as served on board our ships of war in North America at the time of the reduction of Louisbourg and Quebec, in the late war, and who shall personally apply to our respective Governors for such grants.
And whereas it is just and reasonable and essential to our interest, and the security of our colonies, that the several nations or tribes of Indians with whom we are connected, and who live under our protection, should not be molested or disturbed in the possession of such parts of our dominions and territories as, not having been ceded to us, are reserved to them, or any of them, as their hunting grounds; we do therefore with the advice of our Privy Council declare it to be our Royal will and pleasure that no Governor or Commander in Chief, in any of our Colonies of Quebec, East Florida, or West Florida, do presume upon any pretence whatever, to grant warrants of survey, or pass any Patents for lands beyond the bounds of their respective Governments, as described in their commissions; as also that no Governor or Commander in chief of our other colonies or plantations in America, do presume for the present, and until our further pleasure be known, to grant warrants of survey, or pass any Patents for lands beyond the heads or sources of any of the rivers which fall into the Atlantic Ocean from the West or North West; or upon any lands whatever, which not having been ceded to, or purchased by us, as aforesaid are reserved to the said Indians or any of them.
And we do further declare it to be our Royal will and pleasure for the present as aforesaid to reserve under our sovereignty, protection and dominion, for the use of the said Indians, all the land and territories not included within the limits of the territory granted to the Hudson's Bay Company; as also all the land and territories lying to the Westward of the sources of the rivers which fall into the sea from the West or North West as aforesaid; and we do hereby strictly forbid on pain of our displeasure all our loving subjects from making any purchases or settlements whatsoever, or taking possession of any of the lands above reserved, without our special leave and license for that purpose first obtained.
And we do further strictly enjoin and require all persons whatsoever, who have either willfully [sic] or inadvertently seated themselves upon any lands within the countries above described or upon any other lands which not having been ceded to or purchased by us, are still reserved to the said Indians aforesaid, fortwith [sic] to remove themselves from such settlements.
And whereas great frauds and abuses have been committed in the purchasing lands of the Indians to the great prejudice of our interests, and to the great dissatisfaction of the said Indians; in order therefore to prevent such irregularities for the future, and to the end that the Indians may be convinced of our justice and
