The Council expressed their Approbation of the Attack proposed by the General upon Crown point and Niagara as being undoubted encroachments made by the French upon his Majestys Dominions in America and gave it as their Unanimous Opinion that Coll. Johnston was the properest person to have the Command of the Expedition against Crown point. They also agreed to the necessity of strengthening the Fort and reinforcing the Garison at Oswego, and advised the building of two Vessels of sixty Tons upon the Lake Ontario with all possible Dispatch according to a

SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON. 651

Draught to be sent by Commodore Keppel who desired that an account might be laid before him of the cost of 'em and undertook to defra}^ it and it was agreed tliat the direction of the affair should be Committed to Gover"" Shirley.

It was likewise unanimously agreed that in case of the Reduction of Fort Duquesne whatever Garison the General should think proper to leave there, should be maintained, and the expence of additional works which he should think necessary to make there, should be defrayed by the Governments of Virginia Maryland, and Pensylvania, and that if the General should think it necessary to build a ffort upon Lake Erie, and to order one or more Vessels to be built for the Defence of that Lake, that the expence attending both those measures should likewise be defrayed by those three Governments.

Examined

W. Shirley Secr^y.

COMMISSION APPOINTING COL. JOHNSON MAJOK GENL.

By His Excellency William Shirley Esq''. Captain General and Commander in Chief in and over his Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New Erigland, and the Lands and Territories thereon depending. Vice Admiral of the same, and Colonel in his Majesty's Army. To William Johnson Esquire' Greeting.