A half-century of conflict. France and England in North America. Part ...

;1746-1748.] USELESS BARBARITIES. 213may be passed against the selling of liquor to theIndians, " as it is impossible to do anjrthing with themwhile there is such a plenty to be had all round theneighborhood, being forever drunk." And he complainsespecially of one Clement, who sells liquorwithin twenty yards of Johnson's house, and immediatelygets from the Indians all the bounty moneythey receive for scalps, " which leaves them as pooras ratts," and therefore refractory and unmanageable.Johnson says further ": There is another grand villain,George Clock, who lives by Conajoharie Castle,and robs the Indians of all their cloaths, etc." Thechiefs complained, " upon which I wrote him twice togive over that custom of selling liquor to the Indiansthe answer was he gave the bearer, I might hangmyself."^ Indian affairs, it will be seen, were nobetter regulated then than now.Meanwhile the French Indians were ravaging thefrontiers and burning farmhouses to within sight ofAlbany. The Assembly offered rewards for thescalps of the marauders, but were slow in sendingmoney topay them, — to the great discontent of theMohawks, who, however, at Johnson's instigation,sent out various war-parties, two of which, accompaniedby a few whites, made raids as far as the islandof Montreal, and somewhat checked the incursions ofthe mission Indians by giving them work near home.The check was but momentary. Heathen Indiansfrom the West joined the Canadian converts, and the1 Johnson to Clinton, 7 May, 1747.