Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/377

 An Account of the Chikkafah Nation. 365

men, who wifh well to both church and ftate, to rcprefent the evils refulting from fuch miffionaries, in hope of redrefs ; and on this occafion, I thought it criminal to refufe their virtuous requeft. The reprefentation is true, and the writer is perfuaded he cannot give the leaft offence by it, to any but the guilty.

My fituation does not allow me, to fix the bounds our legiflators claim on the Miffifippi : but I have good reafon to believe t!iat the fine court title which France, in her late dying will, has transferred to Great- Britain, moftly confifts in ideal pofiefilons fhe never enjoyed. The monopolies already made, are equally unjuft and pernicious. They, who take up valuable lands, efpecially on fuch a barrier, ought to fettle them in a reafonable time, or be prevented from keeping out induftrious inhabi tants, and caufmg the place to continue in a defencekfs condition. Before we can fettle the Miffifippi, with any reafonable view of fuccefs, the go vernment muft build fufficient places of ftrength, both to make the co lony appear refpeclable in the eyes of the Indians, and guard it from the evil eye of the Spaniards, who are watching at New Orleans, and over the river, to impede our interefts, in that valuable but dangerous quarter, It might become an impenetrable barrier, if proper encouragement was given to the laborious and hardy inhabitants of our northern fettlements, on the various branches of the Ohio, and in the back fettlements of North Carolina, who are now almoft ufelefs to the community. As Great-Britain would be the chief gainer by their removal, (he ought to encourage them to remove. Great numbers of them were preparing to come down, even in the years 1768 and 1769 j but finding too many inconveniencies and hazards in their way, they declined the attempt. As it is natural for every colony to endeavour to increafe its number of induftrious inhabitants, it cannot be expected, even if the mother country behaved more prudently than of late, that any of them would exert themfelves much on fuch an oc- cafion, as to raife dangerous rivals in their own ftaple commodity However rice, indigo, filk, hemp, wine, and many other valuable productions are fuit- able to fo fine a foil and climate j befides great quantities of beef, pork, and every kind of ufeful timber for Jamaica, which is contiguous to the mouth of the Miffifippi. So great an acquifition of raw materials would foon prove very beneficial to Great-Britain, as well as a great fafe-guard to the beft part of our other colonies, and a very needful check to Spanifh info- 5 lence,.

�� �