Documentary History of the State of New York, Vol. II

Immediately upon my return home I sent Messages with Belts of Wampum thro' the several Nations, to acquaint them with my appointment, and to desire they would come down to my house with all possible dispatch j they came and herewith I transmit to your Lordi'P^ an authenticated copy of my proceedings at this meeting. Tho' I have not General Braddocks Instructions for doing this, yet I have wrote him I should take this honour upon me, and as he is at a great distance from any of our Sea Ports Towns, I doubt not but both your LordPP^ and the General will approve of this method.

In the monies I have laid out, in those I shall be obliged to lay out, I have and shall be governed, by the most prudent frugality, which circumstances will admitt of j my accounts shall be kept with all possible regularity, and an undeviatlng integrity shall govern my whole conduct.

I think it my duty to acquaint your Lordships with the following particulars relative to the department I am now placed in.

From the weakness of the public influence of this Colony over the confederate nations ; from the superior activity, attention and artful conduct of the French, the British Interest hath been long declining amongst these Indians.

From informations confirmed by my own observations and experience, I am convinced that several of the most leading Men in the upper Nations of this confederacy, had entered into engagements with the French, and would speedily have effected a general defection from us to them and joined the French against us, and I fear their example would have produced a total destruction of our interest amongst the confederate Nations.