No. 15.

"Extract from a Report, dated 17th March 1795 on the Extent of purchases made from Indians.

Western District

"In the Proceedings of the Committee on the matters relative to

the Lands in Hesse, now the Western District, these cessions are mentioned from the Indians to the Crown, vizt.

"and a third 19th May 1790.

"The first being a Tract of 7 miles ceded by the Chippawas & "Hurons, at the mouth of the Detroit to certain officers and soldiers "who served with them during the War (and is now called Malden) C. B. WYATT, D. W. SMITH,

Survr. Genl.

[ Q 304, p 90 ]

A. S. G.

No. 16. Extract.

"Extract from Docket of Orders of Council.'

"Messrs. McKee, Elliott and Caldwell recommended for 1000 acres,

State of the Forces in North America, serving under General Robert Prescott.

By order of the Commander in Chief William Doyle Dept Adjt Genl.

[Q 79-2, p 332]

ROBT PRESCOTT

SIR,

CAPT. HECTOR MC LEAN TO PETER RUSSELL, ESQ.

AMHERSTBURG, 21 September 1797.

As it is probable those at the head of the Indian Department at this post may have written to you on the subject of Bread to Indians I shall take the liberty of giving you a true state of the matter.

Mr. Elliott Deputy Superintendant soon after my taking command of this post made a requisition to me for a quantity of Bread for casual or incidental Issues (as he called it) to Indians. I immediately rejected it as incompatible with Instructions but lest the Indians should be put to any inconvenience for want of bread Mr. Elliott was told that upon his requisition or order they should always receive bread at the Garrison baking to be delivered to the Indians themselves but finding some appearance of an abuse I wrote a letter to the Commissary of which the inclosed is a copy and Mr. R. perceiving that Mr. E's ticket for the baking was not conformable to the directions he received of course refused to receive them as a proper voucher for the issue of bread to Indians they specifying no Nation or number of Indians and were without date. The Baker has however received directions to deliver Bread to all Indians that came for it themselves so that whatever inconvenience this mode may put Mr. Elliott's family to it can be attended with none to the Indians the intention being only to prevent abuse.

On finding that Mr. E's ticket to the Baker would not be received by the Commissary on account of Government the Storekeeper in Mr. E's name made application to me relative to bread issued during my own command as well as Capt. Mayn's with respect to the former. I was at no loss for an answer but respecting the latter I sent Mr. Ironside Storekeeper next morning the inclosed answer. From this statement of the case which I defy any of them to controvert I shall leave you to Judge what foundation there may be for any grievance excepting so far as it touches their own private interest. They at first seemed perfectly satisfied with this mode of receiving bread from the Baking for Indians who seemed always satisfied with it themselves but as soon as ever an attempt is made to control them, to correct abuses they consider it a grievance in short these people never fail to make use of the Indians' name on all occasions to carry any point they have in view to add to their own power & influence and once carried they struggle hard to retain

it even tho' the cause that gave rise to the pretence should cease to exist.

Any proposal coming from this description of people ought to be listened to with the greatest precaution, and any intelligence received from this channel ought to be weighed in its proper balance and corroborated by more substantial evidence previous to its gaining too much credit. It being their interest to magnify and exaggerate every idle tale of an alarm which they never fail to do to promote their own views. You will please to pardon the liberty I have taken in thus troubling you, Sir, it being only meant to prevent any misrepresentations that may be made of the matter. The Instructions for the Good Government of the Indian Department are very clear and timed more to favor the Indian than the conduct these people wish to pursue.

I have the honor to be

&c. &c.

HECTOR MCLEAN,

Capt. R. C. V.

P. S. It must be allowed by every disinterested person that the mode of delivering bread to the Indians at the Baking is the best calculated to save these people as well as to prevent abuses whatever their agents may assert to the contrary to tally with a view to their own Interests.

The Honble. Peter Russell, Esqr.

[Q 299, p 243 ]

H. McL.

DEAR SIR,

J. P. SELBY, ASS. SEC'Y I. A., TO CAPT. M. ELLIOTT.

SANDWICH, 12th October 1797.

I am directed by the Depy Superintendt General to enclose a list of such Indians as have signified their design to remain during the winter at Chenail Ecarté, the two Bauch of Mickewass & Shawenabe are now with you and will give you their numbers to be added. These are independent of the comers and goers, as they are called, and also independent of those who frequently go from R. la Franche, and River St. Clair to Chenail Ecarté. The badness of the season has deprived them mostly of their crops & unless they get a little Provision they will not be able to subsist their Families in the

winter, you will therefore make a requisition for such a quantity of Provisions as will last them until the Spring of the next year. The Chiefs have promised to make an early Planting which they could not do this year on account of the distance they went to hunt last winter and to which they attribute the shortness of their crop.

I am

Dear Sir

Yours most sincerely

J. P. SELBY.

The Big Bowl wants some Council Wampum to speak to the Makinac Indians.

Capt. Elliott, Superintendt, &c. &c., Malden.

[Q 299, p 296]

List of the several Bands of Indians who have signified their desire to remain at Chenail Ecarté during the Winter.

Agreably to the Commander in Chiefs instructions to me of the 20th of April last I have to desire of you to make a requisition for a Depot of Provisions at Chenail Ecarté for the number of Indians specified in the return which you have received for six months. The King's service appearing to me to require it, & the numbers stated in that return being for such only as remain on the Ground for the Winter for early planting, the greatest part of the