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you will much oblige me; and if you have found it a useful law, I am in hopes we shall be induced to follow your good example.*

My compliments to Mrs. Bowdoin and all inquiring friends. With much respect and esteem, I am, dear Sir, &c. B. FRANKLIN.

* Mr. Bowdoin replied as follows, in a letter dated at Boston, November 12th. "Our Indians formerly (as yours now) made great complaints of the abuses they suffered from private traders, which induced the government to erect truckhouses for them; where they have since been supplied with the goods they wanted in a much better manner both in regard of the quality and price of them, and with more certainty than the private traders could. The government used to put an advance on the goods supplied, but now they let the Indians have them in the small quantities they want at the same rate they are purchased here in the wholesale way, and allow them for their peltry what it sells for here; and, notwithstanding, they are frequently complaining about the prices of the exchanged commodities, and say that the French supply them at a cheaper rate, and allow them more for their skins than we do; but some allowance is to be made for this account of theirs. "The best method we can go into, is to supply them with what they want at the cheapest rate possible, which will not only undermine the French trade with them, but in proportion thereto bring them into our interest and friendship against the French; for trade and commerce between nation and nation, especially when carried on to mutual advantage, have a natural tendency to beget and confirm a mutual and lasting friendship. Another good effect of this method is, that it prevents the Indians from being concerned with private traders; for, not being able to supply them at so low a rate as the government, the Indians will not trade with them, and it is therefore a more effectual bar against private trade, than all the laws that can be invented.

"Our truckhouses are built in form of a square, each side one hundred and fifty feet or more, at each corner a flanker, in which is a couple of cannon; three sides of the square are built upon to accommodate the garrison and for storehouses, the whole being surrounded with palisades."

TO CADWALLADER COLDEN.

Indian Affairs.-Abbé Nollet's Book, and Dalibard's

Answer.

Philadelphia, 25 October, 1753.

SIR,

This last summer, I have enjoyed very little of the pleasure of reading or writing. I made a long journey to the eastward, which consumed ten weeks; and two journeys to our western frontier. One of them, to meet and hold a treaty with the Ohio Indians, in company with Mr. Peters and Mr. Norris.* I shall send you a copy of that treaty, as soon as it is published. I should be glad to know whether the Act, mentioned in your History of the Five Nations," to prevent the people of New York from supplying the French with Indian goods, still subsists, and is duly executed.†

66

I

I left your book with Mr. Bowdoin, in Boston. hope you will hear from him this winter. I observed extracts from it in all the Magazines, and in the Monthly Review, but I see no observations on it. I send

This treaty, or rather conference, was held at Carlisle, in Pennsylvania, with deputies from several tribes of western Indians. See SPARKS's Life of Washington, 2d edition, p. 25.

To this inquiry Mr. Colden replied, November 19th. "We have at present no law in this province for restraining the trade to Canada, except that by which a duty is laid on Indian goods sold out of the city of Albany, and applied for support of the garrison at Oswego. It is certain, that a very considerable trade is carried on between Albany and Canada by means of the Caghnawaga, or French Indians, all of them deserters from the Five Nations. When I was last at Albany there were at least two hundred of them, stout young fellows, at one time in the town. The Indians have passports from the governor of Canada, and I therefore conclude that this trade is thought beneficial to the French interest, and it may be a great inducement to our Indians to desert, by the benefit they receive from it; for none are allowed to be the carriers between Albany and Canada, but French Indians."

you herewith Nollet's book. M. Dalibard writes me, that he is just about to publish an answer to it, which, perhaps, may save me the trouble.

I hope soon to find time to finish my new Hypothesis of Thunder and Lightning, which I shall immediately communicate to you. I sent you, by our friend Bartram, some meteorological conjectures for your amusement. When perused, please to return them, as I have no copy.* With sincere esteem and respect, I am, dear Sir, &c.

B. FRANKLIN.

DEAR SIR,

TO WILLIAM SMITH.

Concerning the Academy.

Philadelphia, 27 November, 1753.

Having written to you fully, via Bristol, I have now little to add. Matters relating to the Academy remain in statu quo. The trustees would be glad to see a rector established there, but they dread entering into new engagements, till they are got out of debt; and I have not yet got them wholly over to my opinion, that a good professor, or teacher of the higher branches of learning, would draw so many scholars as to pay great part, if not the whole of his salary. Thus, unless the Proprietors of the province shall think fit to put the finishing hand to our institution, it must, I fear, wait some few years longer, before it can arrive at that state of perfection, which to me it seems now capable of; and all the pleasure I promised myself in seeing you settled among us vanishes into smoke.

The abovementioned Hypothesis of Thunder and Lightning may be seen in Vol. V. pp. 300-314; and the Meteorological Conjectures, in Vol. VI. p. 127.

But good Mr. Collinson writes me word, that no endeavours of his shall be wanting; and he hopes, with the Archbishop's assistance, to be able to prevail with our Proprietors.* I pray God grant them success. My son presents his affectionate regards, with, dear Sir, yours, &c.

B. FRANKLIN.

TO CADWALLADER COLDEN.

Regulation of Trade with the Indians.

DEAR SIR,

Philadelphia, 6 December, 1753.

I received your favor of the 19th past, with some remarks on my meteorological paper, for which I thank you and return some observations on those remarks, hoping by this friendly intercourse of sentiments and objections some advantage will arise, to the increase of true knowledge.t

I sent you our treaty some time since. You will find very little in it; but I have hopes it will introduce a regulation of our Indian trade, by the government taking it in hand, and furnishing the Indians with goods at the cheapest rate without aiming at profit, as is done by Massachusetts; by which means I think we must vastly undersell the French, and thereby attach the Indians more firmly to the British interest.

Mr. Collinson certainly received your answer Kastner. I think one of his letters to me mentions it.

• Upon the application of Archbishop Herring and Peter Collinson, at Dr. Franklin's request, (aided by the letters of Mr. Allen and Mr Peters,) Thomas Penn subscribed an annual sum, and afterwards gave at least £5000, to the founding or engrafting the College upon the Academy. - Stuber.

For the Remarks here mentioned, and the Observations on them, see Vol. VI. pp. 177, 180.

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I send you herewith a copy of my paper on the

only one I have, so must That on the Air, &c., is

Increase of Mankind; the request you to return it. what you have already seen. The third mentioned to you by Mr. Collinson, concerning the Germans, is scarcely worth sending. It will contain nothing new to you.

I congratulate you on Lord Halifax's approbation of your conduct in public affairs. From such a man the honor is great, and the satisfaction; but the approbation of your own mind is something more valuable in itself, and it is what I doubt not you will always enjoy.

I should like to see Pike's bookt some time or other, when you can conveniently send it. With great respect and esteem, I am, Sir, &c.

B. FRANKLIN.

TO CADWALLADER COLDEN.

Remarks on the Plan of a Union of the Colonies.— Beccaria's Work on Electricity.

DEAR SIR,

Philadelphia, 30 August, 1754

I have now before me your favors of July 23d, and August 15th. I return Mr. Pike's Philosophia Sacra. His manner of philosophizing is much out of my way.

* See this letter above, p. 66.

A work more curious than logical or profound, entitled "Philosophia Sacra; or the Principles of Natural Philosophy, extracted from Divine Revelation. By SAMUEL PIKE." The author attempts to establish and explain a system of philosophy, accounting for the motions of the heavenly bodies, and the operations of nature, by quotations from the Scriptures. In an Appendix he remarks on the philosophical principles of Mr. Colden, as laid down in his treatise on Gravitation.

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