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Friends and Brethren of the Mohawk Nation. of the Lower Castle
or village

We have requested from Sir William Johnson your attendance
here, that we might have an opportunity to lay before you a detail of
our claim and proceedings respecting the Lands at Tionnondoroge, and
that we may also offer you our best assurances to secure those Lands, upon
the basis of your former agreements with us and others, and by means
whereof endeavour to remove the supposed wrongs and Injuries you
pretend to have received from us.

It is not unknown to you that our ancestors the Dutch and English
upon their first arrival in this country, were the first white people, with
whom you entered into an alliance of Friendship, which has remained
inviolate from its commencement until this day.

The Inhabitants of the City of Albany, the nearest and chief christian
Settlement to you, have always cultivated your Friendship, and deemed
their preservation and Interest to be inseparately connected with yours
against the perfedy and encroachments of the French and their Indian
allies, and as our Danger from that Quarter was equal we acted in
every emergency like Friends and Brethren, by giving and receiving
aid and protection of and to each other against the Common Enemy.

About 86 years ago while we lived with you on this friendly footing
the Inhabitants of Albany obtained from Thomas Dungan the then
Governor over this province under James the 2d. King of England by
Letters patent or charter of Incorporation the Liberty and Licence at their
pleasure to purchase from you the Quantity of one thousand acres of
Low or meadow Land at Tionnondorge; which said Quantity of 1000 acres
the said Thomas Dungan Did thereby in behalf of his said majesty
give grant and confirm to the said Inhabitants of Albany by the name
of the Mayor Aldermen and Commonalty & their Successors for ever.

Brethren.
Under this Grant the Inhabitants of Albany never have or
intended to encroach on or usurp your Lands, but on the contrary
always deemed it a happiness as well to them as you, that the
Individuals of your nation were deprived by this Grant, from making
any legal conveyance of selling parcels of those Lands to white people, and
thus your property as a nation in those Lands was rendered safe to you and your
posterity while a nation and so long as you continued in possession thereof Yet not long thereafter several of your nation
from motives of Interest or otherwise proceeded to the sale of divers
parcels of those Lands to white men.

Here is a Deed by which Tenegwanegie one of your ancestors
about 52 years ago sold a peice of this Land to Abraham Cuylere.

Here is also a nother Deed by which Aaron, Segehowanie & Collian
about 33 years ago sold to him another parcel of those Lands.