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Virtues of their Countrymen, except their Induftry CHAP. in getting Money, and they facrificed every Thing, other People think honourable or moft facred, to their Gain: But I do not think it proper to give particular Inftances of this.

The People of New-England were engaged in a bloody War at this Time with the Owenagungas, Ouragies, and Ponacoks, the Indians that lie between them and the French Settlements. The Scabkooks were originally Part of these Indians. They left their Country about the Year 1672, and fettled above Albany, on the Branch of Hudson's River that runs towards Canada. The People of New-England were jealous of the Scabkook Indians, that they remembering the old Difference they had with the People of New England, and the Relation they bore to the Eastern Indians, did countenance and affift these Indians in the War against New England. They had Reason for thefe Jealoufies, for the Scabkook Indians received privately fome Owenagunga Meffengers, and kept their coming among them fecret from the People of Albany; and fome Scabkooks had gone privately to the Owenagungas. They were afraid likewife, that the Mohawks might have fome Inclination to favour those Indians, becaufe fome of the Eastern Indians had fled to the Mohawks, and were kindly received by them, and lived among them.

Notwithstanding all thefe Failures of good Policy, in the Government of New-York, the French had not gained fo great Advantages, if they had not carefully obferved a different Conduct, which it is now neceffary to confider.

Canada was at this Time in a very diftreffed Condition, the Country and out Plantations burnt and deftroyed, their Trade intirely at a ftand, great Numbers of their People flain, and the remainder in danger of perifhing by Famine, as well as by the Sword of inveterate cruel Enemies. When fuch

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CHA P. Misfortunes happen to a Country, under any Adminiftration, though in Truth the Conduct of Affairs be not to be blamed, it is often prudent to change the Minifters; for the common People never fail to blame them, notwithstanding their having acted with the greatest Wisdom, and therefore cannot fo foon recover their Spirits, that are funk by Misfortunes, as by putting their Affairs into different Hands.

For thefe Reafons, it is probable, the French King recalled Mr. de Nonville, but rewarded him for his Services, by an honourable Employment in the Houfhold. The Count de Frontenac was fent in his Place. This Gentleman had been formerly Governor of that Country, and was perfectly acquainted with its Intereft; of a Temper of Mind fitted to fuch defperate Times, of undaunted Courage, and indefatigable, though in the fixty-eighth Year of his Age. The Count de Frontenac arrived the fecond of October 1689. The Country immediately received new Life by the Arrival of a Perfon, of whose Courage and Conduct every one had entertained a high Opinion. Care was taken to increase this Impreffion on the Minds of the People, by making publick Rejoicings with as much Noife as poffible. He wifely improved this new Life, by immediately entering upon Action, without fuffering their Hopes to grow cold. He ftaid no longer at Quebeck, than was neceffary to be informed of the prefent State of Affairs, and in four or five Days after his Arrival fet out in a Canoe for Montreal, where his Prefence was moft neceffary; and the Winter was already fo far advanced, that the Ice made it impracticable to go in a larger Veffel. By this the old Gentleman' increased the Opinion and Hopes the People entertained of him, that, without staying to refresh himself after a fatiguing Sea-Voyage, he would immediately undertake another, that required all the Vigour and Heat of Youth to withstand the Incle

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mencies of the Climate and Seafon, and the Diffi- CHA P. culty of fuch a Paffage.

When the Count de Frontenac came to Montreal, he increased the Admiration the People had of his Vigour and Zeal, by pretending to go to vifit Cadarackui Fort, now abandoned, which he had built in the Time he was formerly Governor. The Clergy and People of Montreal came jointly with stretched out Arms, reprefenting the Danger of fuch an Attempt, and the Difficulties and Hardships that would neceffarily attend it, praying him not to expofe a Life that was fo neceffary for their Safety. He, with feeming Reluctance, yielded to their Intreaties; I fay with feeming Reluctance, for it was inconfiftent with his Prudence really to have fuch a Defign. This Shew of the Governor's offering to go in Perfon, animated fome of the Gentlemen of the Country, who voluntarily went in the Winter, with one Hundred Indian Traders, to vifit that Fort; and finding it in better Condition than they expected, by the Report of thofe who had abandoned it, they ftaid there, and made fome small Reparations in the Walls, which the Indians had thrown down.

