Prevost._

YORK, December 3, 1811.

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your
excellency's dispatch, dated the 11th ultimo, with its
enclosures.

My first care, on my arrival in this province, was to direct
the officers of the Indian department at Amherstburg to exert
their whole influence with the Indians to prevent the attack
which I understood a few tribes meditated against the American
frontier. But their efforts proved fruitless, as such was the
infatuation of the Indians, that they refused to listen to
advice; and they are now so deeply engaged, that I despair of
being able to withdraw them from the contest in time to avert
their destruction. A high degree of fanaticism, which had been
for years working in their minds, has led to the present
event.

_Major-General Brock to Lieut.-General Sir G. Prevost._

YORK, December 11, 1811.

I had the honor yesterday of receiving your excellency's
letter of the 1st ultimo, stating your intention of
establishing depots of small arms, accoutrements and
ammunition, at the different posts in Upper Canada.

Since the settlement of the province, several hundred stands
have been at different times issued to the militia, and I have
given directions for collecting them, but in all probability
great deficiencies will be found; indeed, it has already been
ascertained that those delivered in 1795 by the late
Lieut.-General Simcoe are wholly lost to the service. To
obviate for the future such an extensive waste, I propose
fixing upon proper places at each post, wherein the arms may
be deposited after the militia have exercised; and I have to
request your excellency's permission to direct the field train
department to attend to their preservation, and keep them in a
state of repair, in the same manner as those remaining in
store. The expense cannot be great, and in all such cases the
infant state of the country obliges the militia to have
recourse to the military.

I have recently had occasion to report for your excellency's
information, the total want of stores at this post, beyond
those immediately necessary for the commissariat. I shall
consequently be much at a loss to find accommodation for the
2,329 French muskets which your excellency has directed to be
sent here; and as the only magazine is a sm