Читать книгу Papers Relating to an Act of the Assembly of the Province of New-York - Great Britain. Board of Trade - Страница 18

New-York, 1740.

SIR,

If you should be at the Pains to read these printed Papers, it will be a Pleasure to you to hear of the Success of the Measures taken by Governor Burnet for redeeming the Indian Trade out of the Hands of the French. He has succeeded far above our Expectations.

Governor Burnet, through his earnest Application, and at first chiefly with his Money, Credit, and Risque, erected a Trading-House and Fortification at the Mouth of the Onondagues River, called Osneigo, where the Province of New-York supports a Garrison of Soldiers, consisting of a Lieutenant and twenty Men, which are yearly relieved.

At this Place a very great Trade is carried on with the remote Indians, who formerly used to go down to the French at Monreal, and there buy our English Goods, at second Hand, at above twice the Price they now pay for them at Osneigo; whilst, at the same time, the French were chiefly supplied by one Gentleman at New-York, who almost entirely engrossed the Indian Trade of this Province, and thereby acquired a very great Estate and Influence. But the prudent Steps taken by our late worthy Governor, to open a free Trade, was the Cause of the Engrosser's losing his.—The Probability of doing this, was the principal Motive of our applying to the King, which is shown by these printed Papers.

The Indian Trade, to the great Advantage of this Province, is now divided into several hundred Hands, and there have been for many Years past upwards of one hundred young Men of this Province, who have gone yearly among the Indians, to supply them with our Goods.

By this means, at a modest Estimate, I am assured, that the Indian Trade of this Province is now far above five times as much as when Governor Burnet began to put his Scheme in execution.

And this is not all the Advantages reaped thereby, but a much more considerable one to this, and all the other English Colonies is, that not only our own six Nations, but also many far and remote Indian Nations are drawn off from their Dependance on the French, and made, by Trade and Intercourse, dependant on the English; by this means a great Security and Protection is acquired by the English, in case of a War with France; and by this Trade our Settlements in this Province are extended up to the Onondagues Carrying-place, which is now well attended with Waggons, for the more commodious transporting of Goods to trade in the Lakes.

And they are now settling on the Branches of Sasquehanah River; and from the western Branches of this River, there is but a small Land-Carriage to Allegheny, a Branch of that great River Misissippi; which Branch extending a thousand Miles from its Mouth, where it enters the said River; and which joins so near to our Settlements, as is above taken notice of, opens us a Trade to that vast Country, called by the French Louisiana, which they possess on the Misissippi.

I am,

SIR,

Your humble Servant,

J. A.