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��THE GRANITE MONTHLY.
��summer at Montreal, and what they say is always strong. In the most of the conversation he had with them, he told me they manifested great uneasi- ness at our People's going to take a view of Cowass meadows last spring, but never fully declared their minds till the morning they took their depart- ure, when with great deliberation (as he expressed it) they told him, For the English to settle Cowass was what they could not agree to, and as the English had no need of that land, but had enough without it, they must think the English had a mind for war if they should go there, and said if you do we will endeavor that you shall have a strong war ; that they should have the Mohawks and Otawawas to help them ; that there were four hundred Indians now a hunting on this side the St. Francois River, and that the owners of the land at Cowass would be all there this Spring, and that they at No. 4 might expect that if the affair of set- tling Cowass went forward to all have their houses burnt.
They told him further that they had no mind for war and desired him to use his Interest to prevent the English going to Cowass, and said again if they go there must be war, and it would be a war of the English making. Thus have I given the account almost in the words he delivered to me, nothing ma- terially different."
Capt. Williams further adds, "Upon the whole it is evident that the Indians are acquainted with the Designs and Projections of a neighboring govern- ment (New Hami)shire), and it is evi- dent they don't intend tamely to yield up the possession of that pace to the English ; but on the contrary do what they can to hinder the settlement of it, and as they suppose the land to be theirs, and none without their consent have right to enter upon it, and they have good right <■'/ et annis to drive any such away, so beyond all dispute the French will encourage and help them. However easy and practicable the settlement of Cowass may appear to some, yet I make no doubt they will
��meet with a Tartar and find themselves miserably disappointed that they have undertaken it it they proceed."
This is the letter upon which Dr. Bel- knap, the historian, bases his statement, vol. 2, page 278. of his history. "A party was sent up in the spring of 1752, to view the meadows of Cohos and lay out the proposed townships." Col. Potter, the historian of Manchester, seems to entertain the same opinion, and yet neither of ihe above authors gives us any ])roof or record of the exploration, nor has thus far any ac- count of it come to the light of mod- ern history. The expression in Capt. Williams's letter giving rise to the theory of the I 752 u.ndertaking, is this : "■They mairfestcd ^^leat uneasiness at our Peo- ple' s noing to take a I'iew of Cowass nieadoius last Spring."
The opinion of this writer is that by some means the Indians were made acquainted with the deliberations of the Council of New Hampshire, rela- tive to t he occupancy of their lands, and before any siei)s were taken toward a survey, sent their protest to the near- est point hiving authority to communi- cate. The consideration of the subject by the assembly was early in March, 1753, at which time a committee was appointed for the purpose of survey- ing and marking a road to Coos." This committee consisted of Col. Zac- cheus Lovewell, John Tolford and Caleb Page, and the particulars of their service may be gathered from their ac- count rendered and now on file in the office of the secretary of state. It bears date March 31, 1753, and is as follows :
"March, 1753. Messrs. Zacheus Lovewell, John Tolford and Caleb Page Charge ye Province of New Hampr., Dr., for themselves and men here named hired to survey and make the road to Coos in March Curr't." Here tbllow the names of the party and the time of service, varying from 19.^, to 22 days. The pilot of the ex- pedition was John Stark, who had passed over the same route as a cap- live but a year before, and one mem-
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