farmers crops this year, and the particular obligations, I was under to the steadyness & good behavior of so many Leading Men amongst them which I was under the necessity of rewarding over & beside the present, but particularly the distress they were in for cloathff, from the total want of Ind". Goods, have encreased the Expence of this Congress much beyond my Inclinations, but as it was unavoidable, I trust all things considered, It will be found cheap, salutary & advantagious to his Majestys Interest, without a due regard to which I should not have incurred it.

The rest of the proceedings which consisted in the Ratification of the Treaty at Fort Stanwix, and the subject of Grievances will require my saying some little upon. As to the first, your Lordship will observe sufficiently from the publick conferences, the satisfaction Expressed by the Ind^. at the whole of that Treaty with the resolutions they have taken to render it permanent & acceptable to all their Dependants. The latter are only the principal Grievances which were spoken in pubhck, besides which there were many others of an Inferior Nature not inserted, as they would have added much to the bulk of my Transactions & might

SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON. 975

be deemed unworthy the attention of Government, -- they nevertheless gave me much Trouble, & occasioned great delay, which was of most concern to me, as the daily maintenance of such a number of Ind^. amounted to a large sum, to abridge which I gave them my whole time both by Day & Night, & thereby considerably shortened the Time of our Setting.