And whereas it is _just_ and _reasonable_, and _essential to our interest_, and the security of our colonies, that the several nations or tribes of Indians, with whom we are connected, and who live under our protection, should not be molested or disturbed in the possession of such parts of our dominions _as, not having been ceded to, or purchased by us, are reserved to them, or any of them, as their hunting grounds_; we do therefore, with the advice of our privy council, declare it to be our royal will and pleasure, that no governor, or commander in chief, in any of our colonies of Quebec, East Florida, or West Florida, do presume, upon any pretence whatever, to grant warrants of survey, or pass any patents for lands beyond the bounds of their respective governments, as described in their commissions; _as also_ that no governor or commander in chief of our other colonies or plantations in America, do presume for the present, and until our further pleasure be known, to grant warrant of survey, or pass patents for any lands _beyond the heads or sources of any of the rivers which fall into the Atlantic ocean from the west or north-west_; or upon any lands whatever, _which not having been ceded to, or purchased by us, as aforesaid, are reserved to the said Indians, or any of them_. And we do further declare it to be our royal will and pleasure, _for the present_, as aforesaid, to reserve under our sovereignty, protection, and dominion, _for the use of the said Indians, all the land and territories not_ included within the limits of our said three new governments, or within the limits of the territory granted to the Hudson's Bay company; _as also, all the land and territories lying to the westward of the sources of the rivers which fall into the sea from the west and north-west as aforesaid_; and we do hereby strictly forbid, on pain of our displeasure, all our loving subjects from making any purchases or settlements whatever, or taking possession of any of the lands above reserved, without our especial leave and licence for that purpose first obtained. And we do further strictly enjoin and require all persons whatever, who have either wilfully or inadvertently seated themselves upon any lands within the countries above described, or upon any other lands, _which not having being ceded to, or purchased by us_, are still reserved to the Indians as aforesaid, forthwith to remove themselves from such settlements.