I have advices, notwithstanding, that the Five Nations are making a large war party, supposed to be against the Oumiamis and other savages of the Bay des Puans who were attacked this year, one of their villages having been destroyed by the Iroquois; on receiving notice thereof the hunters of those tribes pursued the Iroquois party whom they overtook and fought with considerable vigor, having recovered several prisoners and killed many of the Iroquois, who without doubt pant for revenge.

I sent them word, to be on their guard and to have their women and children removed to a distance when they will be required to march to join me. I say nothing to you of what they have done to the Illinois whom they spare not, having since two years committed vast de

struction on them.

Nothing more, My lord, is required to convince you that we cannot hesitate, and that the Colony must be put down as lost if war is not waged next year; they destroy on all sides our allies who are on the point of turning their backs on us if we do not declare for them. The Iroquois plunder our canoes whereever they find them, and no longer observe appearances. Nevertheless, My lord, in the deranged state of the Colony, war is the most dan gerous thing in the world; nothing can save us but the troops you. will send and the redoubts which it is necessary for us to build. Yet, I dare not begin to work at these, for if I make the least movement for these Redoubts, I will assuredly draw all the Iroquois down on us, before I am in a condition to attack them.

The copy I transmit of the orders I have issued for our next year's expedition will advise you of all the measures I have adopted to ensure the success of our plans. The distance is terrible and success is in the hands of God. If you will be pleased, My lord, to take the trouble to read all these orders with the Map which I send, you will perceive all my projects. I have overrated a little the number of the force I shall have with me, in order to give a little more character to our expedition. I cannot draw more than eight hundred militia, one hundred of the best of whom will be required to manage the fifty canoes for convoys. These will do nothing else than come and go during our expedition to transport provisions for our troops and for those

whom we shall station during the winter at the Post which we must occupy either at Niagara or near the Senecas, to serve as a retreat for those of our Indians who will be desirous to harass them during the winter and the following year. Without this nothing effectual will have been done to humble this Nation, for to be satisfied in driving them from their villages and then to retire, is not accomplishing any great thing, as they immediately return and re-establish themselves in their Villages.

As you, My lord, are perfectly acquainted with the ruinous condition of this Colony, you understand very well the deplorable consequences of this war which require that the settlements be contracted, and it is here we must anticipate many difficulties; for in truth the establishment of the Colony would have to be almost begun over again, and this it is which causes me repeat the demand that I have already made for regular troops to support our habitans, and to occupy the posts necessary to be guarded, without which I cannot preserve many points very requisite to be protected; among others Chambly, where I should like to station a strong post, because it is the most important pass to reach the English by lake Champlain. That post will moreover always be a subject of uneasiness to the Indians who would incline to cross the River Richelieu thence to our settlements on the River St. Francis; in addition to which, communicating as it does with that of la Prairie de la Madelaine, would secure, in some sort, all the country from Sorel unto la Prairie de la Madelaine. Reflect again, My lord, if you please, how important is that post of Bout de l'Isle de Mont Real, that of Chateaugué, that of la Chesnaye and that of l'Isle Jesus.

I say nothing, My lord, of all the other settlements that are isolated and without communication, which we must endeavor to secure from insult. Those details, My lord, require considerable troops, which could not fail to greatly advance this country by laboring to draw (resserer) the Colony closer together and make it more compact, by means of forts around which clearances would be made.

All this, My lord, is no trifling work to be prepared. For what certainty can there be of destroying so powerful an enemy

as that Nation which has assuredly two thousand men under arms independent of a large number of other tribes their allies, estimated at twelve hundred? The vast extent of forest into which they will retreat and where Indians alone can pursue them; the uncertainty of the strength of the Indians which we shall have with us; the difficulty of rendezvousing so far off-all these considerations ought to make us reflect on the means of sustaining ourselves in case we should not n.eet that success we may desire, and which cannot come without a manifest interposition of Heaven for the success of projects so scattered.

It is very certain that were I in a position to be able to send a strong detachment to the Mohawk Country by the River Richelieu whilst I was proceeding against the Senecas, not only should I create considerable alarm among the English which would keep them at home, but I would obtain a great advantage over the Iroquois by separating and pillaging them and laying waste their corn fields at both ends of the Iroquois towns. It would be very desirable that I could destroy all the corn in the same year, so that the one could no longer support the other; this would reduce them to great wretchedness and would put a burthen on the English, if they sought a refuge there for means to live. Had I a sufficiency of troops I should not fail to undertake that enterprize, but having only what I have, I must attack one after the other, and endeavour to raise another army, which it is impossible to effect at first. 'Tis true, were all done at once it would be much better, and promote our expedition and dishearten our enemies considerably.

