ROYCE ] TREATY Of JULY 2, 1791. 167 
between the two rivers.” The settlers also said, “the law, as they were 
likely to be affected, had been inecautiously worded. They understood 
from it that the line from Clinch to cross the Holston at the ridge would 
turn thence south to the South Carolina Indian boundary on the North 
Carolina line. We replied that this understanding of it was erroneous. 
There was no such course in the treaty, and they should never suppose 
that the Government would be capable of violating a solemn guarantee ; 
that, although the expression was ‘ thence south,’ yet it must be under- 
stood as meaning southeastwardly, to the point next called for, as the 
point is in that direction and far to the east; that the lands in question 
had moreover been expressly reserved by the State of North Carolina 
for the Indians, and the occupants had not, as some others had, even the 
plea of entry in the land office of that State.” 
The law referred to above by the settlers and the commissioners was 
the act of Congress approved May 19, 1796, entitled ‘*An act to regu- 
late trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes and to preserve peace 
ov the frontiers.” This act recited the course of the Indiau boundary 
as established by treaty with the various tribes extending from the 
mouth of Cuyahoga River along the line described in the treaty of 1795 
at Greenville, to the Ohio River and down the same to the ridge divid- 
ing the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers; thence up and along said 
ridge and continuing according to the Cherokee treaty of 1791 to the 
river Clinch; “thence down said river to a point from which a line shall 
pass the Holston, af the ridge which divides the waters running into 
Little River from those running into the Tennessee; thence south to the 
North Carolina boundary,” ete. 
Owing to fears for their personal safety caused by the hostile tone 
of the settlers toward them, if was not until the 25th of April that a 
representative delegation of the Cherokees was convened in council by 
the commissioners. There were present 147 chiefs and warriors. 
Commissioners were appointed by them to act on behalf of their nation, 
in conjuction with those on behalf the United States, to run and mark 
the boundary line, and an agreement was reached that Messrs. Hawkins 
and Pickens should have authority to select the necessary sites for the 
proposed military posts within their country. 
During the council a delegation of the intruding settlers presented 
themselves but were not allowed to attend the deliberations, being 
advised by the commissioners ‘that it was not in contemplation to 
make a new treaty but to carry the treaty of Holston into effect; that 
we did not expect much light on this subject from the Indians; that 
we should form our decision from the instrument itself and not from 
interested reporters on either side; that all who were on the Indian 
lands could not be relieved by us; * * * that he (Captain Henly) 
and most of the deputation lived on this side of the line of experiment, 
and that they had informed us that that line was merely to ascertain 
how the citizens could be accommodated and on this side of the true line 
