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The Governor having been pleased to communicate to this Board two Letters from Col. Hyde Governor of North Carolina dated the 21st and 29th of January complaining that the Maherine Indians disturb the Inhabitants of that Province between Maherine River and Wiccouse Creek, and have required them to leave their plantations within three miles of the said Indian town, and desiring that a check be put to their proceedings in that kind till the bounds be determined which he promises to forward by pressing their Commrs to act in conjunction with those appointed for this Colony; but withall desiring that this Affair may not be precipitated till their Com̄rs can joine. Upon consideration of which this Board are of opinion that as to what concerns the Maherine Indians they have much more reason to complain than the Inhabitants of Carolina the latter having been along the Aggressors in disturbing the antient possessions of the Indians by their new Incroachments and that the Government of Carolina would have had no reason to complaine of disturbances from

those Indians if they had followed the same method as has been observed here of restraining the taking up land within the contraverted bounds, to which they cannot be said to have a Right untill the bounds be determined the presumption of Right being till then more strong in favour of her Majesty and therefore this Government are in the meantime obliged to protect the Indians in the possession of those Lands to which they are intitled, by the articles of peace against the pretensions of the Inhabitants of that Province. And as to what relates to the meeting of the Commissioners for settling the Boundarys. This Board are of opinion that a letter be writt to the Governor of Carolina signifying to him that after the many delays which the Commrs of that Province have used, it cannot be justly said to be any precipitation if the Commrs for this Colony are directed to proceed without them in case they do not speedily fix a time for proceeding jointly in this Negociation.

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