them for the French spare;l neither pains or money upon these occasions, whilst we avoiiled both, & what little was given was so ill timed, and passed thro' the hands of such Avaricious, Ignorant & Slothfull managers, as rendered it of little or no purpose, S6 that whoever shall peruse the Records of Ind". affairs will find that their Complaints have been encreasing from the Comencem^. of this Century & their defect", from our Interest is as visible till at the breaking out of the late War they were totally alienated from our Interest At which time the Ind^. were so far imoroved in Knowledge & Avarice that their Services became very Expensive & some Gentlemen contributed thereto by unsuccessful! endeavors to acquire an undue Influence amongst them, The Western Ind^. even at this time were little known, and much prejudiced against us thro' the Suggestions of the French, & our own misconduct to those few who sometimes resorted to Osswego as I once before .related, and as for those who were better acquainted with us, altho' they still retained but a Slender Opinion of our Abilities, they nevertheless grew alarmed & suspicious on observing our encrease and the advancement of our settlements, which joined to a Dislike that had been gradually encreasing rendered the appointment of a Superintend^ extreamly necessary had no War broke out with France. The Conquest of Canada being compleated in 1760, we were to enter into alliance, which would make a Tenfold addition of Indians, Our Troops took possession of the Forts, in the' Western Country, & our Traders flocked thither with Goods. The French saw that they must share with other Colonies that Trade which they before held unrivalled, and many of them flattering themselves wuth the hopes of a Change & stimulated by interest spread false reports amongst the Indians, at the same time those residing in the Western Country & some of their Partizans who had retreated thither on the reduction of Montreal were very busy in alarming the Jealousies of these our new allies, occasioned a Geni.