MEMOIRS, &c. 



331 



than they did this year. Indeed, beyond the 

 mountains in Virginia and Pennsylvania, there is 

 a great variety, that I saw; and the inhabitants 

 say, the ground is covered with delicate blue 

 flowers in the spring, which are not to be found 

 after the hot weather comes on. When I first 

 began to find many curious seeds, I wrapped them 

 up in paper separately, and put them into my 

 leather bags; but in riding and shaking, they 

 fretted the paper and mixed together. So, after- 

 wards, I gathered altogether as I found them, 

 which I send to you all mixed, and as they are 

 most of them perennials, I suppose they will do 

 well enough sown together." p. 120, 121. 



" I am greatly obliged to thee for thy necessary 

 present of a suit of clothes, which just came in the 

 right time; and Barclay's Apology, I shall take care 

 of for thy sake. It answers thy advice, much better 

 than if thee had sent me one of Natural History, 

 or Botany, which I should have spent ten times the 

 hours in reading of, while I might have laboured 

 for the maintenance of my family. Indeed, I have 

 little respect to apologies and disputes about the 

 ceremonial part of religion, which often introduce 

 animosities, confusion, and disorders in the mind, 

 and sometimes body too : but, dear Peter, let us 

 worship the one Almighty Power, in sincerity of 

 heart, with resignation to his Divine will, — doing 

 to others as we would have them to do to us, if 

 we were in their circumstances. Living in love and 

 innocency, we may die in hope." p. 159. 



September 5th, 1742. 



" Dear Peter, — I am lately returned from the 

 Katskill Mts., having gathered a fine parcel of 

 the Balm cones, just at the time of their full ripe 

 ness ; with many other curious seeds, and other 

 fine curiosities. This hath been a happy journey : 

 and I met with our friend, Doctor Colden, who 

 received and entertained me with all the de- 

 monstrations of civility and respect that were con- 

 venient. He is one of the most facetious, agree- 

 able gentlemen I ever met with ,• and his capacity 

 thee may judge of, by the last account he gave 

 thee of the economy of the Five Nations, and some 

 other subjects which he may soon acquaint thee 

 with. I hope to give thee a fuller account of him 

 this fall." pp. 160, 161. 



The following letter will give modern 

 readers a taste of the feelings o[ the colo- 

 nists- — even the milder and more peaceable 

 of them, regarding the Indians '. 



September 30, 1763. 

 Dear Peter — I have now travelled near 30 years 

 through our provinces, and in some twenty towns 

 in the same provinces, and yet never, as I remem- 

 ber, once found a single species in all after times, 

 that I did not observe in my first journey through 

 the same province. But many times I found that 



plant the first, which neither I nor any person 

 could find after ; which plants I suppose were de- 

 stroyed by the cattle. The first time I crossed the 

 Shenandoah, I saw one or two plants, or rather 

 sialk and seed of the Meadia, on its bank. I 

 jumped off, got the seed and brought it home, sent 

 part to thee, and part I sewed myself ; both which 

 succeeded, and if I had not gone to that spot per- 

 haps it had been wholly lost to the world. John 

 Clayton asked me where I found it. I described 

 the very spot to him, but neither he nor any per- 

 son from him could find it after. Oh! what a no- 

 ble discovery I could have made on the banks of 

 the Ohio and Mississippi if I had gone down, and 

 the Indians had been peaceably inclined — as I 

 knew many plants that grew on its northeast 

 branches. But we are at present all disappointed. 

 Thy son William wanted to go as draughtsman. 



I read lately, in our newspaper, of a noble and 

 absolutely necessary scheme that was proposed in 

 England, if it was practicable. That was, to 

 search all the country of Canada and Louisiana for 

 all natural productions, convenient situations for 

 manufactories, and different soils, minerals and 

 vegetables. The last of which I dare take upon 

 myself, as I know more of the North American 

 plants than any others. But this would alarm the 

 Indians to the highest degree. All the discoverers 

 would be exposed to the greatest savage cruelty — 

 the gun, tomahawk, or revengeful devouring jaws. 

 Before this scheme can be executed, the Indians 

 must be subdued, or drove about a thousand miles 

 back. No treaty will make discoverers safe. Many 

 years past, in our most peaceable times, far beyond 

 our mountains, as I was walking in a path with 

 an Indian guide, hired for two dollars, an Indian 

 man met me, and pulled of my hat in a great pas- 

 sion, and chawed it all round — I suppose to show 

 me that they r would eat me if I came into that 

 country again. • *••*• 



The most probable and only meihod to establish 

 a lasting peace with the barbarous Indians, is to 

 bang them stoutly, and make them sensible that 

 we are men, whom they, lor many years, despised 

 as women. Until then, it is only throwing away 

 men, blood and treasure to make peace with them. 

 They will not keep to any treaty of peace. They 

 are all with their fathers (alias) the French, re- 

 solved to drive the English out of North America. 

 And although some tribes pretend to be partial 

 friends, it is only with a design to supply the rest 

 with ammunition to murder us. Perhaps now, 

 and only now, is the critical time offered to Britain 

 to secure not only her old possessions, but her so 

 much boasted new acquisitions, by sending us suf- 

 ficient supplies to repel effectually those barbarous 

 savages. •••••• 



I am heartily glad that young Lord Petre is 

 possessed of the botanical taste of his father. I 

 wish he may resemble him in virtue. I have in- 



