In reply to the Proposition of the Indians at White River through John Johnson their agent to Gover Bloomfield with Respect to the Land at Coaxen

The Subscriber answer that he will Never give 3000 for the Indian Right to those Lands, but the Repeated Declarations of Charle Moonis and his two sisters to Divers Peopel of Reputation who frequently Conversed with them on the subject, was Uniformly that they was the Last of the family of Mahanumackyain alias King Charles who Lived and Died on this Very Land; and a great number of tracts of Land Rounding and adjoining on this Disputed tract was Purchased and are now held by Conveyances from Mahamnacquan and his sons Ossalowhen and Teannes, Jacob Moonis one of the sons of Mahanmacquin and father of the Late Charles Reserving for his own Residence the tract of Land now in Dispute and in 1784 Jacob Moonis Died first making his Last Will and testament in Wrighting Duly Proven and Recorded by which he gave all his Land to his three Children, to wit, Hannah Molly and Charles who all Resided on this Land, Hannah marryed but had no children, Molly and Charles Never marryed Left no Issue, and the Indian title to this Land never Extinguished being then Reserved Lands and in the Sales the Delawar Indians made to Government of all their Right to Lands in New Jersey by Deed Dated [left blank] this tract of Land was Excepted and Reserved for the Mooless Family as they Refused to sell; the Subscriber therefore is advised that Charles Moolis had as good a Right to Dispose of this Land by Will or otherwise - as his Predecessors had to sell the adjoining Lands, he therefore considers himself Intirely sworn in his titel to the Lands Devised to him by the will of Charles Moonis, Yes from the friendly Regard he has Ever had and still Retains for the Indians he is Disposed and now offers to make a Present to them of 2000 Dollars with the conditions that some Person or Persons be appointed on behalf of the Indians (not only the Western Indians but also those called the Edgpillock Indians) to transact the Business with him and Procure a clear and full Releas and acquittence from them to him that he shall nave no further trouble or charge on their or Either of there acct., and to Riceve the money on the Indians account by him Paid as a Present

But I find in John Johnsons Letter that there is a Charles White eyes who claims a Preference in this Business by being Granson to Charles Mooless, this must be a mistake as a Number of us who have been Intimate with Charles Moonis from his Infancy Never heard of his haved a child lad, to him

But a Number of us Know, Nearly forty or fifty years Past an Indian man then a youth that went to the westward amongst the Indians who had a good Education and was called Capt. White Eyes he was half Brother to Hannah Moolis Charles Mooliss Mother and not of the Moonis family, therefore can claim no Preference to the Land in Question and it is Likely the Present claims wite Eyes may be a son or Granson of his, the Subscriber thought Best to give this Information which is founded on his own Knowledge well as on the testamony of witnesses Legally taken,

It is also alleged, by the Indians at White River that the Land in Question is very valuable and Rents for 200 Dols a year It is Likely that by [spending] not a thousand Dollars on it to fence and Improve it, that Rent might be had for it, But in the Present State no near than twenty Pounds a year has been Paid in money for it, and since Charles Moonis Death it has been Stript of all the Timber and near forty or fifty acres of the tillabel Land Lays out to Commons without any fencing and nothing on the Land to fence it and the 2000 Dollars Put on Intres in New Jersey for thire use will yeald the Indians 140 Dollars+ pr year which will N[ ] thire move then the land whold for a Number of years, if it was Realy thir own, But as I have Receved a great Deal of [ ]ment (from those that Profesed to be the Indians friends but who Never did one good thing for them) which I am Infively [?] clear from Discovering: I never intend giving up my Right to the Land in Question which I think I shall have full Paid for having under the Law of New Jersey acted as Commitioner (after the death of my father) to the Indians at Edgpillock and Coaxen for Near thirty years without fee or Reward

8th August 1811 Josiah Foster

[written on bottom]

as to the Conveyances from the Indians to Josiah Foster Esquire It will be only Necessary to Convey all the Indian Right to the Land or Plantaion given and Devised by the testament and Last Will of Charles to J: Foster Esq.r bearing Date the Ninth day of September One thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety Seven duly Proven and Recorded in the Record of the State of New Jersey