Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1692-1694. 5 25

further treaty & Entering into a League with them if it shall
then appear that they are Friends & come in the way of peace
of w^ch we shall also duly advise your Excellency in the mean
time & upon all occasions we are
Your Excellencys affectionate Friends
To his Excellency & Servants
Benj^a Fletcher Capt L C
General & chief Governor N B I A
of their Majestys Territory N G T B
of New York D B I C
Present

Maryland April 11^th 1693
Sir
Your Excellency has we understand been already informed
by our Governor of some strange Indians coming & seating
among us at the head of the Bay & that there was with them
a Frenchman supposed or suspected to be one Mons^r Casteene
a grand Villain & Enemy to our Nation we have since & this
very day had him & some of the great men of the Indians
before us under Examination & the Frenchman we find not to
be the man expected the Indians declare themselves a sort
of people or Nation called the Stabbernowles formerly driven

Liber K.

away by another Nation to the Westward called the Twit-
tatweese & forced farr to the Southward, where for a consid-
erable time they have lived & now Come (as they pretend in
the way of peace to live under our protection but what credit
to give them or how far to trust them we are at a stand & not
yet resolved but at present have concluded to suffer them to
sit still & treat them friendly until the Assembly sit on the 20^th
of May next to whose further & more strict Examination we
have thought fit to refer them & have then appointed them
to Come & treat of a peace & Entring into a League of
Friendship with us if it shall then appear that their pretences
are real & that they come in the way of peace

We have & do daily receive no small trouble from the
Insufferable insolent carriage & behaviour conspiracies &
contrivances of our Popish adversaries & other dissafected
psons to their Majestys Interest & Government here within
this Province which we have hitherto endeavoured to stiffle &
suppress by following the most moderate & gentle measures
we could but are forced now at last to make use of somewhat
more strict means to effect it upon the most notorious
Offenders
In our Inquisition to find out the Principal Authors &
Actors in our disturbances we come to see your Excellency
as well as our selves has not escaped the lash & censure of

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