Johnson at the Conferences w^hich he held with them in July last, that nowithstanding they had sold the Lands abovementioned to the Proprietary of Pennsylvania, they would not part with more than half of them, and from their earnest request that the English might not be suffered to make any further Purchases, but that the Indians might be allowed to keep their Lands for themselves, there is great reason to believe that the making any settlement within the Limits described in the Deed of 1726, would give them the greatest uneasiness and Dissatisfaction.

That your Majesty may be the better enabled to judge of the Expediency or Inexpediency of such a measure. We beg leave shortly to state to your Majesty the Nature and Situation of this Tract of Country, the real unportance of which to the six Nations will best appea/, if We consider it in two lights, 1, as Hunting Lands, 2diy. as a great pass in the tract of the Indian Country.

As to the first Point, the Inhabitants of this Country are Hunters, and as the Interests of a commercial Nation, in which it is to be VOL. II. 45

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protected and by which it may be commanded, is its Trade, so the great and main point with regard to these hunting Nations, if the expression may be allowed, is to have the Command of the hunting Grounds, which so far as regards the Beaver, the most valuable Bianch of it, lie in the Environs of the great Lakes.