man for such extraordinary Services as he has performed or undergone for the public Advantage, & which will appear in the next account of this Province.

I have the honor to be with great Respect, Sir,

Your most obliged & Obt Servant.

J. G. SIMCOE.

Addressed:-Private

To

The Rt Honble

Henry Dundas, &c., &c.

Endorsed: York, 30th Octr. 1793.

Lt. Govr. Simcoe.

R. 27th Jany, 1794.

Ansd.

Private.

FROM ROBERT WOOLSEY TO JOHN EDWARDS.

DETROIT, November 2, 1793.

Dear Edwards.

Inclosed you have several letters which I beg you will be so kind to deliver according to their respective directions and those for St. Denis you'll keep until you find an opportunity of sending them for I would by no means put my friends to any expence. There is likewise one for yourself of the thirteenth Ultimo in which I express'd my doubts of the Americans turning out this season but it is but too true that they are only at three days march from this and there arrived yesterday a batteaux load of goods from a small Creek call'd the Glaisse that emtys itself in the Miami River and brought accounts that the traders had remov'd to the foot of the Rapids, as the enemy was every day drawing nigh. However if they are not more carefull than they have been they will all be cut off before they get here for the Indians annoy them much on their march and kill'd sixty men and took forty Horses loaded with Goods. The Americans must certainly be a restless set of People for no sooner is one army destroyed than another springs up in its place. Remember me to Driscal.

Farewell,

Yours Affectionately.

ROBT. WOOLSEY, Jr.

Endorsed:-Mr. John Edwards, at Mr. Thomas Grant's, Merchant, Quebec,

Nov. 2, 1793. Recd. Dec. 3rd, 1793.

Sir:

FROM GEORGE DAVISON TO J. G. SIMCOE.

Received December 11th. SKENESBORO,1 Tuesday, 5th November, 1793.

I must rely on your indulgence for excusing a very brief acknowledgment of the communications you favoured me with under date York, October 18th and 19th which I will not fail to submit a more suitable answer to when opportunity will permit. I feel myself extremely obliged by the flattering testimony of your confidence in your private letter. My brother is under much obligation for what you express of him. I will assure him of that honor, viva voce, I hope in 5 weeks being now determined to go over from New York or other American Port after trying the effect of some mineral waters in the neighbourhood of Albany. In the purpose of addressing you again before I leave this Continent I have only to hope your views of encouraging the raising of Pork in Upper Canada may be promoted by the experiment of a purchase which I have ordered of from 100 to 500 barrels of 208 lbs. each, to be concluded with Mr. Cartwright. I had indeed anticipated your dispatch so far as to agree positively for the small quantity of 100 barrels and I should hope the full quantity of 500 will be obtained.

In haste I have the honor to be with high respect, Sir,

The Lords Commissioners of the Treasury have done me the honor to appoint me their agent for providing supplies of provisions for His Majesty's forces in North America, to be ready to issue on the 17th March, and I respectfully acquaint Your Excellency that the proper quantity for your Province will be shipped or provided accordingly. Permit me to assure you that together with unremitting regard to that economy which is necessary, I shall make it my first and constant attention to provide the different denominations of provisions of the best quality, satisfied that it is not less the wish of Government than it will be grateful to me to feed the King's soldiers well particularly those employed in foreign service, whose other comforts and resources are less likely to compensate for any want of this kind. It is impossible to prevent abuse and disappointments in shipments, particularly provisions and that from Ireland, but I venture to assure Your Excellency that no care and precaution within my power shall be omitted to guard against them. It is a business where the exertion of both head and heart is called upon. My experience in it 1 Now Whitehall, N.Y.

has been extensive, and I hope has enabled me to execute this business with equal advantage to the public as satisfaction to myself. I shall be happy to be favored with your observations on the quality of provisions, especially the Irish, in which we have formerly been cruelly deceived to the great disappointment of the service and heavy loss to the Contractors.

It is disgraceful to Lower Canada, where such plenty prevails and the hogs are numberless, that it has not been able to furnish good pork enough for 4 or 5,000 men. It were a great saving to Government and advantageous to me, if the people of your Government could fall on the way of making good pork. The profit of the Province and the Public benefit would both be promoted by that improvement.

Any ideas you will honor me with on this subject or any other, to benefit the King's service, which you are so zealous to promote, I shall consider myself highly obliged by.

Knowing how much you are the soldiers' friend, and so warmly interested in promoting the improvement of Upper Canada, Government would no doubt have perfect respect and attention to any future proposal coming from you. I do not presume to guess what time any supplies may be expected to be derived, not knowing the state or capability of the country.

I think it my duty to submit this idea to your better judgment, and that it may be an object deserving Your Excellency's consideration what saving it would be to the Government to be exempt from the charge of Irish provisions to Upper Canada, and what encouragement it might give to your infant settlement, if this expense were converted to act as a Bounty on the raising and curing provisions within the province.

In the first years though the prices might be high, or the quality not perfect, these evils however might be compensated and every year would be less and less; the provisions in Ireland will on the other hand in all probability be dearer and dearer. I have the honor to be with the greatest respect, Sir, Your most obedient and most humble servant, ALEXANDER DAVISON.

His Excellency Governor Simcoe.

Upper Canada.

Sir,

FROM E. B. LITTLEHALES TO C. ROBINSON.

YORK, Novг. 7, 1793.

