He retraced

1680.

with unshaken resolution, determined to persevere. his way westward with a reinforcement of twenty men, traversed the great "Father of Rivers" to its mouth, and after enduring hardships of the severest kind and encountering many dangers, returned to Quebec in the spring of 1683. 1683. He sailed soon afterwards for France, and found little difficulty in equipping an expedition to proceed to the Mississippi, consisting of four vessels and 290 men. Unfortunately the latitude of the river's mouth had not been correctly ascertained. He 1685. sailed one hundred leagues too far southward, formed a settlement in the Bay St Bernard, and was murdered by his mutinous followers, while wandering in the interior in search of the fabulous mines of St Barbe. His death broke up the settlement. Some died by hunger, others were massacred by the Indians; others again were encountered by the Spaniards, and sent to labour in the mines. Seven men only returned to Canada to relate the dreadful story of their misfortunes.*

1687.

Smith's Hist. Can. vol. i. pp. 65, 66. Heriot's Hist. Can. pp. 151-159. Conquest of Can. vol. i. p. 297. Raynal, vol. iii. p. 462.

CHAPTER IV.

N

THE GOVERNMENT OF M. DE LA BARRE.

EARLY ten years had now elapsed since the accession of De Frontenac to the Government of the colony, yet he remained haughty and unyielding as ever. The Intendant, Du Ches1682. neau, a man almost as despotic as himself, still darkened the pathway of his power, and time instead of diminishing had added to their mutual dislike. Both had their partizans at the French Court, and while the numerous complaints against the Governor had weakened the hands of his friends, the intrigues of the Jesuits placed Du Chesneau daily in a better position, till he came to be looked upon as altogether the aggrieved party. But finally, to terminate the difficulty and to gratify, in some measure, the Governor's friends, both were recalled. The Count had M. De la Barre for his successor : the Intendant, M. De Meules.

The new Governor entered upon his functions at a critical period for Canada. The transfer of the Dutch settlements in the State of New York to Great Britain, had placed a powerful and energetic rival in immediate communication with the Iroquois and the other Indian tribes. Trade had already taught the red man, who had intercourse with Europeans, to discriminate between the relative value of similar merchandise, and he soon discovered that the English traders sold much cheaper than the French. The Iroquois, who still cordially disliked the latter, were not slow to avail themselves of this circumstance to their disadvantage, and endeavoured to divert the current of trade from the St Lawrence to their own country. Nor were these politic people, who scarcely merit the name of savages at this period, by any means unsuccessful. They introduced the English traders among the western tribes, weakened French influence with the Ottawas and others of the north-west Indians, and thus gave a serious blow to the Canadian fur-trade at its very source. The murder of a missionary friar by the Senecas, isolated collisions with

French trappers, and occasional forays into the hunting-grounds of tribes friendly to France, displayed additional ill-feeling on the part of the Iroquois. Time had weakened their dread of "Ononthio," and although they were still unwilling to come to an open rupture, but little provocation was necessary to rekindle the flame of savage warfare along the St Lawrence.*

In pursuance of his instructions from the King,t De la Barre promptly applied himself on his arrival to place public matters in a better position. He summoned a council of the chief men of the colony, which he instructed to report on the causes that had produced the present condition of affairs, and to state the remedies necessary to restore the country to prosperity. This report, after showing the crafty and selfish policy of the Iroquois, proved the necessity of additional reinforcements of troops and emigrants before offensive operations could be undertaken against them with any prospect of success; and that money also was wanting to build boats to navigate Lake Ontario, to erect magazines for provisions, and to cover the general expenses of the war, to which the resources of the colony were wholly inadequate.

The report met the approval of the Governor, who promptly forwarded it to France. Louis, now aware of the critical condition of his Canadian possessions, obtained an order from the licentious Charles to Governor Dongan, of New York, to maintain a good understanding with De la Barre, of which order the latter was duly made aware. A correspondence ensued between the two Governors, which, apart from courteous professions of individual good will, did not lead to very amicable results. Dongan was too desirous to retain the western traffic, now very lucrative, at New York, to pay much attention to the order of his sovereign. The Iroquois, knew well they had nothing to fear from him, and while De la Barre's courier was still on his return to Quebec, a scouting party of the Senecas attacked fourteen Canadian traders, seized their merchandise, and subsequently invested the French post on the Illinois river, which was gallantly defended by the Chevalier De Bangy.

1683.

These outrages, as well as intelligence that the Iroquois were secretly preparing for hostilities, and had already sent deputies to the Virginian Indians to prevent an attack from that quarter, left De la Barre no other alternative but war. He accordingly resolved to strike the first blow, and to carry hostilities at once into the Seneca *Doc. Hist. New York, vol. i. p. 96.

