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they may introduce what number of their Countrymen they please by the Mouth of that River, should they ever form a design of wresting it from us.

Should Captain Brandt however determine in the meantime to convey away this land in his own way to these people, and settle them upon it, I am sorry to say I have no means of preventing him. The inclosed Copy of a letter I have just received from the Attorney General in answer to an application I made to him for Information on this Subject being the only Document I have to transmit to Your Grace respecting it, I humbly beg leave to refer your Grace to Major General Simcoe for such further light as he may be enabled to throw upon it, and to request that I may be honored with your Graces Instructions for my Conduct in this very delicate Business.

I have the Honor to be with the greatest Respect,

My Lord Duke, Your Graces most Obedient & most Humble Servant

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SIR: Having read the Instrument under the hand and Seal of General Haldimand, by which the Six Nations hold the Land they possess on the Grand River, and the other papers, which you

1Canadian Archives, Q. 283, p. 38.

sent me this morning by Mr. Stewart, I am clearly of Opinion that the Kings intention was to secure to the Six Nations and their posterity an Assylum whereon they may live and be supported for ever. But being informed by Mr. Stewart that it is the desire of the Six Nations to Sell part of this Land to certain Individuals for a sum of money to be laid out in the purchase of an Annuity to be a source of Comfort and support to them and their posterity for ever, which the Land they hold under General Haldimands Grant would soon cease to be, from their hunting grounds. being Contracted by the daily encrease of Settlements on every side of it; and that it is your desire as their Agent that I will give the Kings Deeds to such persons as you shall name for such Quantities of this Land as you may in their name Surrender to the King Agreeable to the promise made to you by His Excellency Lieutenant Governor Simcoe before his Departure. I have the Honor to inform you that I cannot consistent with my Instructions do any act of this Importance, without the advice and Concurrence of His Majesty's Executive Council. If therefore you will be pleased to state in writing the Quantity of Land you wish a Deed or Deeds for, And the names of the persons to whom the land is to be conveyed; And the quantity and Boundary of the Land you are desirous of Surrendering to the King for that purpose; I shall lay your desire before Council as soon as it can possibly be Convened and take their opinion thereon; And if their Opinion shall seem to accede to your Request, I shall have no hesitation in Complying therewith.

I am Sir &c

CAPTAIN BRANT

(Signed)

PETER RUSSELL.

ENDORSED:

No. 4-Copy of the Administrator's Letter to Capt. Joseph Brant dated 23rd October 1796.

IN MR. PREST. RUSSELL'S

14th November 1796.

EXHIBIT 343.

Captain Joseph Brant to Peter Russell.1

Copy. No. 5.

NEWARK, 24 October, 1796.

SIR: I am Honored with your very obliging Letter of Yesterday; And in Answer thereto have to inform you, that the Indians wishing to secure to themselves and their posterity an Annuity which may tend to their future support, wish to dispose of four Townships or Blocks of Land, of that granted them by Governor Haldimand; For this purpose they request leave to Surrender the same to His Majesty, in order that it may be regranted to the presons, who have purchased it of them. To obtain regular Powers to Act as their Attorney, I shall immediately meet the Chiefs of the five Nations; And it is with the greatest and most sincere pleasure I shall on this Occasion Express the very lively Sentiments I entertain of your Candid and friendly conduct in the business; And that I will in the fullest Confidence assure them that every assistance that can be possibly rendered on your part as Administrator of this Government shall be afforded them; Assure yourself, Sir, that I fell myself perfectly satisfied in the affair, And I beg leave in the name of the five Nations to return you our Grateful and Sincere thanks for your so early Attention to their requests. Mr. Stewart will have the Honor this Evening of delivering you a Description of the Lands and the names of those to whom we wish to have them granted.

It is my expectation to have the Business compleat on our part in the course of Ten days.

In the mean time I have the Honor to be &c.

Honorable Peter Russell Esquire.

(Signed)

ENDORSED.

Jos. BRANT.

No. 5. Copy of Capt. Brants Letter to the Administrator

dated 24th October 1796.

In Mr. Presdt. Russell's, 14th Novr. 1796.

1Canadian Archives, Q. 283, p. 40.

Copy.

EXHIBIT 344.

Description of Indian Lands in Canada.1

No. 6.

Description of part of the Six Nations Indian Land to the Northward of Dundas Street in the Western District.

Commencing where the Easterly limit of the Six Nations Indians Land intersects Dundas Street; thence North 16 Degrees West 1420 Chains 54 Links, Thence North 38 Degrees and a half West 461 Chains, thence North 7 Degrees and a Quarter East 250 Chains, thence North 45 Degrees East, to the boundary of the purchase from the Mississagues 505 Chains 60 Links, thence North 45 Degrees West, along the said purchase Line 960 Chains; thence South 45 Degrees West 820 Chains, thence South 7 Degrees and a quarter West 1000 Chains, thence South 38 Degrees and a half East 697 Chains, thence South 16 Degrees East, to Dundas Street, 1142 Chains, more or less, thence North 77 Degrees East nearly, along Dundas Street 960 Chains more or less to the place of beginning, Containing according to Mr. Welche's Report about 310,391 Acres.

S. G. O. 25 October 1796.

(Signed)

D. W. SMITH,

Actg. Suv. Genl.

Persons names to whom the five Nations propose Selling the above Lands.

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No. 6. Description of Part of the Six Nation Indians Land to the Northward of Dundas Street in the Western District. In Mr. Presdt. Russell's, 14th Novr. 1796.

1Canadian Archives, Q. 283, p. 42.

722947 A

Duplicate. No. 5.

EXHIBIT 345.

Peter Russell to the Duke of Portland.1

UPPER CANADA, NIAGARA, 14th November, 1796. MY LORD DUKE: In my Dispatch No. 3 I had the Honor of requesting your Grace's Instructions for my Guidance respecting an Application which had been made to the Attorney General by Captain Joseph Brant in behalf of the five Nations for Deeds to confirm their Sales of certain parts of the Land given them on the Grnad River by the late Sir Frederick Haldimand.

Captain Brant having since then communicated to me the earnest desire of the five Nations to dispose of part of this land for the purpose of securing an Annuity to be an ample Source of Provision & Comfort for them & their Posterity for ever, which he said the Lands given them would soon cease to be to them as Indians from the daily rapid increase of population round them; I judged it proper to summon all the members of His Majesty's Executive Council to meet me immediately at this place, in order to take the Request of the five Nations into our most serious Consideration and to determine upon the propriety of complying with it or not. But sickness and the lateness of the Season having prevented most of the Gentlemen from attending me, I have been obliged to defer that Business until the Spring before which time I hope to be honored with your Graces commands.

I have now the Honor to transmit for your Graces Information Copies of the Instrument given to the Six Nations by the late Sir Frederick Haldimand, of some other papers sent to me by Captain Brant, and of my Letter to that Chief with his Answer; and also a copy of the Power of Attorney which has been given to him by the Chiefs of the five Nations to surrender in their name a certain Portion of this Land to the King, on Condition of its being reconveyed under His Majesty's Patents to such persons as he shall name for the purchase of it.

The Persons whose Names have been given me by Captain Brant for this purchase being Subjects of His Majesty residing

1Canadian Archives, Q. 283, p. 29.

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