Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1753-1761. 91

their mutual Security against the Hostile Attempts of the
Southern Indians upon them & creating a Dependency of
those Nations upon his Majesty.
If your Honour can Suggest to me any Amendment of this
Plan or other Measures for compassing this great Object, I
shall very gladly do all the Service I can in promoting them.
I have at the same time likewise Endeavoured to Induce
the Indians of the Six Nations to join with us in putting a
Stop to the Devastations of the Shawonese, Delaware, Sus-
quehana, and other Southern Nations within his Majestys
Western Colonies either by their Good offices & Authority
over them or if those should prove ineffectual by taking up
the Hatchet against them.

Lib. J. R.

& U. S.

Inclosed I send your Honour a Copy of the Minutes of a
Council of War composed of Governors and Field officers
according to his Majestys Instructions held at this Place the
12^th and 13^th Instant upon the operations of the next years
Campaigne, at which your Honour assisted, I doubt not but
you will recommend to the Assembly within your Govern-
ment in the Strongest Terms to Contribute their Just Quota
by Men and Money towards carrying so Salutary a Plan
into Execution; which if done with Vigour and in its proper
Season, they must be Sensible will lay the most lasting foun-
dation for the future Safety and Tranquility of their Prov-
ince and I can't but hope that the Outrages and Devastations
lately committed by the Enemy more or less within all his
Majestys Western Colonies will Convince the Assembly of
Maryland how essential it is for the welfare of his Majestys
Subjects within their Province that they should heartily join
in the Execution of this Plan which your Honour will be
Pleased to Communicate either in part or in the whole as
your Honour shall judge Proper and how loudly their Duty
to their King and Country calls upon them to do it.
Upon this occasion I cant but hope that the Province under
your Honours Government will consider how deeply it is
Interested in the event of the next years Campaign
I will not omit returning your Honour my thanks for the
Journy you took from Annapolis at so late a Season of the
year, and long attendance at this Place upon his Majestys
Service: and acknowledging my obligations to you for the
great assistance I have had in my Consultations with you
upon the most Essential and difficult points of it; which hath
put it into my power to promote it further than I am per-
swaded I should have been able to have done without it
I beg leave to assure you, Sir, that I shall ever esteem it
an happiness and Honour to me to maintain the Closest Cor-

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