If the _Indian_ Trade at _Canada_ was in private Hands; if every private Person there might deal with the _Indians_ at Pleasure, we might then hope that those who are gone from us would soon return; for, in that Case, it is supposable enough that they would not meet with much better Usage there than they do here; tho’ it is scarcely supposable that they would meet with much worse. The _French_ Trade with the _Indians_ is wholly in the Hands of publick Officers, (it I am rightly informed) and a private Man, if he wants a Dear-skin, a Beaver-skin, &c. is not allowed to purchase of an _Indian_, but must go to the publick Stores. Upon the Supposition that those Officers are faithful, and deal justly by the _Indians_, it is surely a wise and politick Method to engage them in their Favour. And so long as every private Person in the English Government is at Liberty to trade with them, when, and where, he pleases, and to cheat them out of what they have, what can we expect but that they will repair to _Canada_, where they may be better used? Is it not owing to the ill Treatment they have met with from the _English_ and _Dutch_, that so many of them are gone already? And if no proper Measures are taken to prevent their being ill used, will not those who are yet behind soon follow their Brethren? Yea, if we furnish them with large Quantities of Rum, make them drunk, and then defraud them of what they have, do we not reduce them to a Necessity, either of living low and miserable with us, or of going from us, that they may fare better? How low, how dispirited, how miserable and brutish these few are, who live within our Borders, is too manifest. And whether we, by our ill treating of them, have not contributed to their Misery, is worthy of our serious Enquiry. Yea, would it not be proper for us to enquire, Whether we have not, by our Neglect and Abuse of them, provoked Heaven to let loose the Natives upon us, who have been one of the sorest Scourges that we were ever chastised with? What Multitudes have they, in a most cruel Manner, murdered in our Borders? How many of our Neighbours have they led into Captivity? Some of whom have been redeemed at a very great Expence, and others are become either Pagans or Papists, and continue still in a foreign Land. And who can count the Cost we have been at, to defend ourselves against their Incursions?