It is His Excellency the Lieut. Governor's instructions that you take the earliest opportunity of consulting the Officer commanding the King's Troops at Kingston, and the Senior Officer of the Naval Department, upon the state of the timber on the several Islands in the vicinity of that place, and that you endeavour to find out, where it will be best to reserve such timber as may be hereafter requisite for His Majesty's Service, in order, that when applications are made to His Excellency for permission to cut wood for the construction of vessels to navigate Lake Ontario, His Excy. may be informed where it would be most advisable to grant indulgences to merchants and others for this purpose.

When you have procured all the information possible upon this Subject, you will be pleased to report to me, that I may communicate the same to His Excy.

His Excellency the Lieut. Governor wishes you would in the course of the winter execute the following plans:

The River Thames, exactly the same as the plan lately transmitted by you. The Survey of Long Point, and that of Lake Simcoe, of which Lieut. Pilkington will be so good as to lend you a copy of Mr. Aitkin's sketch.2

I am to request that in future, you will be pleased to instruct the Deputy Surveyors of this Province to keep Meteorological Journals, conformable to the one in the enclosed Gentleman's Magazine, such parts being omitted as are inapplicable to this country, and such remarks added as in your judgment may be useful, and to desire they will transmit them to you once in three months.

When those gentlemen are not stationary, it cannot be expected that they will be able to fill up all the columns, but they are to be directed to notice as many of them as may be practicable.

You will please to forward a fair copy of these Journals to the Lieut. Governor when you have received them. I have the honor to be, &c.

D. W. Smith, Esq.

Acting Surveyor General.

E. B. Littlehales.

Sir,

FROM J. G. SIMCOE TO HENRY DUNDAS.

YORK, UPPER CANADA, Novr. 10th, 1793.

Since the closure of my dispatch No. 19, I have had much conversation with Captain Brant and Colonel Butler on the Subject of the failure of the late Treaty. I am sorry to learn that the Lake Indians, namely the Ottawas, Poutawatomies

1 Christopher Robinson, born in Virginia, a grandson of John Robinson, a President of that Province; educated at William and Mary College at Williamsburg; went to New York on the outbreak of the rebellion and obtained a commission in the Loyal American Regiment, commanded by his kinsman Beverley Robinson; at the end of the war settled in Nova Scotia where he had received a grant of land; removed to Upper Canada and was appointed Surveyor of Woods and Forests. He represented Addington and Ontario in the Legislative Assembly from the election of 1796 until his death in 1798. Chief Justice Sir John Beverley Robinson was his son.

2 Alexander Aitkin had been a deputy surveyor for the district of Mecklenburg; he resided at Kingston, where he died about 1830.

& Chippawas have seceded from the Confederacy and, together with the Six Nations have transmitted to Congress proposals relinquishing the Ohio Boundary as stipulated by the Confederacy & claiming that of the Muskingum as delivered to Lord Dorchester in August, 1791, with some alterations rather advantageous to the British Interests.

Captain Brant was full of complaints against Colonel McKee, but which I have reason to believe are without any just grounds, and I suspect that the principle of disunion arose from this Chieftain. It does not appear that He expects that the United States will agree to this Second Boundary; and on my urging him to state what were his Sentiments should such be the case, his Answer was "that should the Boundary be refused the Confederacy would be again united-that he knew The Poutewatomies of St. Joseph had determined to obtain Peace at any rate, and that He thought of siding with them in not absolutely insisting upon the Ohio as the Boundary, as it might be the means of reconciling them to the general Interests." I have reason to believe that this artful Chieftain has made some such promise to the People of the States; He appears to be much agitated and dissatisfied with the prospect of Indian Affairs: However an event he did not expect has taken place, and the actual advance of General Wayne's Army which I have just received information of from Colonel England & Colonel McKee will probably be productive of decisive events.

What will be the conduct of the Six Nations it is impossible to ascertain;On the one hand they must lose their present possessions within the States should they take up Arms; On the other, should they suffer their Neighbouring Tribes to be crushed, they are sensible they can only protract their own destruction. The Lake Indians within the Boundary of the United States will more immediately perceive the consequence should the Shawanoes & Delawares who are migratory Tribes, quit the Country, as they will inevitably lose their Territory beyond the Lakes.

Whether in ballancing between these evils, these Tribes shall incline to act vigorously against the States, or to remain pacific or neuter, probably will depend upon the success of Mr. Wayne's inroad.

If the neutrality of the Six Nations should secure Presque Isle from being garrisoned It might possibly be more beneficial to the Confederacy than their open assistance; but I understand that the Pensylvanians claim that important Post, tho' on what pretension I am ignorant.

The variety of views that agitate the mind of Brant are to me apparent in his conversation, I have taken great care that He shall not find any reason for his defection from the British Interests in my Conduct tho' he has certainly taken very unjustifiable liberties to misrepresent the proceedings of this Government to the Agents of the United States, with the professed views of engaging Great Brit ain in a War, in which he constantly asserts she ought to assist the Indians.

I am as you may suppose, Sir, anxious for the important event of this Winter; but I have so long anticipated its consequences that I can add nothing further upon the Subject, than that the Establishments, the Military & Civil Posts, & the Force which I have mentioned to you as necessary for the Safeguard & Protection of this Province, the Bulwark of British America, derive additional strength from the necessity of awing the different Indian Nations who shall reside within the King's Dominions, from an Attempt on the Settlements, & of combining the Force & inereasing & regulating that attachment which may one day be essentially neces