The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

270 WASHINGTON'S WRITINGS. [lET. 25.
thereby incapable of doing any kind of service. It is
surprising, that any man should be entrusted with transacting such important affairs, and not be possessed of
the means. Thus he, and several others, who receive
high pay from Virginia, are not only rendered useless,
but our interest with those Indians is at the brink of destruction. Whenever any of them arrive here, they immediately apply to me; but I have neither any thing to
give them, nor any right to do it. Nor is there a person, who can inform them to what these and their other
disappointments are owing; which reduces me to a
dilemma, from which I would most gladly be extricated.
I must likewise beg leave to mention once more the
vast hardships, which many of the people groan under
here, from having been so long kept out of the money,
that the country owes them on account of the Indians.
When I proposed going down to Williamsburg, several of them brought their accounts to me, which I
intended, had you given me liberty, to lay before your
Honor. I mention this circumstance, not with any view
of being employed in examining and paying off those
accounts, which for many reasons I can by no means
undertake, but in hope that your Honor will be pleased
to give directions, and appoint some person to that duty,
by the neglect of which so many poor people greatly
suffer.* I am, &c.
" This was his last letter to Governor Dinwiddie. It was duly answered, and further provisions were made for the Indians.
Colonel Washington was now laboring under an indisposition, which
shortly increased to an alarming illness. He left the army at the pressing
request of the surgeon (Dr. Craik, his physician and intimate friend through
life), and retired to Mount Vernon, where he was reduced so low by dysentery and fever, that it was more than four months before he was able to
resume his command.
The Governor sailed for Europe in January. His departure was viewed
with little regret by the inhabitants of Virginia, and perhaps with as little
by himself. During his five years' administration, he had shown no de