BYM_Page_135

contemplation of your goodness and kind thoughtstowards the Indians and would gladly accept of yourprofered aid. But I have doubts whether it wouldmeet your purpose to bestow the bounty you mentionon this part of the Wyandot Nation, inasmuchas your address is directed to those at San DuskeyI should be glad of information from you onthis point. Give me leave to inform you, thatthose Wyandots of the two Villages before mentionedare a very deserving people, temperate, sober, reli-gious in their way and have already becomeagriculterists in part, but need aid and encoura-gement, with which I have no doubt they would soonquit the hunting life altogether, and advance ra-pidly to a state of compleat civilization. Indeedfrom what I have seen in this people I am greatlyconfirmed in a favourite opinion long entertainedby me, that the Indians are capable of becomingas well civilized as any people in the world. TheIndians now in question are very anxious to makefurther advanced in agriculture and knowledgeand have repeatedly signified to me their ardentwish for a few good farmers to come amongst themalso some mechanicks, particularly a blacksmith--As these Indians have frequent communicationswith their brethren at Sanduskey I thought properto deliver your address to their Interpreter desiring him