reaching through tins lake the Illinois, and surmount by this communication with ships many of the difficulties experienced in the Rivers in consequence of the

number of portages.

Being masters of

these two lakes and cruizing there with our vessels, the English would lose the Beaver trade in that quarter, of which they have abundance.

A durable peace with the Iroquois Indians would be more advantageous to the Colony than prosecuting a war ; but this Nation has assumed such excessively insolent and haughty airs towards

all

the other tribes against whom they wage war and at whose expense they daily increase ; and joined to that, the odds they have had from a disadvantageous peace concluded last year with us, has placed

them in a position that, Ave may be assured, they will break with us on the first opportunity. It is yet more certain that if they be not checked, they will reassume their former insolent air the moment there will be no more troops in this country, however they may promise us at present, and will no doubt insult us, and subject us to all possible outrage. It is necessary, then, to examine the most certain means of destroying and conquering their five villages, which according to the above estimate, may bring into the field about two thousand men bearing arms, and in a condition to go to war. I consider that what troops we have, and what militia we can collect together, if we had them all with some of our Savages, would suffice to attack them but as it is not sufficient to make them let go their foot, and it becomes necessary to deprive them of all means of disturbing us in our settlements, we must not go after them to chastise them by halves but to annihilate them if possible.