Page:History of Delaware County (1856).djvu/31

DELAWARE COUNTY. 7 respective Nations, wlio are tte true and absolute Proprietors of the lands in question, and who are here now to a very con- siderable number. And whereas many uneasinesses and doubts have arisen amongst us, which have given rise to an apprehen- sion that the line may not be strictly observed on the part of the English, in which case matters may be worse than before ; which apprehension, together with the dependent state of some of our tribes, and other circumstances which retarded the set- tlement and became the subject of some debate, which Sir William Johnson has at length so far satisfied us upon, as to induce us to come to an agreement concerning the line, which is now brought to a conclusion ; the whole being fully explained to us in a large assembly of our people before Sir William J ohnson, and in the presenije of His Excellency, the Grovernor of New Jersey, the Commissioners from the Provinces of Vir- ginia and Pennsylvania, and sundry other Gentlemen, by which line so agreed upon, a considerable tract of country along several provinces is by us ceded to his said Majesty, which we are induced to and do hereby ratify and confirm to his said Majesty, from the expectation and confidence we place in His Royal Goodness, that he will graciously comply with our humble requests, as the same are expressed in the speech of the several Nations, addressed to His Majesty through Sir William Johnson, on Tuesday, the first of the present month , of November, wherein we have declared our expectation of the continuance of his Majesty's favour, and our desire that our ancient engagements be observed, and our afi"airs attended to by the officer who has the management thereof, enabling him to discharge all these matters properly for our interest. That the lands occupied by the Mohocks around their villages, as well as by any other nation aff"ected by this our cession, may effectually remain, to them and to their posterity; and that any engagements regarding property, which they may now be under, may be prosecuted, and our present grants deemed