constitutions. His Excy. is sorry that you have incurred any extraordinary expense, of which in the present instance he cannot perceive the necessity. It certainly is not his intention to curtail your salary while in actual service, and he has not given his instructions for its being discontinued. I have reason to believe, Sir, he is much pleased with your exertions at the Salt Springs, and is happy that the prospect of their proving liberally advantageous to Government is so favorable, but H. E. expected to have received more frequent reports from you at different times relative to the progress that you had made in this undertaking, and that you will be so good as to attend to this in future.

I presume you may retain the stove during the winter, at least, till I receive His Excy's commands to the contrary, you will undoubtedly prevent its sustaining any injury.

H. Excy. has not objected to you occupying Mr. Kerr's house, and indeed you have his permission to do so, but I am desired to refer you to Lieut. Pilkington of the Royal Engineers, and if there are any general reasons for your not taking possession, he of course, will state them to me for the Lieut. Govr's information.

Mr. McDonnell.

Salt Springs, Grantham.

I am, &c.

E. B. LITTLEHALES.

COPY OF A LETTER FROM COLONEL ALEX. MCKEE TO JOSEPH CHEW, SECRETARY OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DATED

Dear Sir,

MIAMIS RAPIDS, 15th NOVR. 1793.

Since my letter to you of the 20th October, so great a variety of Reports have been sent to me from the Glaize of the situation and strength of the American Force now in the Indian Country, that it is impossible for me to ascertain any thing certain respecting it for the information of the Commander in Chief, and the Superintendant General & Inspector General of Indian Affairs. If however any thing of importance should happen after the close of the navigation, I shall endeavor to forward an Express to the Head Quarters of this Province from whence it may be transmitted to you by a like means. It is proper for me to mention nevertheless that the last accounts brought here last night, state the Army to be within a day and a half's Journey of the Glaize.

I am with great esteem & sincerity Dr. Sir,
Your most obedient & very humble Servant

A. MCKEE.

Joseph Chew, Esqr.

RETURN OF EXPORTS FROM DETROIT TO MICHILIMACKINAC AND THE FALLS OF ST. MARY, &c., &c., ON BOARD THE PRIVATE VESSELS BETWEEN THE 15th OF APRIL AND

I have been favoured with your several letters of the 11th, 12th, 13th instant and have laid the same before His Excellency the Lt. Governor with their inclosures; I reenclose to you Mr. McCrea's Letter & Memorial; and the Certificate with His Excellency's signature to remove the reserves leading from Burlington Bay to the Thames.

I have the honor to be

Sir

Your most obedient

humble servant

E. B. LITTLEHALES.

D. W. Smith, Esq'r.
A.S.G.

Endorsed: Major Littlehales, 22 Nov'r '93, Sur. Gen. Dep't. D. W. S. Entered Bk. Lett. rec'd. Page 300. T.R.

To be entered.

(Certificate)

In order to the facilitating the opening the Road from Coot's Paradise to Oxford on the Upper Forks of the River Thames, as well as encourage the speedy & close settlement of that communication, I have consented in Council, that the acting Surveyor General, might denote the Reserves on that Road, he taking especial care to make them up in some other part of the Townships.

J. G. SIMCOE

Lt. Gov'r

Endorsed: Certificate for the Acting Surveyor General to remove the Reserves, on the Road leading frm Burlington Bay & Coot's Paradise to Oxford, on the River Thames. Entered, page 297, Lett. rec'd. T.R.

(MSS. of D. W. Smith, Toronto Public Library, Series A, Vol. 8, p. 1, etc.)

FROM J. G. SIMCOE TO THE DUKE OF RICHMOND.

My Lord Duke,

YORK, Novr. 22, 1793.

I do myself the honor of transmitting to Your Grace the duplicate of my Letter of the 23d September.

I take this opportunity of observing to Your Grace that the Season having been so favorable, the Troops are hutting themselves at this Post with great expedition: from the selection of the material, I have reason to believe that they will build comfortable Barracks of logwork, which will last, it is presumed, for 7 years. This circumstance precludes the necessity of my transmitting estimates for stone Barracks, as in my dispatches I had intimated to Your Grace.

I think it proper to enclose to Your Grace, Lieut. Pilkington's estimate for the proposed store house and Blockhouse at York.

I have the honor to be with the most perfect Respect, &c.

The Duke of Richmond.
Master of the Ordnance.

J. G. SIMCOE.

INFORMATION FROM JOHN WATKINS, A DESERTER FROM U.S. ARMY.

POINT AUX CHENE MIAMIS RIVER. 26th Nov. 1793.

The Information of John Watkins, a deserter from the Army of the United States.

This informant states he was a soldier in the second United States Regiment, and deserted from the Army encamped at a Bridge six miles on this side Fort Jefferson on Tuesday the 12th Instant.

That the said army consists of about 2,500 men and that when he left it, they had nearly finished Huts to serve as Winter Quarters, that it was intended immediately after the Huts should be completed to build a log fort round the whole, that the Militia Forces amounting to about 1200, had returned home five days before he deserted.

