REMARKS. 
101 
possession of forts situated within their boun¬ 
dary line,, and occupied by strangers: and as 
there were particular parts of the definitive 
treaty which some of the States did not seem 
very ready to comply with, the posts were 
detained as a security for its due ratification 
on the part of the States. In the late treaty 
of amity and commerce, these differences were 
finally accommodated to the satisfaction of 
Great Britain, and the posts were consequently 
delivered up. On the surrender of them very 
handsome compliments were paid, in the pub¬ 
lic papers throughout the States, to the British 
officers, for the polite and friendly manner in 
which they gave them up. The gardens of 
the officers were all left in full bearing, and 
high preservation; and all the little conve¬ 
niences were spared, which could contribute 
to the comforts of the federal troops. 
The generality of the people of the States 
were big with the idea, that the possession of 
these places would be attended with the most 
important and immediate advantages: and in 
particular they were fully persuaded, that they 
would thereby at once become masters of the 
trade to the lakes, and of three-fourths at least 
of the fur trade, which, they said, had hitherto 
been so unjustly monopolized by the British 
merchants, to their great prejudice. They 
have now got possession of them, and perceive 
the futility of all these notions. 