I am very sorry, My lord, to witness all the expence necessary for the support of Fort Cataracouy, merely with a garrison of fifty men. It is very unfortunate that the lands thereabout are not better, so that it might support itself. I am not yet sufficiently well informed of the environs to be able to write you with sufficient accuracy all that could be effected there; notwithstanding it is of great consequence to preserve that Post at the entrance to the Lake, though the Posts in this Country do not command the passages so completely that the Savages cannot avoid them, two or three leagues either above or below. Yet that Post, and

one at Niagara would render us entire masters, and keep the Iroquois in great check and respect, and give us immense advantages in our trade with the Illinois and Outtawas; that road being shorter, and much less difficult than the one we take, in which there is an infinitude of portages and rapids, much more dangerous than those on the Cataracouy side.

The letters I wrote to Sieurs du Lhu and de la Durantaye, of which I sent you copies, will inform you of my orders to them to fortify the two passes leading to Michilimaquina. Sieur du Lhu is at that of the Detroit of Lake Erie, and Sieur de la Durantaye at that of the portage of Taronto. These two Posts will block the passage against the English, if they undertake to go again to Michilimaquina, and will serve as retreats to the Savages our allies, either while hunting or marching against the Iroquois.

I send you again, My lord, copy of the orders I have issued for the assembling, marching and repairing of our Savage allies to Niagara with Sieurs du Lhu and de la Durantaye. You will, also, see, My lord, the orders I have issued for marching the Illinois in the rear of the Iroquois. It looks very well on paper, but the business is yet to be executed. Many difficulties may be encountered as well in regard to the nature of the Savages who are little accustomed to obedience and the prosecution of a design during several months, which are required to reach the rear of the Senecas from their country. Chevalier Tonty, who came to see me at Montreal in the month of July last, has taken charge of all these matters. I gave him twenty good Canadians, with eight canoes loaded with one hundred and fifty muskets, which was all I could collect in the country. He carries powder and lead and other things for the trade. Had the guns you sent me arrived I should have given him a good number. He left at the end of August and calculates to arrive at Fort St. Louis' before the departure of the hunters. He could not assure me of the number of Savages he could bring with him, but I'm certain he will make great exertions to succeed in this affair in which he will participate largely if the Indians will allow themselves to

1 Now Peoria, Ill.

be governed and led by him. I cannot sufficiently praise his zeal for the success of this enterprize. He is a lad of great enterprize and boldness, who undertakes considerable. He left Fort des Illinois last February to seek after M de la Salle at the lower end of the Mississippi. He has been as far as the sea, where he learned nothing of M. de la Salle except that some Savages had seen him set sail and go towards the South. He returned on the receipt of this intelligence to Fort St. Louis des Illinois, and thence to Montreal where he arrived in the beginning of July with two Illinois Chiefs, to whom I had made some presents, and to another who had not come. They promised me wonders. Nothing remains but the execution which is in the hands of God, for according to what I'm told of the temper of these Savages, a mere nothing sometimes is only necessary to cause them to change their minds. He will have about twenty good Canadians with him to march at the head of the Indians, which he hopes will encourage them. He will have to walk three hundred leagues over land, for those Savages are not accustomed to canoes (ne sont pas gens de Canot.)

I should have greatly desired to shorten my letters to you. But, My lord, as it is necessary to inform you of the state of our affairs and to render you an account of my conduct, I thought I would send you all the orders as I had issued them, so that I might be corrected if I fail in any respect, being very anxious to satisfy you.

I receive letters from the most distant quarters; from the head of the River Mississippi, from the head of Lake Superior, from Lake des Lenemyngon' where they propose wonders to me by establishing posts for the Missions and for the Beavers which abound there. But in truth so long as the interior of the Colony is not consolidated and secured, nothing certain can be expected from all those distant posts where hitherto people have lived in great disorder and in a manner to convert our best Canadians into banditti. All these distant posts cannot maintain themselves except from the interior of the Colony, and by a secure communi

1 Most probably, Lake Aleminipigon of the old maps; now L. St. Ann, north of Lake Superior.