what dependance he might have on any of their Castles joining
him, on the Services he may undertake, and we might also
know what Indians woud join the Crown Point Expedition,
the uncertainty of General Shirley's going to Oswego, before
the Arrival of the Commander in Chief gave me reason to
think calling them together could not interfere with the
Meeting he proposed holding with them there.
As I judged it necessary for his Majesty's Service to have
this General Meeting as early as possible I sent an Express to
Sir William Iohnson, and desired him to consult with the two
Mohawk Castles and any other Indians he might have with
him, and propose this meeting to them and if he found them
inclined to it, and that it would not be inconvenient to the
more distant Castles to send to them, and appoint the time for
their coming down to Albany or Schenectady, and to give me
the earliest notice that I might be up in time. By the same
express I wrote to General Shirley and gave him my opinion
and reasons for calling the Indians together, and desired he
woud consider them, and give Iohnson his opinion upon it,
my Express is not yet returned but since I sent him, I have
received a Letter from Sir William of the twenty third May
Inclosing an Extract of a Speech made him by a principal
Oneida Sachem, a Copy of which I here inclose you, the latter
part relates principally to a person living in your Government
whose conduct I dont doubt you will enquire into, I find the
Indians are full of Complaints against people of this M^cKees
cast, who take great pains in going among the Indians to Stir
up their lealously, forging strange Accounts, and Magnifying
the strength of the French, to such a degree, that must intimi-
date them, Sir William Iohnson acquaints me in this Letter
that M^r Hawley a Missionary to the Aughquage Indians informs
him "that there are a great number of Deserters from M^r
Shirleys and Sir William Pepperell's Regiments who keep up
and down the Susquahannah, and do a World of Mishief by
their malicious lyes amongst the Indians, there are several of
them among the six nations and endeavour to set them against
the English, One very lately got to Oneida and not only
endeavoured to enflame those Indians against the English, who
he told them were determined to cut them all off, but advised
them now Oswego was short of Provisions, to destroy the
Communication to that Garrison, he put the Oneidas into such
a ferment that Canaghquayeson (the Sachem who made the
Inclosed Speech) came down to me chiefly to enquire into these
matters, and to give me this Information."
I hope General Shirley upon the above representation that
Iohnson has made him, will offer handsome rewards to the
Indians to take up and carry to the Garrisons all those desert-