you say lands have been purchased; but would ac-
knowledge no legal and permanent conveyance
since the treaty at Fort Stanwix

, twenty-five years
ago. So that the lands on this side the Ohio are
ours, and the lands on the other side are yours. —
And you may go home and tell Washington what
we say. We understand all you said to us very
well, and we expect you understand us. Simon
Girty was their interpreter. After rising up and
stepping off a few yards, they found a mistake in
expression, and recalled their words, desiring the
commissioners would stay where they are, till they
could go to the council and return with an answer,
which, if favoured with wind and weather, may be
accomplished in about five days. We had some de-
sire to go with them to the Rapids, as captain El-
liot, captain Thomas M’Kee, and others were go-
ing to the council. But this was not approbated;
and as our letters sent by captain Elliot had not
been forwarded by him on account of his meeting
the commissioners here, who thought proper to de-
tain them, concluding we should have an opportu-
nity shortly to see them ourselves, — after opening
and reading them, and adding a short postscript, we
were encouraged to send them forward, though at a
late stage.

2d.

Towards evening, several of us in company
with our good old general, took a walk up the river
about a mile, and drank tea at James Colwell

’s. The
result of this great business is cause of much close
exercise at times — our minds being made sensible
that nothing but supernatural wisdom will do for us
to lean to.

3d.

The sloop Detroit came to, here, on her way