Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/471

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APPENDIX.

��459

��This fine country, Georgiana, invites Great Britain to fmi-le upon it, and in return to receive its grateful tribute of tobacco, hemp, filk, flax, cotton, indigo, wine and tea, in plenty, befides many other valuable pro- duels. Hops grow wild on the Mifiifippi and the tobacco raifed at the Nahchee old fettlement, was efteemed of fuperior quality to any belonging France. The lands on the extenfive ramifications of the Miffifippi lands are capable of producing the like. All kind of vegetables planted, or fowed in their fields, gardens, and orchards, either for profit or pleafure, would grow to greater perfection, and with lets art and labour, in this tract, than any in Europe, fo fruitful is the foil, and favourable the climate. As the favages live in a direct line between our northern colonies, and this, to the diftance of four hundred miles above New Orleans , our nor thern people will be obliged to make a winding courfe by the Ohio, before they can reach it with their families and neceffary moveables ; which fhews that it requires public fpirit, and the fupport of government to fettle a flouriihing colony here. The two Floridas, and this, which to the great lofs of the nation, lie fhamefully neglected, are the only places in the Bri- tiflh empire, from whence me can receive a fufficient fupply of thofe ftaples me wants. The profperity, and even the welfare of Great Britain, depends on fundry accounts, in a high degree, on improving thefe valuable and dear bought acquifitions ; and we hope her eyes will be opened foon, and her hands ftretched out to do it Ihe will provide for the neceffities of her own poor at home, by the very means that would employ a multi tude of ufelefs people in agriculture here, and bring the favages into a pro bable way of being civilized, and becoming chriftians, by contracting their circle of three thoufand miles, and turning them from a lonely hunt of wild beads, to the various good purpofes of fociety. Should Great Britain duly exert herfelf as the value of this place requires, by the affiftanceof our old Chikkafah allies, the other Indian nations would be forced to purfue their true intereft, by living peaceably with us ; and be foon enticed to be come very ferviceable both to our planters, and the enlargement of trade.

As the Miflifippi Indians are not likely to be foon corrupted by the haughty ftiff Spaniards, and are moftly of a tractable difpofition, confcquently they might be civilized, and their wants fo greatly extended as to demand every kind of Britifh manufactures, in imitation of their friendly, induftrious, and opulent neighbours : and, as the fmall profits of hunting would not be fuf-

ficient to purchafe a variety of fuch new neceflaries, they might be eafily

N n n 2 induced

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