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Beyond Penn's Treaty

Minutes of the Committee on Indian Concern No 1

Page out of 174

The Committee appointed to make a visit to the Indians
on Long Island

made the following report viz

We, of the Committee appointed to make a visit to the
Indian Natives on the Eastern part of Long Island


report

That in pursuing the object of our appointment
we found but two settlements that appeared to claim out
attention, which was more particularly directed to the
situation of the Montauk Tribe

on the Eastern
extremity of the Island into which we have made
careful inspection; we found them compasing a settlement
of about seventeen houses & wigwams & numbering about
Eighty five individuals, of whom a considerable part is absent;
amongst those who remain is a number of ancient widows
whose situation excited our sympathy

This Tribe have the occupancy during the season of
tillage of a very fertile tract of land of about a Thousand
Acres, which they improve to less advantage than we could
desire being too generally indolent, averse to applying them
selves to husbandry & much addicted to the use of ardent
Spirits; a number of their young men are engaged
in fishing & whaling & a considerable proportion of their
youth placed out in the neighbouring town of East