[undecipherable] [undecipherable] War Office Sept. [undecipherable], 179[undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Your letter of the 14^th ult. anticipated the [undecipherable] of mine of the same date, except that the [undecipherable] Commissioners of your [undecipherable: State?] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] at Albany, [undecipherable] mentioned. I this day write Col. Wadsworth that the [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] not [undecipherable] on the [undecipherable] [undecipherable: Indians?] and inclose him [undecipherable] [undecipherable: section?] of the law of the United States for regulating [undecipherable: sales?] of Indian lands; the only part of the law which concerns his duty as a Commissioner to hold the treaty under the authority of the United States. The law passed the [undecipherable] [undecipherable]. The form of proceeding prescribed by this law is so peculiar, it may merit a little attention. The cession of Indian land will be to the State, yet the instrument of cession is to be in the form of a treaty or convention, to be entered into "pursuant to the constitution;" of course to be ratified by the President with the [undecipherable: advice] and [undecipherable: consent] [undecipherable] the Senate. The State Commissioners negotiate only for for the price — I have taken the liberty to bring this to your view thus if the matter has not already been considered the form of the treaty may be previously arranged: otherwise the Commissioners, especially if they should not be law characters, may be at a loss or commit some mistake in giving shape to the negotiations. I am very respectfully, Sir, your most ob^t Serv^t Timothy Pickering His Excellency Governor Jay