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The Count de Frontenac brought back with him Tawerabet, a Capiga Sachem, one of the thirteen Prifoners that Mr. de Nonville took at Cadarackui, and fent to France. He was in Hopes this Indian would be useful in procuring a Treaty of Peace with the Five Nations, for they had an extraordinary Opinion of Tawerabet; and the French had found; by fad Experience, that they could not be Gainers by continuing the War: For this Purpose the Count ufed Tawerabet with much Kindness, during his Voyage, and, after he arrived at Quebeck, lodged him in the Castle under his own Roof, and took, fuch Pains with this Sachem, that he forgot all the ill Ufage he had formerly received.

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The French had the more Reason to defire a Peace with the Five Nations, because they knew, that they would now certainly have the English Colonies likewise upon them; and if the Five Nations had been able to do so much Mischief by themfelves alone, they were much more to be feared, when they would be affifted, in all Probability, with the Force and Intereft of the English Colonies. te Four Indians of lefs Note, who were brought back along with Tawerabet, were immediately dif patched, in this Sachem's Name, to the Five Nations, to inform them of his Return, and of the kind Ufage they had received from the Count de Frontenac; and to prefs them to fend fome to vifit their old Friend, who had been fo kind to them when he was formerly Governor of Canada, and who still retained an Affection to the Five Nations; as appeared by the Kindness Tawerabet and they had received from him. This was the only Method left to the French of making Propofals of Peace, which it was their Intereft by all Means to procure.

The Governor of Canada, as I faid, conceived that there was no Way fo proper to keep up the Spirits of the People, who had got new Life by his Arrival, as by putting them upon Action; and indeed their prefent miferable Condition made them forward enough, to undertake the most defperate Enterprize, when the frequent Incurfions of the Indians made it as dangerous to be at Home, as to attack the Enemy Abroad.

For this Purpose he sent out three Parties in the Winter; one was defigned against New-York, the other against Connecticut, and the last against NewEngland.

The Five Nations followed Colonel Dungan's Advice, in endeavouring to bring off the Western Indians from the French, and had all the Succefs that could be expected, before Mr. de Frontenac arrived.

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They were overjoyed when they heard, that the CHA P. English had entered into War with the French, and came feveral Times to Albany to know the Certainty of it, while it was only rumoured about. The People of Albany defired them to fecure any of the praying Indians that fhould come from Canada, if they found that they were ftill ruled by the Priests; but to encourage them, if they came with a Defign to return to their own Country.

The Senekas, Cayugas, Onondagas, and Oneydoes, the twenty seventh of June 1689, before any Governor arrived, renewed the old Covenant (as they faid) which was first made many Years ago with one Tagues, who came with a Ship into their River. "Then we first became Brethren, faid they, and conti

nued fo till laft fall, that Sir Edmond Androfs came "and made a new Chain, by calling us Children; but "let us ftick to the old Chain, which has conti"nued from the first Time it was made, by which "we became Brethren, and have ever fince always "behaved as fuch. Virginia, Maryland, and New

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England, have been taken into this filver Chain, "with which our Friendship is locked faft. We are now come to make the Chain clear and bright. "Here they gave two Bevers."

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King James, a little before his Abdication, fent over Sir Edmond Androfs with arbitrary Powers, and he, in Imitation of the French, changed the Stile of fpeaking to the Indians, of which they were very fenfible.

They difcovered a great Concern for their People that were carried to Canada; they long hoped (they faid) that the King of England would have been powerful enough to deliver them, but now they began to lofe all Hopes of them.

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