THOMAS) NEW York's policy toward the Indians 583 



III a "Keview of the trade and affairs of the Indiaus in the north- 

 ern district of America," written about this period by Sir William 

 Johnson, he remarks as follows on the subject of Indian lands: 



Whilst tho Indian Trade was in tbis State at tbo Posts and Frontiers, tlie inliabit- 

 ants were not idle; the rednction of Canada raised tbe value of Lands, and tbose 

 wbo tbouybt tbey bad not enougb (who may be presumed to amount to a very larye 

 number), now took every step & employed every low Agent, who understood a little 

 of the Indian language to obtain Tracts for them; — on this head I need not bo par- 

 ticular, having so oftaiu explained tbeir conduct and pointed out its consequences; 

 however their avidity in pursuit of grants, and these in tbe most alarming places, 

 the irregular steps which tbey took to obtain them, the removal [renewal f] of dor- 

 mant titles, and the several greater strides, which were taken as herein before is 

 mentioned, concerned the Indians so nearly, that a general uneasiness took place and 

 spread itself throughout them all.' 



Although Johnson speaks more than once in this review of the 

 improper methods — "though forbade by the royal proclamation and 

 express interposition of the Government" — to obtain grants from the 

 Indians, yet he does not inform us how these were perfected. How- 

 ever, as the power of granting lauds to individuals remained in the 

 governor of the state, they must have been perfected, so far as this 

 was accomplished, through him. It is proper to add, however, that 

 Cadwallader Colden, writing to the Lords of Trade in 1764, seems to 

 differ somewhat from Johnson: 



As to that part of the plan, which respects tbe purchasing of Land from the 

 Indians, I think it necessary to observe, that the regulations which h.ave been estab- 

 lished, and constantly followed in this province, for upwards of twenty years, 

 appears to have been eifectual and convenient, no complaints having been made by 

 Indians, or others, on any purchases made by authority of this Gov" since that 

 time. By these regulations all lands purchased of the Indians, are iireviously to be 

 surveyed by tbe King's surveyor General of Lands, or bis Deputy, in the presence of 

 some Indians deputed for that purpose, by the Nation from whom the purchase is 

 made. Of late years the Deputy Surveyors are not only sworn, but give Bonds, to 

 the Surveyor General, for the due and faithful execution of their work. By thi-' 

 means the employing of persons, who have not sufficient skill, or of whose integrity 

 one can not be so well assured, is jirevented, and the Surveyor Gen' is enabled, to 

 compleat a general Map of tbe Province and to locate the several grants iirecisely, 

 which cannot be done, if Surveyors, not under tbe Direction of tbe Surveyor Gen- 

 eral, be employed. The Surveyor General in tbis Province, makes a return of t^e 

 Survey, upon every Indian purchase, into tbe Secretaries Office. - 



This relates apparently to the officially authorized purchases, and 

 not to those which Johnson alludes to as obtained by fraud. However, 

 as the evidence shows, and as a remedy was applied, it is presumable 

 that Johnson's statement is correct. 



A close of this ill-advised and unfortunate course was at last at hand. 

 Orders, proclamations, and instructions, as already shown, had been 

 promulgated by the English government for the purpose of remedying 

 this, but a practical and satisfactory method of solution was not 

 reached until 17G5. It was then proposed that a fixed and well defined 



'Xew York Colonial Documents, vol. vn, p. 961. 'Ibid., p. 670. 



18 ETH, PT 2 5 



