As I have great Confidence both in the fidelity and Abilities of sevi of these Deputies I have good hopes that when they meet those Nations to whom they have been sent, they will be able to defeat any dangerous Schemes or Resolutions which are yet in View in that Country, and awaken those Nations fears who have given Offence to the Northern Confederacy, which will prove a Suflficient check to their other designs, and if I am disappointed in my Expectations It must be thro' some Accident or Occurrence against which no provision can be made at this time.

The Apprehensions which I long since communicated of a Union between the Northern and Southern Indians, and which your Lordship makes particular mention of in your Letter N^. 14. is really a matter of the most Serious Nature, for if a very Small part of these people have been capable of reducing us to such Straits as we were in a few years Since, what may we not Expect from such a formidable alliance as we are threatned with, when at

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the same time it is ^vell known that we are not at this time more Capable of defence, If so much, as at the former period. This is in some measure the consequence of their becoming better acquainted with their own Strength, and united Capacity to preserve their importance and Check our advances into their Country, for at the beginning of the late War through the rapid advances for sometime made by the French &ca, The Indians did really conceive that we should be totally reduced, but as they discovered the increased population of this Country, even in the midst of itvS distresses and that our Army was Still recruited with fresh Regiments, their sentiments altered ; They began to entertain more respectable Ideas of us & of our Resources, and thro' the imprudence of our own People & their Natural Suspicions, have gradually become more & more alarmed for themselves, Tho' they still believe that it is in their power to give us such a Check as may prevent us from attempting what they apprehend we have in View.