The assertion in the ninth Paragraph, that there are now upwards of one Thousand Families settled on the West side of Connecticut River in consequence of the said Grants is as great.an untruth as any set forth in the whole Petition; There is not the half of that number there, nor do I really believe the quarter part ; I have already shewed in what manner the settlements there are. carrying on, but the real land holders of the greatest part of that country actually reside in. Boston and Connecticut Governments, and so far from being turned out of Possession as is set forth in the Petition, that the greatest part of them never were there ; They have been invited to settle there, by all the encouragement this Government could give, but it is stilla

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matter of doubt as to. great numbers of them, whether they ever had any intentions of residing there or not ; Two persons agents for some others who came to Town yesterday to solicit a Grant of two Townships under the New Hampshire charters, (whose claims have been laid above a Twelve month but were never proceeded on) have confirmed what I now write in regard to the number of Families, and have declared ingenuously to me that there are no settlements on the Lands they came now to Claim, nor were there any ever made in consequence of the former charters, but that if the Governmt would indulge them in their Grants they would proceed immediately to the making of Improvements, and this is the case with the greatest number of them ; These men who both reside in the Boston Government informed me that they were solicited to join in this Petition but refused it, as many of the most considerable people there had done already, and were not a little surprized at some of the bold assertions in it which they themselves know to be false.