Revision: 1letterbook/NOP01_93.jpg

HTML

91. not even been admitted to an interview with them, except by their deutations. The transactions with the first deputation at Niagara have been transmitted to you. Immediately afterward we returned to Fort Erie and embarked for the mouth of Detroit river, where we arrived on the 21 [sup]st[/sup] July, and expected in a few days to receive notice from the Indians, that they were ready to meet us at Sandusky. Captain Matthew Elliot, Colonel McKee's assistant in whose house we were furnished with quarters, was at home waiting for a wind to sail to the Miami. He departed the next morning taking a letter from us to Colonel McKee, advising him or our arrival, and requesting that our meeting with the Indians might be hastened.

On the 29 [sup]th[/sup] Elliot returned with another deputation of Indians, at the head of which were Packonchelas, Head Warrior of Delawares, Kakiapalathy, Head Warrior of Shawanese, and Sawaghdawank, Headman of Wyandots. The next day they presented a written message in the name of the confederacy demanding an explicit answer to this question. "Are you fully authorized by the United States to continue, and firmly fix on the Ohio River, as the boundary between your people and ours." The next day we answered the question explicitly, previously stating the reasons why the United States could not now make the Ohio the boundary. We also mentioned the principal concessions and the ample compensations we were ready to make and stipulate, expressing the prompt and annual compensations not in precise sums, but in terms which we though would forcibly strike them with Ideas of their magnitude.

The next morning they met us, and making some observations on the subject said they would lay our speech before their Warriors. The speaker then told us we might go home; but this seemed to be a mistake and contrary to