274 Assembly Proceedings, October 6-November 6, 1725.

U H. J.

the Legislature to annul and make void his Deed and totally
to restrain any kind of Alienation for the Nanticoke or Chop-
tank Indian lands for the future whether by Lease or pur-
chase for the frequent Complaints of the Indians to the Gov-
ernour and Councill as well as to the two houses of Assem-
bly have arisen either from Purchases Leases or other In

croachments made upon the Indians Limits the Source of all
our Late Differences with the Indians. For prevention
whereof and to put an End'to all those disputes which have
been a great Interruption to Business and A vast Charge to
the Publick of this province the Legislature Impowered the
Governour for the time being to appoint Commissioners to
ascertain the bounds of the Indian lands and for Determin-
ing all differences between the English and them in pursuance
whereof Philemon Lloyd Esq^r Coll^o Richard Tilghman and
Coll^o Matthew Tilghman Ward in November 1721 did lay
out and Ascertain the Exteriour boundaries of the Choptank
Indian lands reserved to them by the Act of Assembly Anno
1669 marked A. A. and Considering how small a part of that
Large Tract of Land either by Sales Leases or other En-
croachments made by the English was then left to those
Indians to make Corn upon The Commission" aforesaid
thought it a part of their Duty and for the publick Service of

p. 107

the Country to give such publick notice to the Inhabitants
Contiguous to the Indian tract aforesaid (of which Isaac
Nicholls was one) as might prevent the purchasing Leasing
or any other means of dispossessing the Indians of that little
remainder of plantable Land which is now left them

It appears to this Comittee that Isaac Nichols little regard-
ing the friendly Caution given by those Comissioners nor that
the Tract of Land of which he hath purchased a part was
Claimed by Major Nicholas Sewell and a Negotiation then
on foot in both houses of Assembly for the purchase of the
Same at the Publick Charge made the purchase menconed
in his Case and partly by Intoxicating Liquors and partly by
a Sum of ready Cash deluded the Chiefs of those Indians into
a Sale of their Lands which said Sum of Money with a Com-
plaint of his manner of bringing about the bargain was Im-
mediately brought by those Indian Chiefs unto Philemon
Lloyd Esq^r and by him directed to Apply to the next General
Assembly for their relief.
It appears further to this Comittee that those Indian Chiefs
did apply themselves to the Legislature in Octo^r 1722 and laid
their Complaints together with the purchase money they
had received from Isaac Nichols before the Governor and
Upper house of Assembly whereupon A Message was sent to