more so for your last Sr. It hapens so that I Cant at this time Come my Self and thefore must rely on your own Goodness : but I have sent by as trusty a hand I thinck as any I Could Geet for indeed he seems to be the truest to me of any of them and he is a Christian if there is one any where amongst them : Sr. I owe to the value of three pounds which I have taken up since I begun to teach these people: and I have had no opertunity of Earning any thing for myself for these people will give nothing. St I tell your honor of all that has hapened me. There is here two sorts people the one is for the religion and the other is not and that Party is allways striving to hurt me by words and some times allmost to the taking of my life but with the help of God I stand it though with Great Difficulty and Danger. Sr I have been at onidia and had there 18 Scholars and I have teached so long that the are Come to 4 Shurly sr. you know as well as I that at this Time of the year the are scattered Every where, but I believe when the minister Comes there will be a Great many more that will Learn our tongue. but Sr there has been here at onidia som o the other sort of people which told them that the English wanted these to take up with our religion and then the land will be all theirs But I have told to the Contrary and tell them that it [is] for the Good of their Souls that the English wants to learn them and not for lands for they have land Enough I Beg Sr your honour will Give no heed to fals storeys for the bearer of this will [convince] you to your own satisfaction.

:

Sr Pray pardon me for being to tedious if your honour Pleaseth to send if you Pleas to send it by the bearer Isaac or his father and one line to let me know what and How much Sr Powder is very scears and Provision not very Pleanty if you Pleas to answer this St I rest Myself your humble Servant EDWARD JOHNSON

Sr The Scholers are Gone to hunting and I am Gowing to Isaacs hous at Connosomothdian where I believe I shall stay till he Comes back a Gain.

ISAAC THE INDIAN TO SIR WM JOHNSON.

Worthy Sr

Tuscarora Castle April ye 10th 1762.

this Day Isaac spoake to me to write To your honour Concern ing the Christian religion As he himself told you and as you told him when He was last at your house Brother: Sais he: I am now in the very same mind that I was when you Saw me Last and I Do intend to keep this same rode as Long as God shall Give me life and breath that is with his assistance: Brother Just before the Minister Came here the last Sumer I was moued off from this town Something more than half way to Connoquaga to a Place Called Connosomothdian Where I have remaind till now. and some few Days a Gow the Came to me from Each Castle and Desired me that I should Either Come back or Els Gow fororards to Either of these two Castles on the Count of Settleing of affars. but knowing the Disposion of both In short I Dont like Either the told me by a belt of Wampom the town and people was mine To Do as I thought proper and I think It would be best for them both to Come to me as there is good land Every thing Pleanty there and nothing is Plenty where the now are but rum and the all know that I have Done with that with the help of God. Now Brother I want your advice in this and I shall here what you Say In this case, the say also it is very hard that I Dont mind them and their ways. Sr I think If I may Speak one word that as there is a Division amongst themselves it would be proper for them that follow the Christian religion to live by themselves.

Sr Concerning the Stories that your honour has hard of me if you pleas to ask this man and he can tell you Whetre it be true or not this from your Loving Brother.

Isaac

and from your humble Servant

EDWARD JOHNSON.

Sarah the wife of Isaac Gives her kind love to your honour And Desires the favour of a little Chocolate if you please.

And She remains your most Loving Sister till Death
SARAH ISAAC

REV. MR WHEELOCK TO SIR WM. JOHNSON.

Hond Sir.

Lebanon 20th Augt 1762.

Yours by David, with three Boys, came Safe on Wednesday Evening after he left you. The two Smaller of the Ladds seem well contented, love their Book, and make good Proficiency; the other seems not to have a Genius for Leirning, and is desirous to return. Joseph and the other two are also well, and behave very well

David informs me that the Youth of whom I wrote you, and for whom I sent him, viz George Haxton was imployed at the Royal Block House at Onoyada Lake by one Reggens a Trader who lives at Fort Stanwick, and that Mr Occom informed him, that the youth was inclined to Come but his obligations to Reggens, and Reggens' violent opposition to it forbad him for the present, And that the Youth appears likely to answer our purpose, your Hon" is most likely to know, and best abel of any man to Judge in the affair, Will you please, sir, to make the Enquiry, and if you think favourably of my being at the Expence of fitting him for Interpreter or Missionary, be Instrumental to his coming hither for that Purpose.

