Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1753-1761. 165

on him that he thereafter entertained Thoughts of leaving
Maryland, and going back that he was afterwards confirmed
in that Resolution by another Conversation that happened at
Darby Tools — When M^cDonald told him that he had no
more Work for him, this Informant says he hired himself
to one Darby Tool a Catholic, and worked for him about a
ffortnight, that he afterwards served one Thomas Burgen
8.. or 9.. Days, and then worked 10.. or 12.. days for one
Joseph Renshaw, a protestant in that Neighbourhood: This
Informant says also that happening after he had worked
there to go to Darby Tools for his Wages in Company with

Lib. J. R.

& U. S.

M^cDonald, at whose House he lodged, he met the priest
there, and was in Company with him more than half an
Hour that much was said by the Company and particularly
by M^r Neale at the time concerning the Act of Assembly for
disarming Catholicks that M^cDonald had before told him of,
and that the priest spake much again about the Riches of
the ffrench Nation, and to the same purport that he had
before at M^cDonale's that the Informant before the Com-
pany broke up declared his Inclination to go back to the
ffrench Settlements, and that the priest thereupon said such
a step would be much better than to work here for a Shilling
or eighteen pence a Day, that he might be there able to live
comfortably, that he was sure the ffrench would use him well
and that as the Indians all traded with the French, he did
not apprehend that he would find much Difficulty in getting
to Venango, this Informant moreover saith that the priest
asked him at the same time when he proposed to begin his
Journey and said " If I see you before you go I will give you
a Letter or Letters" the Informant says that 4 or 5 days
after this as he was going from M^cDonalds at one Ashmores
for a Bottle of stilled Liquor, M^r Neale met or overtook him
in the Road that leads to Wheeler's, or the Chappie, and the
Informant taking off his Hat the priest asked him how he
did and when he intended to set off, on the Informants an-
swering in three or four Days, he says the priest took out a
packet & gave it him saying "If you reach Venango as I
doubt not you will, deliver this to the ffrench Commandant
who is a fat, jolly, Man, with one Eye and is called " "
The Informant says the Priest also charged him to shew the
Letters to no Body, nor to say any thing of them, asked him
whether he had Money to bear his Expences and on his say-
ing he had not much gave him a pistole, wished him a good
Journey, and repeated again that he might depend on being
well received and esteemed, the Informant saith that he
never saw M^r Neale since that time, that he tarried after
that 3.. or 4.. Days at M^cDonalds, and Tools, then left the

p. 138