ward of them; and that the carrying the Indian market to Montreal in Canada, draws all the far Indians thither. 'The last thing we have to take notice, of is what the merchants asserted before the lords of trade, viz. "That there has not been half the quantity of European goods exported since the passing of this act, that used to be." We are well assured, that this is no better grounded than the above facts, they assert with the same positiveness. For it is well known, almost to every person in New-York, that there has not been a less, but rather a greater, quantity of European goods imported into this place, since the passing of this act, than was at any time before it, in the same space of time. As this appears by the manifests in the custom house here, the same may likewise be casily proved by the custom house-books in London. 'As all the arguments of the merchants run upon the ill effects this act has had upon the trade and the minds of the Indians, every one of which we have shewn to be asserted, without the least foundation to support them; there nothing now remains, but to shew the good effects this act has produced, which are so notorious in this province, that we know not one person that now opens his mouth against the act. 'Before this act passed, none of the people of this province travelled into the Indian countries to trade. We have now above forty young men, who have been several times as far as the lakes a trading, and thereby become well acquainted, not only with the trade of the Indians, but likwise with their manners and languages; and those have returned with such large quantities of furs, that greater numbers are resolved to follow their example; so that we have good reason to hope, that in a little time the English will draw the whole Indian trade of the inland countries to Albany, and into the country of the Five Nations. This government has built a publick trading house upon Cataracqui lake, at Irondequat, in the Senecas' land, and another is to be built, next spring, at the mouth of the Onondagas river. All the far Indians pass by these places, in their way to Canada; and they are not above half so far from the English settlements, as they are from the French. So far it is from being true what the merchants say, That the French forts interrupt all communication between the Indians and the English ;" that if these places be well supported, as they easily can be from our settlements, in case of a rupture with the French, it will be in the power of this province, to intercept the greatest part of the trade between Canada and the Indians round the lakes and the branches of the Mississippi. -Since this act passed, many nations have come to Albany to trade, in peace and friendship, whose names had not so much as been heard of among us. 'In the beginning of May, 1723, a nation of Indians came to Albany, singing and dancing, with their Calumets before them, as they always do when they come to any place where they have not been before. We do not find that the commissioners of Indian affairs have been able to inform themselves what nation this was. Towards the end of the same month, eighty men, besides women and children, came to Albany in the same manner. These had one of our Five Nations with them as an interpreter, by whom they informed the commissioners, that they were of a great nation, called Nehkereages, consisting of six castles and tribes; and that they lived near a place called by the French Michilimakinak, between the upper lake, and the lake of the Hurons. These Indians not only desired a free commerce, but likewise to enter into a league of strict friendship with us, and our Six Nations, that they might be accounted the seventh nation in the league; and being received accordingly, they left their Calumet as a pledge of their fidelity. In June another nation arrived, but from what part of the continent we have not learned. In July the Twightwies arrived, and brought an interpreter of our nations with them, who told that they were called by the French Miamies, and that they lived upon one of the branches of the Mississippi. At the same time some of the Tahsigrondie Indians, who live between Lake Erie and Lake Huron, near a French settlement, did come and renew their league with the English, nor durst the French hinder them. In July of this year another nation came, whose situation and name we know not; and in August and September, several parties of the same Indians, that had been here the last year; but the greatest number of these far Indians have been met this year in the Indian country, by our traders, every one of them endeavouring to get before another, in order to reap the profits of so advantageous a trade, which has all this summer past kept about forty traders constantly employed, in going between our trading places, in our Indian country and Albany. All these Indians, who came to Albany, said, that the French had told them some strange stories of the English, and did what they could to prevent their coming to Albany; but they had resolved to break through by force. The difference on that point between the Tahsagrondie Indians and the French, (who have a fort and settlement there, called by them Detroit,) rose to that height, that Monsieur Tonti, who commanded there, thought proper to retire, and return to Canada, with many of his men," &c. I have given this luminous report, thus far, at large, because it contains so much correct and interesting matter, relative to the Indians; and the trade, and geography of the Indian country. Had it been consistent with the limits of this work, I would have inserted the whole. I shall make no further comment upon this report, than barely to say, that it produced the desired effect, and defeated the prayer of the petition. Hitherto I have had occasion to say very little of the state of religion in this colony; but at this time a religious feud sprang up, which ought not to pass unnoticed. When the persecutions raged in France in the reign of Lewis XIV. against the Huguenots, or French Protestants, upon the revocation of the Edict of Nantz, more than 600,000 of that wretched people fled into banishment, and some of the number took refuge in the city, and colony of New-York.* Those who settled within the city, established a church upon the plan of the Protestants in France or Geneva. This church flourished, and at this time had become the second church and congregation in the city of New-York, in point of numbers, wealth, and respectability, 1724. This congregation employed two ministers, (as was common to the Protestant churches at that day,) who were totally unlike to each other in all things, except in points of faith. Roce, the principal, was a gay, passionate, pleasurable, learned courtier, in holy orders. Moulinaars, his colleague, was in all respects exactly the reverse, in every point of character, except in learning; he was but an indifferent scholar. The splendid talents and address of the first, kept the latter in the shade, which awakened resentment that kindled a party, that divided the church; and the majority adhering to the colleague; dismissed the principal from the church, and obtained a ratification of their doings from a majority of the congregation. Roce's friends petitioned the governor for redress, who referred the petition to a committee of the council, who advised to a reconciliation, which was attempted; but without effect; and Roce brought a bill in chancery before the governor. The elders who had removed Roce, plead to the jurisdiction of the court, by their attorney; alleged that the cause was entirely ecclesiastical, and ought to be heard and determined upon the principles of the government of the Protestant churches in France, &c. The court overruled the plea, and being about to give judgment in the case, the defendants withdrew, restored the minister, and left the church. * New-Rochelle was planted by these people at this time. This act of the governor kindled a fire, not only in this church, but which extended in its influence and effects into the government, and finally hunted him from his own seat, and compelled him to abandon the chair, and return to England, as will be seen in the sequel. The trading house at Oswego flourished, and the traders returned in the fall from this post, in fifty seven canoes, laden with seven hundred and thirty eight packs of beaver. This, together with the new fort at the mouth of Onondaga, gave a general alarm to the French in Canada, and they launched two vessels upon Lake Ontario, in 1726, and proceeded to repair their fort at Niagara, in order to secure to themselves this valuable trade, by a conveyance down the lake, under such a naval protection. Monsieur De Longueil, governor of Canada, made a visit to the Onondagas, in the year 1725, for the purpose of obtaining their consent to his repairing the fort at Niagara; which, he obtained, by the assistance of the French Jesuits, who resided amongst them: but the Senecas, who claimed the land, and adjacent country, together with the other tribes, raised objections, and forbade the work to go on. The French heard the objection; but pushed the work, and by their intrigues, kept the Indians quiet at the same time. This they effected through the influence of Joncaire, a French Jesuit, who had long resided amongst the Five Nations; was a man of great address and intrigue, and spoke with fluency the Iroquois language. Governor Bur |