I hope to meet some of the Delaware & Shawunese Indians there & if so, to talk over & settle matters with them on such a footing as may be very Beneficial to his Majestys service in general & the TranquiUty of the Southern Provinces in particular. Besides this general Meeting appears to be necessary on account of those uneasinesses & jealousies W-'^. the" Onondagas make mention of & which I find more or less prevails at present amongst most of the Indians of the Six Nations. One cause of which is from the Deserters of Gen'. Shirleys & S"". W"'. Pepperils B-egments in which are I apprehend a great number of Irish Papists & Transports who were enlisted from the back parts of Pensilvania & Maryland they desert from Oswego &. other Garrisons up this River, shelter themselves amongst the Indians of the Six Nations or pass thro their Country in their way to the back parts of those Provinces

SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, 721

fioni whence they were enlisted & where they have Acquaintances &, Confederates, from Malice & Policy, they pretend a great affection for the Indians, & invent Lying stories to justifie their quitting the service & ingratiate themselves with the Indians, who seeing they are surrounded by our present Armaments, being naturally prone to suspicion & the French continually working upon this their Disposition by false and artful representations of our views «& measures, render these Reports of the Deserters more credible & pernicious. I am informed there are great numbers of them amongst the Delaware & Susquahana Indians who have done a World of prejudice to our Interest. I represented this matter to Gen}. Shirley & proposed to him to impower me to offer the Indians handsome rewards for taking up & delivering such Deserters as may be or may come amongst them.