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. First, That in transactions with such a people at such a distance from Court, some Latitude was often given to his Majesty's servants, & that the same was never more necessary than on that occasion. Second, That my orders on that head seemed to be founded on a belief that the Cherokees Claimed a right to that Country, If this could be made to appear otherwise, of which I was certain, it removed that objection. -- Third, That the Inhabitants of Virginia laid Claims thereto in virtue of old purchases some of which had been formerly countenanced by the Crown, & that the back Inhabitants of that colony, who are a very encreasing & enterprising people, had a strong desire to establish themselves in that country, had already made many advances thereto, & in case the Indians had not ceded it would soon begin Settlements thereon, which would certainly be productive of a War. -- At the same time I was but