added fomething to the power, either of France, or the house of Bourbon. Even that of 1733, which the commenced with declarations of her having no ambitious views, and which finished by a treaty at which the minifters of France repeatedly declared that she defired nothing for herfelf; in effect gained for her Lorrain, an indemnification ten times the value of all her North American poffeffions.-In fhort, fecurity and quiet of princes and states have ever been deemed fufficient reafons, when fupported by power, for difpofing of rights; and fuch difpofition has never been looked on as want of moderation. It has always been the foundation of the most general treaties. -The fecurity of Germany was the argument for yielding confiderable poffeffions there to the Swedes: And the fecurity of Europe divided the Spanish monarchy by the partition treaty, made between powers who had no other right to dif pofe of any part of it. There can be no ceffion that is not fuppofed at least, to increase the power of the party to whom it is made. It is enough that he has a right to ask it, and that he does it not merely to serve the purposes of a dangerous ambition.

Canada in the hands of Britain, will endanger the kingdom of France as little as any other ceffion; and from its fituation and circumstances cannot be hurtful to any other state.-Rather, if peace be an advantage, this ceffion may be fuch to all Europe. The prefent war teaches us, that difputes arifing in America, may be an occafion of embroiling

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embroiling nations who have no concerns there. If the French remain in Canada and Louisiana, fix the boundaries as you will between us and them, we must border on each other for more than 1500 miles. The people that inhabit the frontiers, are generally the refuse of both nations; often of the worft morals and the leaft difcretion; remote from the eye, the prudence, and the reftraint of government. Injuries are therefore frequently, in fome part or other of fo long a frontier, committed on both fides, refentment provoked, the colonies first engaged, and then the mother countries. And two great nations can scarce be at war in Europe, but fome other prince or state thinks it a convenient opportunity to revive fome ancient claim, feize fome advantage, obtain fome territory, or enlarge fome power at the expence of a neighbour. The flames of war once kindled, often spread far and wide, and the mischief is infinite.-Happy it proved to both nations, that the Dutch were prevailed on finally to cede the New Netherlands (now the province of New York) to us at the peace of 1674; a peace that has ever fince continued between us; but must have been frequently disturbed, if they had retained the poffeffion of that country, bordering feveral hundred miles on our colonies of Penfylvania weftward, Connecticut and the Maffachusetts eastward.-Nor is it to be wondered at that people of different language, religion, and manners, fhould in thofe remote parts engage in frequent quarrels ; when we find, that even the people of our own colonies have frequently been

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so exafperated against each other in their disputes about boundaries, as to proceed to open violence and bloodshed.

2. [Erecting forts in the back fettlements, almost in no inftances a fufficient fecurity against the Indians and the French; but the poffeffion of Canada implies every fecurity; and ought to be bad, while in our power.]

But the Remarker thinks we shall be fufficiently fecure in America, if we raife English forts at Such paffes as may at once make us refpectable to the French and to the Indian nations *.' The fecurity desirable in America, may be confidered as of three kinds; 1. A fecurity of poffeffion, that the French fhall not drive us out of the country. 2. A fecurity of our planters from the inroads of favages, and the murders committed by them. 3. A fecurity that the British nation shall not be obliged, on every new war, to repeat the immenfe: expence occafioned by this, to defend its poffeffions in America. Forts in the most important paffes, may, I acknowledge, be of ufe to obtain the first kind of fecurity: but as those fituations are far advanced beyond the inhabitants, the expence of maintaining and fupplying the garrifons, will be very great even in time of full peace, and immenfe on every interruption of it; as it is easy for skulking parties of the enemy in fuch long roads through the woods, to intercept and cut off our convoys, unless guarded continually by great bodies of men. -The fecond kind of fecurity, will not be obtain

Remarks, p. 25.

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ed by fuch forts, unless they were connected by a wall like that of China, from one end of our settlements to the other. If the Indians when at war, marched like the Europeans, with great armies, heavy cannon, baggage and carriages; the paffes through which alone fuch armies could penetrate our country or receive their supplies, being fecured, all might be fufficiently fecure; but the cafe is widely different. They go to war, as they call it, in fmall parties; from fifty men down to five. Their hunting life has made them acquainted with the whole country, and fcarce any part of it is impracticable to fuch a party. They can travel through the woods even by night, and know how to conceal their tracks. They pass easily between your forts undiscovered; and privately approach the fettlements of your frontier inhabitants. They need no convoys of provifions to follow them; for whether they are fhifting from place to place in the woods, or lying in wait for an opportunity to strike a blow, every thicket and every ftream furnishes so small a number with fufficient fubfiftence. When they have furprized separately, and murdered and scalped a dozen families, they are gone with inconceivable expedition through unknown ways; and 'tis very rare that purfuers have any chance of coming up with them*. In short, long experience has

*Although the Indians live fcattered, as a hunter's life requires, they may be collected together from almost any distance; as they can find their fubfiftence from their gun in their travelling. But let the number of the Indians be what it will, they are not formidable merely on account of their numbers; there are many other circumftances

has taught our planters, that they cannot rely upon forts as a fecurity against Indians: The inhabitants of

circumftances that give them a great advantage over the English. The English inhabitants, though numerous, are extended over • a large tract of land, 500 leagues in length on the fea shore; and although fome of their trading towns are thick fettled, their set⚫tlements in the country towns must be at a distance from each other befides, that in a new country where lands are cheap, people are fond of acquiring large tracts to themselves; and there ⚫fore in the out-fettlements, they must be more remote: and as the people that move out are generally poor, they fit down either where they can eafieft procure land, or fooneft raise a fubfiftence. Add to this, that the English have fixed fettled habitations, the ⚫eafieft and shorteft paffages to which the Indians, by conftantly hunting in the woods, are perfectly well acquainted with; whereas ⚫ the English know little or nothing of the Indian country, nor of the paffages through the woods that lead to it. The Indian way of making war is by fudden attacks upon expofed places; and as foon as they have done mifchief, they retire, and either go home by the fame or fome different route, as they think fafeft; or go to fome other place at a distance to renew their stroke. If a fufficient party should happily be ready to pursue them, it is a great chance, whether in a country confifting of woods and fwamps, which the English are not acquainted with, the enemy do not lie in ambush for them in fome convenient place, and from thence destroy them." If this fhould not be the cafe, but the English should pursue them, as foon as they have gained the rivers, by means of their canoes, (to the use of which they are brought up from their infancy) they ⚫ prefently get out of their reach: further, if a body of men were to march into their country, to the places where they are settled, they can, upon the leaft notice, without great difadvantage, quit their present habitations, and betake themselves to new ones.' -Clark's Obfervations, p. 13.

It has been already remarked, that the tribes of the Indians living upon the lakes and rivers that run upon the back of the Englib fettlements in North America, are very numerous, and can furnish a great number of fighting men, all perfectly well acquainted with the ufe of arms as foon as capable of carrying them, as they get the whole of their fubfiftence from hunting; and that this army, large as it may be, can be maintained by the French ⚫ without any expence. From their numbers, their fituation, and the rivers that run into the English fettlements, it is easy to con

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