankfort upon the River Kennebeck, I am informed that in the Summer before last, a considerable Number of French settled themselves on a noted carrying Place, made Use of by the several Indian Tribes inhabiting that part of the Country in their Passage to and from Canada, being about 10 or 12 Miles wide which separates the head of the aforesd: River from that of the River Chaudiere, which last falls into the great River St: Lawrence at 4 Miles, and an half above the City of Quebec: and, from a Canada Indian, who quitted that City about 3 Years ago, on Accot. of his having incurr'd the Displeasure of the late Governour, and hath since resided in the Eastern parts of this Province for Protection. I have receiv'd further Intelligence that the French are settled very thick for 12 Miles on each Side of the said River Chaudiere at about 30 Miles Distance above the Mouth of it, and in the Midway between the River St. Lawrence and the beforementioned carrying Place, and the Captain of Richmond Fort in his Letter dated 23d. of last Janry informs me that the Norridgewalk Indians have declared to him “2 That they had given the New French Settlers, upon the 1 B.M., Additional Manuscript 32735, 119. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. 2 There is but one quotation mark in the original. Carrying place Liberty to hunt any where in that Country, as a Recompence for the great Service they will be of to them in a time of War with the English by supplying them with Provisions and Military Stores. The same Officer further acquaints in another Letter datd Feby 11th., that several Indians of the Arrassangunticook1 and some of Penobscot Tribe amounting together with the Norridgwalk Indians to 60 effective Men, besides Boys, capable of using Arms, were then lately arrived in the Neighbourhood of the Fort under his Command; and that tho' They assembled there on Pretence of Writing a joint Letter to me, as They have done, yet he had reason to expect, from their haughty inscient Behaviour, the repeated open Threats of some of them, and private Warning from others, That as soon as the Rivers should be free from Ice, They would commit Hostilities against the English, upon That, and the Neighbouring Rivers; in which they intimate They are to be assisted by a Number of French from Canada disguised like Indians; and in another Letter, dated the 10th. March he acquaints me, that the French Priest, Missionary to the Indians, of the River Kennebeck appear'd to him to be continually using Artifices to excite the Indians to prevent our Settlements from being extended higher up it; to set Them at Variance with the English, and dispose them to a War with Them this Spring. Most of these Accounts are confirmed by the Declarations of the before mentioned Settlers at Frankfort with these additional Circumstances, that the French Priest hath been very inquisitive after Roman Catholick Families in that Settlement, and used Endeavours to draw off some of the Inhabitants into the Service of the French, particularly for building a Chapel, and a Dwelling House for himself upon that River about 3 or 4 Miles above Cushana, and at the Distance of 24 from Frankfort, and been very industrious to This name is spelled in various ways by Shirley. Among the spellings Arsegunticook and Arreregunticook are used. They are more commonly known as the St. Francis or St. François tribe. persuade Them, that it was within the French Territories: and the Indians have further declared that they have been instigated by the Govr: of Canada to hinder the English from settling upon any part of the River, which is strongly confirmed by a Deposition of Capt: Lithgow, made in August last. Upon this Occasion, Gentlemen, I sent, as soon as might be, with the Advice of his Majesty's Council, the necessary Reinforcements of Men and Stores to all the Eastern Forts, issued Commissions for raising Six Independent Companies in the Township and Districts next adjacent to Them, with Orders for the Officers and Soldiers to hold themselves in constant Readiness to march upon any Alarm, to the Succour of any Neighbouring Fort or Settlement which may be attacked, to cut off the Enemy in their Retreat, and, in case they shall find that the Norridgewalk Indians have committed Hostilities, to break up their Villages and Settlements upon Kennebeck, and to kill or captivate all they can meet with of their Tribe. I likewise ordered an Officer, commissioned by me for that purpose, to proceed, by the first Opportunity, to the suppos'd place of the new French Settlement, in order to discover the Certainty and Circumstances of it, and to require the French Commandant to retire, and withdraw the People under his Command from that Spot, as being under His Majesty's Dominion and within the Limits of this Government. And I doubt not Gentlemen from your Distinguished Zeal for the Defence of His Majesty's Territories, and the Protection of his Subjects within this Government, upon all Occasions, but that, upon a Refusal of the French, to comply with that Requisition, you will make sufficient Provision for enabling me to compel Them with the armed Force of the Province to free it from their Incroachments. The Concern Gentlemen, which you expressed in your Message to me at Our Meeting in December last, upon Your Apprehensions of the imminent Danger which the Province was in from the French's having fortified Themselves upon the River of St. John's, close to our Borders, leaves me no |