.ODcz.NTUyODI

east of Fort Snelling, nearly north to the head of the lower falls of the St. Louis River, head of Lake Superior, & north of that Lake. Such a line, if run soon would leave all the white settlements east of it. But if delayed long, the whites will be west of it. It would leave nearly or quite the entire waters of the St. Croix within this Tery. & the wates of Rum River within the Ind. Tery. It would give the whites access to the harbor at Fon du Lac (the head of L. Superior) & the water fall on the St. Louis river which empties into it. Whether this plan be adopted or not, I respectfully suggest the importance of a Fort at Fon du Lac, & a military road from it to Fort Snelling, a distance, not to excede 150 miles over good ground & near or on the proposed line most of the way. If, then, the Chippewas should be moved into the country west & north of Lake Superior, the country bordering & south of that Lake would soon settle by the whites. There are many inducements for its settlement. The soil is very rich & abounds in mineral resoures, timber, &c, and the fisheries would soon be of equil if not superior value to those of Newfoundland: and what is a fact, but little know, the climate is equil to that of New England two degrees farther south, owing, probably, to its being less elevated above the levil of the sea. A Fort at Fon du Lac, would tend to keep the Ind. in subjection, could intercept & cut off any attempts of the British to induce them to hostilities, would induce a white settlement by affording protection, could be supplied by ships from Fort Brady, and with one provision in a treaty of peace between the Sioux & Chippewas, could prevent hostilities between those two tribes - that is, have them agree that when one of either tribe killed one of another, the murderer should be given up to the tribe of the murdered for punishment, this provision to be carried into effect by United States troops, on complaint being entered. I am convinced, from an intercourse of some years with the Indians, that they would agree to such a stipulation & that it would be effetual in preserving peace among them. This done, those two tribes could live in the same Tery. & under the same Govt., but not otherwise.