In order to this, permit me to remind your Lordship, That in former Letters I shewed that between the first mention of a Bonn dary Line (which was soon heard of throughout the Colonies) and my receiving orders for concluding it, so much time had elapsed as gave our Enemys opportunity to misrepresent our Intentions to the Indians, so that after procuring and Transporting a large valuable present to the place appointed for the Congress I found the Indians' sentiments so much altered as to render the success of my negociations very doubtfull. Under the disadvantageous Circumstances I was obliged to act as the Exigency of affairs required, and the apprehension of being obliged in some measure to deviate from my Instructions gave me great uneasiness. My health, already reduced to a very low state from severe fatigue in his Majesty's service, was on this occasion rendered much worse by being obliged to sit whole nights generally in the open woods in private Conferences with the leading men. As here the princi-

944 MANUSCRIPTS OF

pal matters are first agitatetl, and the sentiments of the rest best known, I found that their jealousy was not to be removed but by permitting them to make mention of tiieir claim extending to the Cherokee Kiver. At this time I had suggested nothing to them on that subject, but as from ihe Circumstances of time, & place, the greatest part of the Transactions at these private Conferences can never be committed to writing & if they were their enormous bulk would render them unfit to be transmitted. These Conversations and previous Transactions did not make their appearance in the Copy I transmitted, which according to the Custom hitherto observed contained only the public Treaty, & therefore it might have been imagined that this was of my first suggesting whereas I was obliged to admit the mention of their Claim thro' necessity in consequence of what had passed, & as that was the case I co'^ not I am certain have given them a more favorable Idea of his Majesty's goodness than his declining so fine a Tract to remove the possibility of Dispute, rather than from a Doubt of their Title & I have since repeatedly found that this was highly pleasing to them, but as they came with fixed resolutions on that head, which I have already observed, & as I co*^ not put off, or wait the farther Sense of Gov* thereon, without Consequences for which I could never make attonement I was compelled to act as I did & I thought my Conduct farther justified on the following principles.