shewing that as the new territories were for the most part but sparsely populated, great difficulties must arise in seeking at once to establish in them the machinery of a regular civil government, it proposed to confine the number of new States to two, viz. Canada and Florida,[1] extending at the same time the boundaries of Georgia to its present limits, and to leave the vast territory westward of the Appalachian Mountains and the great lakes to the Indians who acknowledged the sovereignty of George III., but open to the free trade of all the King's subjects, under the protection of such military force in the different forts and posts of the Indian country as might be judged necessary. The letter then went on to say,
"We shall defer at present entering into any particulars as to the number of troops which it may be necessary to maintain for this purpose, the number and situation of the posts and forts, and the regulations proper to be established for a free trade from all your Majesty's Colonies into the Indian country, till by further information from your Majesty's Commander-in-Chief in America, and from your Majesty's Agents for Indian Affairs, we shall be able to make a more full and particular Report upon so interesting and important a subject; and we apprehend that no such delay can be attended with any material inconvenience, since if your Majesty should be pleased to adopt the general propositions of having a large tract of country round the great lakes as an Indian country open to trade, but not to grants and settlements, the limits of each territory will be sufficiently ascertained by the bounds to be given to the Governors of Canada and Florida on the north and south, and the Mississippi in the west, and by the strict directions to be given to your Majesty's several Governors of your ancient colonies, for preventing their making any new grants of lands beyond certain fixed limits to be laid down in the instructions for that purpose; and we apprehend that in the meantime, the security of the trade will be sufficiently provided for by the forts already erected, and such garrisons as your Commander-in-Chief may at his direction think proper to keep in them.
"But that no time may be lost in finally settling this important point of the Indian country, it will be absolutely necessary that immediate orders be sent as well to your Majesty's Commander-in-Chief of America, as to your Majesty's Agents for Indian Affairs,- ↑ In the Proclamation of 1763 the new colonies on the mainland were to be three in number—Canada, East Florida, and West Florida. (See Vol. II. Appendix I. A.)
