FRENCH OCCUPATION.                          193
Lordpps from the Officer at Oswego, was given by Stephen Coff en, the same Man whom Coll • Johnson found working in the Mohawks Country, whose deposition he took; a copy of which I now inclose. Whether his fears of the French while at Oswego, made him conceal the truth, or whether the Officer at Oswego was negligent in his Examination, I know not; but the truth of his deposition is fully confirmed by intelligence we have received several ways; it was brought and delivered to me by Coll: Johnson the 18th of Febp* last; I took care to have copies immediately sent to the Govrs of Pennsylvania, Maryland & Virginia. The inclosed intelligence from the Officer at Oswego I yesterday dispatched by express to the same Governors.
I have received the copy of the Invoice of the presents directed by His Majty to be given to the Indians, and I have an account from the Secretary to the Board of Ordnance that the remaining Guns are sent which are arrived.
On the 17th instant I sent an extract of that part of Your Lordpps letter, which relates to the Resolution of the Assembly of the 13"1 of November last, on the Earl of Holderness's letter to them. I had before at the opening of the sessions, communicated my Lord Holderness's letter of the 18th of January last, wherein his Lordp signifies, that his Majv* had been Graciously pleased to approve of that Resolution, which I in my speech had urged as a motive to induce them to exert their greatest efforts, to vindicate the honour of the Crown, and justify his Maj'ys undoubted rights against the Invaders of his property. I accompanied the Extract of your Lordp|" letter with the intelligence from the Officer at Oswego, and a Message to the house, signifying that they would perceive by the letter from the Earl of Holdernesse which was already before them, and the extract from your Lordpps letter, that their Resolution had raised a just expectation in his Majesty and his Ministers, that they would Act in a manner suitable to that Resolution ; and therefore earnestly recommending to them, now the French were iu Motion, and with an apparent intention to invade one of His Majtya Colonies, that they would exert themselves on this occasion, and enable me to give such assistance to the Colony of Virginia as the present exigency demanded.
They have voted only 1000 pounds for provisions for the two Independent companies, which his Majty has ordered into Virginia from hence; the reasons they urge for not going higher (in their address to me) are, a great debt from the expence of the late War; the necessity of repairing the Fortifications and out Garrisons; the expence of a double garrison at Oswego,and the building Forts in the Indian Country and on our North-13—Vol. VI.