† Heriot's Hist. Can. pp. 161, 162. Smith's Hist. Can, vol. i. pp. 93, 94.

country. At the same time he sought to weaken the confederate Iroquois by endeavouring, although fruitlessly, to persuade the Mohawks, the Oneidas, and the Onondagas to remain neuter in the event of a war. Their mediation between the French and the Senecas, in the present emergency, was all these tribes would concede. If this was refused they avowed a determination to make common cause with their confederates, and stated, that in this case they had received assurance of ample support from New York.*

The trading posts established at different points among the Indians of the north-west, gave the French so much influence in that direction that a body of 500 warriors was speedily drawn together to co-operate with the force, consisting of 700 militia, 130 soldiers, and 1684 200 Indians, under the command of De la Barre, which moved upwards from Montreal on the 21st of July, en route for Niagara, where it was intended to penetrate into the Seneca country. But sickness among his troops and the want of provisions detained the Governor in the neighbourhood of Fort Frontenac, where he patched up a humiliating peace with the Onondaga, Oneida, and Cayuga Iroquois; one condition of which was that he should retire on the ensuing day. This he complied with, leaving the north-west Indians, much to their disgust, to return home from Niagara.

On the Governor's arrival at Quebec, he found that a reinforcement of troops and supplies had arrived from France, as well as despatches which placed him in an awkward predicament. The King supposed he was waging a successful war against the Iroquois, and that the 300 additional troops he now sent out would enable him utterly to extirpate them: or, at the least, to punish them so severely, that they would be glad to seek peace on whatever conditions he might think proper to impose. At the same time he instructed the Governor, "that as the Iroquois were stout and robust, and would be useful in his galleys, to make a great many of them prisoners, and have them shipped to France by every opportunity." Great, therefore, was the surprise of Louis, when he learned the true state of affairs from the account given by De la Barre himself, as well as from a lengthy report supplied by the Intendant, who placed the Governor's conduct in the most unfavourable light. De la Barre was immediately pronounced unfit for his post, and the Marquis De Denonville, an active officer, appointed to supersede him. At the same time, the Chevalier De Callieres, a captain of the regiment of Navarre, was appointed Governor of Montreal. His command was described as extending

Doc. Hist. New York, vol. i. pp. 109-139. Conquest of Can. vol. i. p. 309.

to Lake St Peter.* He proved an able and judicious officer, and soon came to be regarded by the colonists with very great respect.

THE GOVERNMENT OF M. DE DENONVILLE.

1685.

On arrival there, he

A reinforcement of troops proceeded to Canada in the same fleet which brought out the Governor. The voyage had been long and boisterous, yet impressed with the urgency of affairs, De Denonville only allowed himself a few hours' repose at Quebec, till he departed for Fort Frontenac. sedulously applied himself to learn the true state of matters with regard to the Iroquois, and the other Indian nations. The long and lucid reports which he furnished to the French court on this head display equal industry and ability, and possess much value as historical documents. He faithfully depicted the condition of affairs, and stated it would be more to the advantage of the colony to maintain peaceable relations with the Iroquois; but that their recent insolence of tone rendered war a necessary evil. To enable this to be carried on successfully, he strongly recommended the strengthening of Fort Frontenac, as the point d'appui of offensive operations; and the construction of another fort at Niagara to be garrisoned by 500 men, which would give the French the complete command of Lake Ontario, keep the Senecas, the most powerful of the Five Nations, in check, and prevent the Indian and Canadian trappers of the north-west from trading with the English. As the cost of maintaining this post would possibly be an objection to its construction, he proposed it should be rented. The merchants of Quebec highly approved of the Marquis's plan, and offered to supply the proposed fort with merchandise for nine years, and to pay an annual rent therefor of 30,000 livres.

The extensive preparations for war proposed by the Governor, as well as a demand for additional troops from France, would naturally lead to the supposition that he was about to attack a very numerous foe. Such was not the case. The population of a small Canadian town at the present day would outnumber the whole Iroquois nation, which scarcely amounted to 7000 souls. The Mohawk tribe could muster only 200 warriors, the Oneida 150, the Onondaga 300, the Cayuga 200, and the Seneca 1200.† But these were no ordinary In intelligence they were far superior to the uneducated

men.

* Heriot's Hist. Can. pp. 172-190. Colden, vol. i. p. 66. Hist. Brit. N. Amer. A so had vol. i. pp. 181-183.

+ Doc. Hist. New York, vol i. p. 196. 1.123 4696.