His Majesty observes by General Gage's letters, received at the same time with your's, that you have estimated the expence of running the boundary line at no less a sum than ^£10,000 Sterling, which, without knowing the ground on which this calculation is made, appears to imply demands on the part of the savages, which cannot but be thought very unreasonable, when it is considered that the settlement of this business has been so long earnestly sohcited by them, and that the line proposed does in many places preclude from settlement lands that were before supposed not to be contested by them, and does in others add less to His Majesty's dominion than what themselves proposed in the negotiation with you in 1765.

If however, notwithstanding all the attention His Majesty is

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persuaded you will give to CEconomy, in resisting every exorbitant demand, such expence is to be incurred, and the gratifications to the Indians on this occasion are so far to exceed what might reasonably have been hoped for, it becomes highly expedient that the colonies interested in this measure, and whose limits of settlement are extended by it, should be early apprized of what will be required, in order that they may make timely provision in proportion to the benefit they are respectively to receive from it ; for it cannot, upon any grounds of reason or justice be expected, that this Kingdom should take upon itself the whole, or indeed any part, of the expence of a measure calculated for the local interests of particular Colonies.