much apparent affection and friendship) and ac-
quianted them through the interpreter William Wells

with the contents of the letter from the committee
directed to them and others. After which we expressed
to them a desire to see their chiefs and young men
more generally, having as we believed some things of
great importance, to their welfare to communicate
and knowing that it was the season of the year in
which most of the Indians were engaged in their
hunting and Sugar Camps, we requested them to
convene as many of their chiefs and principal young
men as could with convenience be collected in the
course of a few days. They expressed a desire that
we would not be in haste to return, but would remain
some time in their country, observing, that it was
their desire we should see their people generally, &
that the season of the year was near at hand, for
them to return to their Towns when they could readily
convene the most of them, adding, that they could
now collect a considerable number of their indolent
ones, who were too lazy to hunt or make sugar, but
such they did not wish us to see

We informed them that we had with us
Philip Dennis

who was willing to remain with them
during the season for the purpose of assisting them in
raising a crop of corn, and shewing them how to
do other things, that the time for him to commence his