PLAN for fettling two Western Colonies in North America, with Reafons for the Plan, 1754*.

THE

HE great country back of the Apalachian mountains, on both fides the Ohio, and between that river and the lakes; is now well known both to the English and French, to be one of the fmeft

[For the occafion which produced this plan, fee what follows. I apprehend it was given to Governor Pownall, 1754, for the purpose of being inferted in his memorial; but this point of anecdote I cannot fufficiently afcertain.

• Extract of a Memorial drawn up by Order of, and prefented

to bis Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, 1756, by • T. Pownall.

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In other parts of our frontier, that are not the immediate refidence and country of Indians, fome other fpecies of barrier • fhould be thought of, of which nothing can be more effectual ⚫ than a barrier colony: but even this cannot be carried .... into execution and effect, without the previous measure of entrepôts in the country between us and the ⚫ enemy .. All mankind muft know that no body of

men, whether as an army, or as an emigration of colonists, can ⚫ march from one country to another, through an inhospitable wil⚫derness, without magazines; nor with any fafety, without pofts ⚫ communicating among each other by practicable roads, to which to retire in cafe of accidents, repulfe, or delay.

It is a fact which experience evinces the truth of, that we have always been able to outfettle the French; and have driven the Indians out of the country more by fettling than fighting; ⚫ and that whenever our fettlements have been wifely and com•pletely made, the French neither by themselves, nor their dogs of war, the Indians, have been able to remove us. It is upon this fact I found the propriety of the measure of fettling a barrier colony in those parts of our frontiers, which are not the immediate re

•fidence

fineft in North America, for the extreme richness and fertility of the land; the healthy temperature of the air, and mildness of the climate; the plenty

fidence or bunting-grounds of our Indians. This is a measure that will be effectual; and will not only in time pay its expence, but make as great returns as any of our prefent colonies do; will give a ftrength and unity to our dominions in North America; and give us poffeffion of the country, as well as fettlements in it. • But above all this, the state and circumstances of our settlements, render fuch a measure not only proper and eligible, but abfolutely neceffary. The English fettlements, as they are at ⚫ prefent circumftanced, are abfolutely at a ftand; they are fettled up to the mountains; and in the mountains there is no where together land fufficient for a fettlement large enough to fubfift by itself, and to defend itself, and preferve a communication * with the prefent fettlements.

If the English would advance one step further, or cover themfelves where they are, it must be at once, by one large step over the mountains, with a numerous and military colony. Where fuch should be fettled, I do not take upon me to fay: at prefent I fhall only point out the measure and the nature of it, by inferting two schemes, one of Mr. Franklin's, the other of your memorialift; and if I might indulge myself with fcheming, I should imagine that two fuch were fufficient, and only requifite and proper: one at the back of Virginia, filling up the vacant fpace between the five nations and fouthern confederacy, and connecting, into one fyftem, our barrier; the other fomewhere in the Cohafs or Connecticut river, or wherever beft adapted to ' cover the New England colonies. Thefe, with the little fettle⚫ments mentioned above in the Indian countries, complete my idea of this branch.' See Governor Pownall's Adminiftration of the Colonies. Vol. II. p. 228-231, 5th Edition.

The reader muft carry along with him a distinction between the plans of Dr. Franklin and Governor Pownall here referred to. The firft, (which is before him) is particular, and proposes a plan for two fettlements in the unlocated lands to the weftward of Penfylvania and the Virginian mountains, and is totally filent with refpect to a fettlement in New England: the other treats of the mode of fettling new colonies in North America in general, leaving the precife fituation to be in fome measure pointed out by the foregoing extract.

The copy from which this paper is printed, has appearances of being rather incorrectly taken from the original. E.J

of

of hunting, fishing, and fowling; the facility of trade with the Indians; and the vast convenience of inland navigation or water-carriage by the lakes and great rivers, many hundred of leagues

around.

From these natural advantages it must undoubt edly (perhaps in lefs than another century) become a populous and powerful dominion; and a great acceffion of power, either to England or France.

The French are now making open encroachments on these territories, in defiance of our known rights; and, if we longer delay to fettle that country, and fuffer them to poffefs it,-thefe inconveniences and mischiefs will probably follow;

1. Our people, being confined to the country between the fea and the mountains, cannot much more increase in number; people increafing in proportion to their room and means of fubfiftence. (See the Obfervations on the Increase of Mankind, &c. p. I.)

2. The French will increase much more, by that acquired room and plenty of subsistence, and become a great people behind us.

3. Many of our debtors, and loofe English people, our German fervants, and flaves, will probably defert to them; and increase their numbers and strength, to the leffening and weakening of ours.

4. They will cut us off from all commerce and alliance with the western Indians, to the great

prejudice

prejudice of Britain, by preventing the fale and confumption of its manufactures.

5. They will both in time of peace and war (as they have always done against New England) fet the Indians on to harafs our frontiers, kill and fcalp our people, and drive in the advanced fettlers; and fo, in preventing our obtaining more fubfiftence by cultivating of new lands, they difcourage our marriages, and keep our people from increafing; thus (if the expreffion may be allowed) killing thousands of our children before they are born.

If two ftrong colonies of English were fettled between the Ohio and lake Erie, in the places hereafter to be mentioned, thefe advantages might be expected:

1. They would be a great fecurity to the frontiers of our other colonies; by preventing the incurfions of the French and French Indians of Canada, on the back parts of Pensylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas; and the frontiers of fuch new colonies would be much more eafily defended, than those of the colonies laft mentioned now can be, as will appear hereafter. 2. The dreaded junction of the French settlements in Canada, with those of Louisiana would be prevented.

3. In cafe of a war, it would be eafy, from thofe new colonies, to annoy Louisiana by going down the Ohio and Miffiffippi; and the fouthern

part of Canada by failing over the lakes; and thereby confine the French within narrower limits.

4. We fhould fecure the friendship and trade of the Miamis or Twigtwees, (a numerous people, confifting of many tribes, inhabiting the country between the weft end of lake Erie, and the fouth end of lake Hurons, and the Ohio ;) who are at prefent diffatisfied with the French, and fond of the English, and would gladly encourage and protect an infant English fettlement in or near their country, as fome of their chiefs have declared to the writer of this memoir. Further, by means of the lakes, the Ohio, and the Miffiffippi, our trade might be extended through a vaft country, among many numerous and diftant.nations, greatly to the benefit of Britain.

5. The fettlement of. all the intermediate lands, between the prefent frontiers of our colonies on one fide, and the lakes and Miffiffippi on the other; would be facilitated and speedily executed, to the great increase of Englishmen, English trade, and English power.

The grants to most of the colonies, are of long narrow flips of land, extending weft from the Atlantick to the South Sea. They are muchtoo long for their breadth; the extremnes at too great a diftance; and therefore unfit to be continued under their prefent dimenfions.

Several of the old colonies may conveniently be limited weftward by the Allegeny or Apalachian mountains; and new colonies formed weft of thofe mountains.

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