28 TiMEHRI. 



had come to town about six months before in the 

 chara6ler of an Ambassador from the Great Indian Chief, 

 making grand representations, but having little appear- 

 ance to warrant his pretensions. The Governor had not 

 given much credit to his assertions, and told him that to 

 discuss such important business required the presence of 

 his chief. The Ambassador had then received some 

 presents and returned to the woods. Now that the Chief 

 had arrived it became absolutely necessary to come to some 

 determination on the matter. As to selling their Indian 

 prisoners for slaves in these colonies, this could not 

 be allowed, but some means must be devised to satisfy 

 them, and prevent their attacking the Indians near the 

 back lands or murderingtheirprisoners, which they threat- 

 ened to do if presents were not given them. Considering 

 their well-known hatred of these friendly tribes and their 

 ferocious dispositions, there could be little doubt that 

 they would execute their threats to the fullest extent if 

 not satisfied. He was not in favour of their being 

 allowed to settle in the neighbourhood of the colonies, 

 nor that their alliance should be courted for internal 

 defence. Their restless dispositions could not but make 

 them troublesome neighbours, while the assistance of 

 the Indians in the back lands was always sufficient for 

 what was required. With regard to what the Chief 

 stated of his nation having formerly been of great use to 

 the colony, this had been certainly the case when it was 

 lawful to employ the other tribes as slaves, the Caribs 

 being very useful in procuring them ; now, however, this 

 was not applicable, since the trade had been prohibited. 

 Previous to taking any resolution he considered it expe- 

 dient for the Court to hear what the Chief had to say. 