That at the time he left the Army there was not more than 18 or 20 days Provision for it, but that an escort was preparing to be sent to fort Washington to get some forward.

That the loss of their horses taken by the Indians, and by death, has occasioned the scarcity and delayed the movements of the Army, and that it was owing to the smallness of the Ration which caused his deserting and the two others who accompanied him called Charles Whiting and Waldrum.

That there are 22 Howitzers with the Army & that two days before he deserted all the light horse were sent to Kentucky, except one company of about 50 men, which was detained for the greater security of General Wayne the Commanding general.

That it was the general conversation and belief in the Camp, before the scarcity of Provisions was so great that they were to winter in the neighbourhood of Detroit.

He further says that there are no Southern Indians with the Army except 9 Chickasaws.

I have just been honored with Your Lordship's Letter (No. 1) of the 7th October.

It gives me great satisfaction that Your Lordship thinks my Answer to Mr. Ogden to have been very proper. I shall in Obedience to Your Lordship's wish communicate from time to time every Information on the Progress of the Settlements in the Genesee Country, and that may in any degree affect the interests of the Provinces under your Lordship's Command.

The Major of Brigade, Captain Littlehales, being sent by me to Mr. Hammond thro' the Genesee last Winter, on his return, gave me the Journal of his Rout, which I beg leave to transmit to you; & as I have no time on account of the pressure of the Transport to Copy it; I request the favor of its being returned to me the ensuing Spring.

Your Lordship will be so good as to make allowance for a Journal merely meant for my private Information; in particular as Captain Littlehales is at Niagara.

The universal sickness which has prevailed in the Genesee has checked the Emigration through that district into Upper Canada; many persons now resident there have had Lands assigned to them by the Council within this Province;and it appears to be likely that there will be constant Emigrations from thence into Upper Canada. The Preference of the British form of Government is alledged by some for quitting the States, but the Oppression of the Land Jobbers, and the

uncertainty of the Titles is the more general Reason. The dread of the Indians has also its effects.

It is not impossible that the latter Reason for Emigration may have attracted the attention of Mr. Morris, and that his Influence may add to that very particular attention and anxiety which the Government of the United States have shewn to conciliate & win over the Six Nations to their Interests, and which till of late It seems most unaccountably to have neglected. I beg to state to your Lordship that when I was at Detroit, Colonel McKee shewed me a letter from a Person,2 who was then at Philadelphia, saying that Mr. Morris was or would be the owner of the Lands adjoining to Presqu' Isle, & intimating that Mr. McKee might have a large portion for himself or his Friends.-In conversation with Mr. Ogden He talked of the Settlement at Presqu' Isle as foreign to their views (Morris himself & Co.) & diametrically opposite to their Interests.

In regard to Mr. Pulteney's purchase, the Agent Bertzie,3 is now in Jail, as I apprehend for overdrawing on his Employers: and it was with difficulty that Mr. Williamson escaped from falling a victim to the dissatisfaction of the German Settlers. It is more than possible that by degrees these People will emigrate into Upper Canada.

I understand from various quarters that a petition is to be presented to the State of New York this session by the Inhabitants of the Genesee's requesting to become a new & independent State. It is given out that the Numbers who signed this Petition amount to Twenty Thousand.

Mr. Livingstone who was disappointed in the former purchase of those Lands from the Six Nations, is said to be at the head of this petition-by what I understand He by no means possesses the Abilities which in General characterize his Family. Rumour, as might be expected, gives out that these people are determined in case of failure in their Attempts, to place themselves under the Protection of Great Britain. The State of Connecticut is about to sell the Pre-emption Right to that Strip of land which lies upon Lake Erie, and which belongs to that Government. It is stated as such in Morse's Geography, and delineated in Sewel's Map. In respect to the Progress of Population & Agriculture on the North Side of the Lakes, and how near they approach to Toronto, on which Your Lordship desires to be informed, I beg to observe that in the course of this year many Grants have been made by the Council of this Province in strict adherence to his Majesty's Instructions; but that in general few Emigrations have taken place, nor from the distance which the Persons who have applied for Grants have to Convey their families could reasonably be presumed to take place untill the ensuing Summer.

The Settlements of this place whether It becomes the Capital of the Province or not will be attended with no difficulty nor dependant on a continued and thin chain of settlements between it and the Bay of Kenté.

The soil between this and Lake aux Claies (now Simcoe) is perfectly calculated for farming & before the summer the road of communication will probably be thickly settled-thirty families are now on the eve of being located in its vicinity, and there is but little doubt but that by this communication the North West Company will supply themselves with many of their heavy Articles, instead of by the circuitous Rout of Lake Erie. The Inhabitants will soon raise abundance of Provisions; in the mean time, they can procure them at a cheaper rate from the Bay 1 Robert Morris, the noted speculator in wild lands.

2 John Connolly.

3 William Berczy, who subsequently removed with a colony of Germans to the township of Markham.