SW_GH1804_176

more Yearly Meeting had it in contemplation to visit. Their report presented the speeches of the chiefs, the memorial of the Committee to Congress, a copy of the law passed by Congress, and an account of their interview with the Sec-retary of War, with the information received from him. The War department at this period of the government of the United States had the care of Indian affairs, and the Secretary informed the Friends that, agreeably to the request of the Indians, the government had established a tra-ding house at Fort Wayne, that they were in want of several persons of our Society; black-smiths, carpenters, and superintendents, men that could make and mend ploughs, looms, farm-ing utensils, &;c., and wished to employ such as were of exemplary conduct, and concerned for the promotion of the work in prospect; to such the United States offered a liberal compensa-tion. At the next meeting which was held in Bal-timore the 7th of 2d month, 1803, the Commit-tee on Indian Concerns agreed to make the following application to the Meeting for Suffer-ings of Baltimore Yearly Meeting: We of the Committee on Indian affairs ap-pointed by Baltimore Yearly Meeting, impressed with an idea of the importance of our appoint-ment, and with a full persuasion, that the situa-tion of our business requires speedy attention, as the obstructions that have heretofore prevented