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Baltimore Yearly Meeting Indian Committee Minutes, 1795-1815

BYM_Page_176

to make use of them but that you did not knowhow to begin in the cultivation of your lands, andinvited us to send some of our friends into your countryto see your situation, and to give you such instructionas might be necessary Brethren In consequence of this request and thefriendship which we had for our Red Brethren we didin the succeeding summer prevail on some of our friends to makeyou a visit and one of them remained with you duringthe season, to teach you the use of the tools we take hold of and put you in a way to provide for yourselves your women &;Children, the many necessaries they were in need of Brethren It is now several years since we first tookeach other by the hands- we have during all this timebeen endeavouring to draw your attention to the cultivation of your lands, and have several summons sentsome of our friends to stay with you to give you thenecessary instruction Brethren when our friends first went into yourcountry they requested such of your Cheifs as werepresent to point out the most suitable place to beginthe improvement these chiefs said it had better be atneither of their villages and after consulting together fixedon the Wabash and pointed out a particular spot, whichthey wished us to to commence the reasons which they gavefor that being the most proper place was that the river was navigable and a public road passed by this placeon the bank of it, it was of course the most public spotthey could point out which had equal advantages ofsoil and would afford many of your your young menas they passed by an opportunity of learning from theexample set them, and accordingly the settlement wascommenced and has been continued at that placeever since: it has been our intention after our Redbrethren who have removed to reside at Dennis stationshall have become so advanced as to be able to proceedwithout the aid of further instruction from us topropose to your chiefs to take into consideration if theywish us to extend assistance to any other place &; if theyshould conclude to request it leave them at libertyto propose such other spot as they may prefer.