Documentary History of the State of New York, Vol. II
LIEUT. GOV. LEISLER. 245
have sent up 250: men more, & sent out 50 men to shout & watch the french wee discovered 12 tracks of them & gave tymlie notice wheupon all the stragelt people were ordered to come in the Citty, which was punctually obeyed except tuo families who would first prepare a diner & so were surprized, & the s<l eleaven killed & captivated, we have appointed a day here to send Commissioners from all the Government to meet & consult & negotiate about the warre, which was assured by some & others with slow & frivolous excuses, at last was a vessel taken whereof your honor hes a inclosed besides we have here a privateer with 24 gunnes 150 men who engage to goe with a Briggantine eight gunnes four pitteraroes 70 men, one sloope with four gunes tuo pitteraroes & 50 men by us equipped for td attack Quebeck, Boston hes armed considerably some ships & other vessels for to take port royall a very inconsiderable place, & puts us in hopes they will send them for Canada, but would not engage it. It is certaine as your honor remarkes It is now the tyme, the same now to loose or neglect may cause the next generation to curse us, our fletch please God will be ready within 3 or 4 dayes our people by our result is at Albany by them of our neighbors but eighty men, we have people well versed in the Indian tongues, we send to live amongst them to observe the french motion I had here one of the chiefest Indianes with whom I have treated & so possessed that he himselfe is gone to all the Indianes prevailed & corroborated their enmity agt the french which hes taken so good effects, that we got newes from our Commissioners dated 8'^ may whereof here is the very words the great business of the Indianes is concluded & have answered our propositiones satisfactorily, with 1800 men amongst the five nationes of which a more particular account wee shall send to morrow to which we shall joine 600 men, I have detained the bearer tuo dayes to ?end your honor the particulars, but the hory kames storms will be neer when he may arryve at Barbadoes, thought not good to detaine him longer, we have advice by the french prisoners that there is troops out to make an attempt near us, wherefore we are upon our guards, & if some surprise should happen the people living so scattered would cause them to fly here, & make provisipn