note: transcription publicly contributed - please contact us with comments, errors or omisions

other places, and intend to publish it, here, and in England, and to call the attention of all [?classes] to the claims [underlined] of the Indians.

It may be also proper to [?note OR state] that the Indians do not consider themselves subjects of Queen Victoria. I had written this [expression?] at the close of the Petition. The venerable old chief- Francis Paul,- shook his head: that [expression?] could not be admitted. "We treated [underlined] as an independent nation", said he, " and no steps had ever been taken to alter this relation". I must say I admired the Independant spirit of the old man. I dashed my pen thro the offensive expression. [Simple Justice - underlined], is all he asks. Why may he not have it?

There is just one more request which I promised to make on their behalf. Should an answer be obtained, they wished it to be forward to them [if possible - written above so insert here] thro me, as I understand their tongue and