In a letter I wrote you last Fall I proposed that if way could be made for setting up of this School in some convenient Place, And the Settlement of three or four Towns round about it, I would remove with it, and bring Several Ministers with me of the best Character and take Care to people the Place with Inhabitants of known Honesty, Integrity, and such as Love Indians, & will seek their Interest. but whether the Letter reached you or not I never heard, or whether you thought it any more than a sudden indigested thought I cant tell, however I should be very glad to hear if there be any Probability that such a Design may be Effected; If your Hon" can find Leisure enough amidst your weighty affairs to gratify me in the things which I have assumed the Boldness to request of you, you will Greatly oblige me and I hope the Nature of the affair and the assurances your Hon" has

given me of your Friendship towards it will be esteemed a suffi cient excuse for me and that your Hon' will believe that I am with the most sincere Respect

your most Obedt and most Humble Seryt

Sir William Johnson Baronet.

ELEAZAR WHEELOCK.

Sir,

REV. MR. WHEELOCK TO SIR WM. JOHNSON.

Lebanon September 8th 1762.

Your Honour has no doubt been informed of a Legacy of Sir Peter Warren of about Seven hundred and fifty Pounds Sterling left in the hands of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay, it being the Sum due to him from that Province, as his Commissions for their pay from the Crown for taking Cape Breton some Years ago, and which he gave to be by them improved at Six pr Cent for the Education of the youth of the Six Nations. It has lain unimproved until last Fall, when I was in Boston, I was informed of it, and preferred a Memorial to the General Assembly there, and prayed for the use of it in this School, in answer to which they Voted as you have seen, that I should be allowed for the support of Six Youth of the Six Nations, Twelve pounds lawful money for each, for one year, and accordingly I have now obtained the Boys, and they are under the best advantages if they have but the Wisdom to improve them.

But there is since in and about Boston a Society incorporated for Indian Affairs, which includes all the Scotish Commissioners, many more to the Number of Eighty, and they have lately found out, as I understand by Docr Chauncy, that the method I am taking is not the best way to promote Religion and Learning among the Six Nations, but a much likelier one is, by setting up English Schools among them, the Children to live with their Parents, and attend upon the School, their Parents to Support them &c, and that they design to apply for the use of said

Legacy for that purpose, and let these Boys go where they will, but considering the insuccessfulness of schools set up thus among the little Tribes in these parts through their want of a due esteem of, and desire for Learning, their savage roving disposition, their want of Government amongst themselves, their Poverty, their proneness to imbibe prejudices against English masters, especially on accot of a good and necessary Government &c by which means they dont get so much Learning in seven years as they do in this School in One, and that notwithstanding their Parents keep much at home, not having dependance upon hunting for their support &c. Gentlemen here are generally, if not universally of Opinion that this method is by far preferable at least for the present till a Number of their own sons are fitted for School Masters, &c.

Your Honour best of any man knows what methods have the greatest Probability of Success among the Six Nations, and if you think with me that it is best to continue these Boys as they are, and will please to write your Mind to Govern Bernard with the Reasons of it, I doubt not but as it is generally understood that your Uncle designed a Testimony of his Respect to you in that Donation, so that Assembly will likely lay great Weight upon what you shall write, and if your Honour will please to inclose it to me I can send it direct by the Post.

And if it were not too great boldness I would ask the favour to know the substance of what you write, it may be of some advantage to me.

I want also to know whether your Honour thinks it likely that this School may after a while be set up in some convenient place near you accommodated with three or four Towns of well chosen Inhabitants. I understand that some of our People are about to settle our new Purchase on Susquahannah River, if it does not disoblige and prejudice the Indians I shall be glad, and it may be if that settlement should go on a Door may open for my Design on that Purchase, but your Honour has full understanding of the affair, and interested therein, and I can rely with greater Safety on your Judgment and Counsel than any other mans.