enquiring into their distinct Origin, for the Indians north of the St Lawrence those West of the Great Lakes with the few who inhabit the Sea Coasts of New England, & those again who live about the Ohio notwithstanding the respective distances between them Speak a language Radically the same & can In gen! communicate their Wants to each other; Whilst the Nations. who live in the midst of them, are Incapable of Conveyé a Single Idea to their neighbours, neither can they pronounce a Word of their langge with correctness. There is indeed some difference of Dialect amongst the 5 nations themselves, but this is little more than may be found in the Provinces of large States in Europe.

In particular the letters M and P which Occurs so frequently in the Languages of the rest, cannot be pronounced by the 5 nations without the utmost difficulty, & are notin their language.

But to proceed to what I have before proposed. The Indians taken Collectively did Certainly a few Centurys ago live under some more Order & Govt than they do at present--this may seem odd, but it is the Truth for their Intercourse in gen' being with the Lower Class of our Traders they learn little from us but Vices, & Their long Wars together with the Immoderate use of Spirituous Liquors have so reduced them as to render that ord* weh was first instituted unnecessary & impracticable. Add to this that since the reduction of Canada, their System of politicks is changed, Their Eyes are upon us, whom they consider as a people too formidable, & much of their Time is much spent in Intrigues of State to wceh other matters have given place.