The Indians at
fort Hunter have
got strongly diſaffected
towards Engliſh
Inſtructors
suppoſing the Deſign of the
Engliſh is to Inſtruct them and take away their Lands as
a Recompence. They have uſd
Calvin with such Language,
or rather he has
heard such Language amongſt them againſt
the Engliſh that he cant be willing to stay amongſt them
this winter. In
this Caſtle I am chargd with not keeping
my word to return within eight Weeks. My Blankets
have
are taken by y
e
Chief Sachem and sold for Liquor; and all
the
Recompence I can have is "you did not come back
within eight weeks the Time you talkd of. The Boys here
are so much offof
[illegible] the Notion of being Subject to your
Orders
that I can do nothing with them.
Abraham
major, indeed
I have not seen he is gone to
Schoharry;
little Abraham cant
come down before Spring on account of the Cold;
Moſes cant come till then becauſe he intends to bring down his
Coſen who cant come before Spring;
John has got
two horſses to feed. & both
[illegible] his Brothers being lateley gone
to War, he muſt do it himſelf and therefore cant go
with me to
Onoida. This however unexpected is in
fact the Caſe. It suprized me to find them so re
solvd. I
^had^ tried the force of every
[illegible][guess: thing] Motive I
could
think of to alter their Minds but as yet can prevail
Nothing. I have
mentioned your Expectations and their
obligations in gratitude to anſwer them. I have urg
d your Deſigns of making them men in the World & their
neceſaty of your Aſsiſtance to live like men; I have
told them the Consequences of their Staying here,
their
growing raged, living like Indians, danger of being undone
&c. I have tried my own Influence which once was
conſiderable, but nothing prevails they will not stir.
David Fowler has been down from
Onoida about a
fortnite ago and run in Debt above five Pounds
[illegible][guess: york] Money which I have paid for
him. from
Onoida I hear
that they almoſt
deſpair of my coming there this winter.
There is no such thing as gitting to
Onoida with a horſe
at preſent; I intend to settle things in the beſt Manner
I can here as faſt as poſsible and crop y
e Woods on foot
to
Onoida.
Cpt Butler to whom I am greatly obliged
for repeated favours, has
taken care (tho he did not go
as he proposd to
Onoida) to send me up several sorts of
Proviſion to
fort Stanwicks; which I here has got wet
and am much afraid it will be
[illegible][guess: all] be Spoild.
Mr Smith was taken sick at
Southhadley,
has the Gravil, I have but little hope of his ever
viſiting
theſe Parts again as his Diſorder wont admit
of much Rideing. I carleſsly came from your houſe
without
general Gages Commiſion, Should
Cpt
Buttler
viſit you this Winter as he intends if the Winter favours
with Sleighing pray
send it by him, he thinks twill
be of great Service to us. The Money I brought
will
not be Sufficient to carry us thro the Winter. if you
think proper we Should have more pray send it by
Cpt
Buttler. Tommorrow I intend for
fort hunter to
give
them some further Acquaintance with
your school
and Deſign, to set their minds a little at Liberty from
their Prejudices if poſsible.— Sir if I underſtood you
I had Liberty to send down some of thoſe
Mohawk Lads
which were so fond of coming laſt fall; but none
of
y[illegible] them Deſire to come before Spring, adviſe
me what you Deſire about them, before then
if poſsible; nomore at preſent.