scant. I don't think there is enough to supply this place till the last of March, supposing we should we have no occasion of any to repulse an enemy. If we should, God only knows how long it will last. If any powder can possibly be procured, it would certainly be advisable to do it; if not, some person who can manufacture the materials we have on the way, for the purpose of making powder. Most part of those are at the block house, or at least within two or three miles of that-the rest in Powel's Valley. Those (if we had any person who knew how properly to manufacture them into gunpowder) it would be necessary to have at this place. We have no such person, and of course they would be of but little service here. Notwithstanding, I should have sent for them before now; but people here expect the most exorbitant wages for trivial services. Not less than a dollar a day will do for any thing, which will prevent my sending till I find the necessity greater, or men to be hired cheaper.

Letter from James Hogg to the Company.

DEAR SIR,

January, 1776.

On the 2d of December, I returned hither from Philadelphia; and I have now sit down to give you an account of my embassy, which you will be pleased to communicate to the other gentlemen, our copartners, when you have an opportunity. I waited for Messrs. Hooper and Hewes a day and a half, at Richmond, but they were detained by rainy weather for several days, so that they did not overtake me till I was near Phila

delphia, where I was kept two days by heavy rain, though they had it dry where they were. It was the 22d of Oct. when we arrived at Philadelphia. In a few

days they introduced me to several of the Congress gentlemen, among the first of whom were, accidentally, the famous Samuel and John Adams; and as I found their opinion friendly to our new Colony, I shewed them our map, explained to them the advantage of our situation, &c. &c. They entered seriously into the matter, and seemed to think favourably of the whole; but the difficulty that occurred to us soon appeared to them. "We have petitioned and addressed the king," said they, "and have entreated him to point out some mode of accommodation. There seems to be an impropriety in embarrassing our reconciliation with any thing new; and the taking under our protection a body of people who have acted in defiance of the king's proclamations, will be looked on as a confirmation of that independent spirit with which we are daily reproached." I then showed them our memorial, to convince them that we did not pretend to throw off our allegiance to the king, but intended to acknowledge his sovereignty whenever he should think us worthy of his regard. They were pleased with our memorial, and thought it very proper; but another difficulty occurred:. by looking at the map, they observed that we were within the Virginia charter. I then told them of the fixing their boundaries, what had passed at Richmond in March last, and that I had reason to believe the Virginians would not oppose us; however, they advised me to sound the Virginians, as they would not chuse to do any thing in it without their con sent.

All the delegates were, at that time, so much engaged in the Congress from morning to night, that it was some days before I got introduced to the Virginians; and before then, I was informed that some of them had said, whatever was their own opinion of the matter, they would not consent that Transylvania should be admitted as a Colony and represented in Congress, until it origi nated in their convention, and should be approved by their constituents. Some days after this, I was told that Messrs. Jefferson, Wythe, and Richard Henry Lee, were desirous of meeting with me, which was accordingly brought about; but, unfortunately, Mr. Lee was, by some business, prevented from being with us, though I had some conversation with him afterwards. I told them that the Transylvania Company, suspecting that they might be misrepresented, had sent me to make known to the gentlemen of the Congress our friendly intentions towards the cause of liberty, &c. &c., but said nothing of our memorial, or my pretensions to a seat in Congress. They said nothing in return to me, but seriously examined our map, and asked many questions. They observed that our purchase was within their charter, and gently hinted, that by virtue of it, they might claim the whole. This led me to take notice, that a few years ago, as I had been informed, their assembly had petitioned the crown for leave to purchase from the Cherokees, and to fix their boundaries with them, which was accordingly done, by a line running from six miles east of the long island in Holston, to the mouth of the Great Khanaway, for which they had actually paid $2500 to the Cherokees: by which purchase, both the crown and their assembly had acknow

ledged the property of those lands to be in the Cherokees. Besides, said I, our settlement of Transylvania will be a great check on the Indians, and consequently be of service to the Virginians.

They seemed to waive the argument concerning the right of property; but Mr. Jefferson acknowledged, that, in his opinion, our Colony could be no loss to the Vir. ginians, if properly united to them; and said, that if his advice was followed, all the use they should make of their charter would be, to prevent any arbitrary or op pressive government to be established within the boundaries of it; and that it was his wish to see a free government established at the back of theirs, properly united with them; and that it should extend westward to the Mississippi, and on each side of the Ohio to their charter line. But he would not consent that we should be acknowledged by the Congress, until it had the approbation of their constituents in Convention, which he thought might be obtained; and that, for that purpose, we should send one of our company to their next Convention. Against this proposal, several objections occurred to me, but I made none.

This was the substance of our conference, with which [ acquainted our good friends, Messrs. Hooper and Hewes, who joined me in opinion that I should not push the matter further; and they hinted to me, that, considering the present very critical situation of affairs, they thought it was better for us to be unconnected with them. These gentlemen acted a most friendly part all along, and gave a favourable account of our proceedings. Indeed I think the company under great obligations to them, and I hope they will take it under their consideration. I was fre

quently with parties of the delegates, who in general think favourably of our enterprise. All the wise ones of them, with whom I conversed on the subject, are clear in opinion, that the property of the lands are vested in us by the Indian grant; but some of them think, that by the common law of England, and by the common usage in America, the sovereignty is in the king, agreeably to a famous law opinion, of which I was so fortunate as to procure a copy.-The suffering traders, and others, at the end of last war, obtained a large tract of land from the Six Nations, and other Indians. They formed themselves into a company, (called, I believe, the Ohio,) and petitioned the king for a patent, and desired to be erected into a government. His majesty laid their petition before Lord Chancellor Camden and Mr. Charles York, then attorney general and afterwards chancellor. Their opinion follows:-"In respect to such places as have been, or shall be acquired by treaty or grant from any of the Indian princes or governments, your majesty's letters patent are not necessary; the property of the soil vesting in the grantee by the Indian grants, subject only to your majesty's right of sovereignty over the settlements, as English settlements, and over the inhabitants as English subjects, who carry with them your majesty's laws wherever they form colonies, and receive your majesty's protection by virtue of your royal charters."— After an opinion so favourable for them, it is amazing that this company never attempted to form a settlement, unless they could have procured a charter, with the hopes of which, it seems, they were flattered, from time to time. However, our example has roused them, I am told, and they are now setting up for our rivals. Depending on