When the Governor of Canada came to Particulars with thefe Deputies, he could obtain nothing but ambiguous or dubious Answers, as to the ebuilding of Cadarackui Fort, and the including of all the French Allies in the Peace. Whereupon he difmiffed them with Prefents, and made them many fair Promises, in Cafe of their Compliance; but threatened them with utter Destruction, in Case of their refufing the Terms he had offered. Many of the French Indian Allies were prefent, when the Governor of Canada refufed any Agreement without his Allies being included in it, and this attached them exceedingly to the French Intereft. This Regard, which the French generally fhew for the Intereft of their Allies, is a Piece of Policy which, upon all Occafions, proves ufeful to them; whereas, the Neglect of this Piece of natural Juftice has as often been prejudicial to others, who have not had fo tender a Sense of it. But it is not fo eafy for a weak State to keep up its Honour in fuch Cafes, as it is for a powerful Prince.

CHAP.

XI.

СНАР. XI.

The War renewed. The French repoffefs themfelves of Cadarackui Fort, and find Means to break off the Treaty between the Five Nations and Dionondadies.

TH

HE Five Nations refufing to come to the Governor of Canada's Terms, he refolved to force them; and as he fufpected that they continued obftinate, by the Advice of the English, and the Confidence they had of the English Affiftance, he thought he would most effectually leffen that Confi

dence,

dence, by attacking and deftroying the remainder of CH A P. the Mohawks, who liv'd adjoining to the English Set- XI. tlements. For this Purpofe he refolved to march, in the Winter, the whole Force of Canada against that Nation; but one of the Prifoners learning their Defign, made his Escape, and informed the Mobawks of it. This made him alter his Measures, knowing well enough, that if the English were prepared to receive them, fuch an Enterprize would only lead thofe engaged in it to certain Deftruction. He then fent three hundred Men into the Neck of Land between Lake Erie and Cadarackui Lake, the ufual hunting Place of the Five Nations, in hopes of furprifing them while they hunted carelessly there, and at the fame Time to view the old French Fort there, to obferve in what Condition it remained.

This Party met with three or four Men, who de-* fended themselves obftinately, till they all fell dead on the Spot. They furprised likewife a Cabin, where they took fome Men and Women Prifoners; and four of them were publickly burnt alive at Montreal. So far the Count de Frontenac thought it more proper to imitate the Indians in their molt favage Cruelties, than to inftruct them, by his Example, in the Compaffion of the Chriftian Doctrine. A Party of one hundred and fifty of the Five Nations fell upon the Dewagunhas, in their Way to Canada, and entirely routed them. Ten Prisoners were taken, nine of which were burnt alive, in revenge of the fame Fate the four Men of the Five Nations had received at Montreal.

This Year alfo fome fculking French Indians murdered fome People near Albany and Schenectady.

The Party fent to view Cadarackui Fort found it in a better Condition than they expected, the Indians having neglected to demolish and level the Bastions, and probably they had not Inftruments fufficient to

N 3

do

X.

CHAP. do it. The Count de Frontenac therefore, in the Summer of the Year 1695, fent a confiderable Body of Men, both French and Indians, thither, to repair the Fortifications, and to cover thofe that fhould be at work. The Five Nations, in Auguft, fent Meffengers to Albany, to acquaint the English that the French had taken Poffeffion of Cadarackui, and were repairing of it. They demanded, in Confequence of the Promise Colonel Fletcher had given them, the Affiftance of five hundred Men and fome Canon, which they promised they would draw over Land, where they could not be carried by Water. At the fame Time they defired, that the People of NewEngland might be told, that many of the Owenagungas were gone with the French to Cadarackui, and that this was a proper Time to fall upon thofe that remained, and to deftroy them, and the Women and Children.

Coll. Fletcher came to Albany in September; there, in a Speech to the Five Nations, he blamed them for being afleep, when they fuffered the French to take Poffeffion of Cadarackui; it would have been much eafier, he faid, to have prevented their getting the Poffeffion, than to drive them out, now they are in it, especially as now you yourselves are convinced, that it is impoffible to carry Cannon thither from this Place. All, fays he, I can now do, is to advise you to inveft the Place with your Par ties, fo as to prevent their receiving any Supply of Provifions: By this Means you may force them to defert it. Then he gave them 1000 Pound of Powder, two Thousand Pound of Lead, 57 Fufees, one Hundred Hatchets, three Hundred and forty eight Knives, and two Thousand Flints, befides Cloathing, &c. But in my Opinion, the Government of New-York have, on all Occafions, been exceedingly to be blamed, in not having fome Men of Experi

ence

XI.

ence among the Five Nations to advife and direct CHA P. them on all Emergencies of Importance. The French I are very careful of this, and the Officers of the regular Troops are obliged to take their Tours among their Indians, while the Captains of the independent Companies of Fufiliers at New-York live like military Monks, in Idlenefs and Luxury.

The French gained a great Advantage, by poffeffing this Place, as it is of great Security to their Traders, in their paffing between Montreal and Miffilimakinak. It ferved likewife as a Place of Stores, and Retreat in all their Enterprises against the Five Nations, that Place being nearly about half Way between Montreal and the Country of the Five Nations. It likewife expofed the Five Nations in their hunting, to the Incurfions of that Garifon, by its being in the Neighbourhood of their principal hunting Place for Bever.

The French grew exceedingly uneafy, when they found, that the Dionondadies, who live near Miffililimakinak, had almoft concluded a Peace with the Five Nations, and that the rest of their Allies were like to follow their Example: Some of thefe Nations had been at Montreal, and at their Return forwarded the Peace, that thereby they might be at Liberty to go to Albany; for they informed their Neighbours, that the Five Nations had intirely shut up the Path to Montreal; and befides that, the French were not in a Condition to fupply them, for they had nothing for themselves, not fo much as a Drop of ftrong Spirits. If thefe Nations had, at that Time, deferted the French, it might probably have put an End to the French Colony; for as the Lands of Canada barely produce fufficient for the Subfiftence of its Inhabitants, the only Means they have of purchafing Cloathing and other Neceffaries is by their Trade with the Indians. The French likewife

N4

XI.

CH'A P. likewife had been in Danger of greater Mischief by the Peace, for thefe Nations being at War with the Five Nations, and lying on the Back of them, obliged the Five Nations to keep always a very confiderable Part of their Force at home, to defend themselves against these Nations, and to revenge the Injuries they received from them; but if the Peace had been concluded with these Nations, the Five Nations could have turned their whole Force against Canada, and probably might have perfuaded these Nations to have joined with them in warring on the French.

The French Commandant at Mifilimakinak had his Hands full at this Time; and if he had not been a Man of great Abilities, he muft have funk under the Difficulties he had to go through; in the firft Place, to contradict the Stories brought from Montreal, he ordered the Stores of his Fort to be fold to the Indians at the cheapest Rate, and affured them, that great Quantities were every Day expected from France, which were only detained by contrary Winds; and after thefe Goods fhall arrive, faid he, they will be fold cheaper than ever they have been. He told them likewife, that the Count de Frontenac would never make Peace with the Five Nations, but was refolved to extirpate them; for which Purpose he was now rebuilding Cadarackui Fort. At the fame Time he took all poffible Methods to extinguifh the Beginnings of Friendship, which appeared between the Five Nations and Dionondadies.

The Dionondadies durft not avow their treating with the Five Nations to the French, neither durft the Five Nations truft their Agents in a Place where they knew the French had fo great Influence; both Sides therefore agreed to carry on their Treaty by Means of Prisoners which they took from one another. The Civility with which the Dionondadies treated these Prifoners, their difmiffing them, and