Your most obedient, humble Servant,

Thqs. Gage, Sir W™. Johnson Bar^.

THE SAME TO THE SAME

New York Janry. 23th. 1767.

Dear Sir,

I am fiwored with your's of the 15 'h Ins* with the Receipt you was pleased to sign, M^". Croghan is here and just setting out for Philadelphia, as you will have heard from him, I need not mention his Transactions. The Temporary Receipt given by M^'. Wharton will now be cancelled and returned to him.

From all I can pick up, out of the Many acc^s. received from all Parts concerning the Ilinois, and the Mississippi in general, very little Benefit is likely to arise to Great Britain from the Trade thereof. Some British Manufactures may possibly be disposed of, but as long as Skins and Furrs bear a high Price at New-Orleans, they will never be brought to a British Market. The Indian Trade in general from the observations which I have made, will always go with the Stream ; and the whole will either go down the S'. Lawrence or Mississippi Rivers. I don't find that the Furr Trade in these Colonys is at all increased Since the Reduction of Canada.

I am quite sensible of the Irregular Behavior of the Traders, and have intimated to his Majesty's Secretary of State what I told the Board of Trade four or five years ago ; that they must be restrained by Law, and a Judicial Power invested in the Officers Commanding at the Posts, to see such Law put in Force. And without this, Regulations may be made, but they will never be observed. As for the Traders from the Ilinois I have given orders to seize them and their Merchandize whenever it can be done, but you will know the Difficulty of this as well as Myself.