GOVERNOR DONGAN'S INSTRUCTIONS TO CAPT. PALMER.

[Lond. Doc. V.]

8th Sept. 1687.

You are to inform his Maty that in May last I had letters from Albany @ Informacons of Indians that came from Canada, That the Governor of Canada went from Monte Royall with a great many French and Indyans in Boats and Canno's towards Cadaraque with an Intention to come on this side of the lake @ war against the Sennekes upon Receipt of which I called the Councill @the letters @ Information were read upon which the Councill thought convenient to give what assistance possibly we could to our Indians, and to that intent I, Major Brockhells yourself @ other gentlemen went up to Albany where there was from time to time such orders and Instructions sent @ given to the Indyans as was thought fitt for their security

The French Pretence for Coming into the King's Territories @ warring with our Indians is that they war with the further nation. of Indyans who lye on the back of Maryland, Virginia, @ Carolina, which is only a feigned pretence for that I have sent seyll Letters to Mons' La Bar who was Governor of Canada to signify that if our Indians had done them any injury they should make them all reasonable satisfaction, but that would not satisfy, for he came to Cayonhage where the Indians would have me build a Fort @ there made a Peace with the Indians so that what the Indians. had done before this Govmt came was concluded and agreed thereby tho they had not done any thing to the French but what was in Pursuance of his own orders

And as to their Warring with the farther Indyans that is more hurtfull to us than the French they being inclined to trade with us rather than them which by their Warring is hindred @ in my opinion the Christians ought not to meddle with the Indians warring one with another it being the ruin of themselves And as for this present Governor of Canada Mons' de Nonville he has no ground for what he does, for I have from time to time offered to do him Justice for any ill the Indians should committ and sent

a messinger this Spring to him for that purpose; to take away all pretence whatsoever @ also sent him word that those five Nations on our side of the Lake had delivered themselves @ their Lands under the subjection of our King @ that I had caused the Kings arms to be sett upon all their Castles

But their reason for this Warr is that the Indyans would not submitt @ joyn themselves to the French who have used all other meanes to effect it @ those failing have caused this attempt so that we find they have a further design which is by the Ruin of those Indians to engross both the Trade @ Country wholly to themselves, and to that intent the French King has sent over upwards of 3000 men besides what came this last spring and alsoe has built a Fort at a place called Shamblee and another at Monte Royall and another at Trois Riviers one at Cataraque at the other side of the Lake and this spring an other on our side of the Lae at a place called Onyegra where I had thought to have built one it being the place where all our Traders & Beaver Hunters must

pass.

So that they are resolved to Ruin all those Indians @ if they compass their design it will be of very ill consequence to all his Matys subjects in those parts of America for they are a better Bullwark against the French and the other Indians than so many Christians, @ if the French have all that they pretend to have discovered of these Parts, the King of England will not have 100 miles from the sea any where, for the people of Canada are poor @live only on the Beaver @ Peltry and the Kings subjects here living plentifully have not regarded making discoveries into the country until of late being encouraged by me one Roseboon had leave in the year 1685 to go with some young men as farr as the Ottawawe & Twiswicks, where they were very well recd @ invited to come every year, and they desired that the Sinnekas being their enemies would open a path for them that they might come to Albany.

But a little after their being there a party of our Indians being out attacked a Castle of theirs, took 5 or 600 prisaners and brought them away to their own country, which when I heard of I ordered the Indians to deliver to Roseboom @ to one Major McGregory a

Scots genta (who went with 60 of the young men of Albany, and some of Albany Indians a Beaver trading to those further nations) as many of those prisoners as were willing to return home, the Gov' of Canada hearing of their going that way sent 200 French @ 3 or 400 Indians to intercept them, has taken them Prisoners taken their goods from them @ what they further design to do with them is not yet known.

And for this Government which is too poor of itself to help our Indians without adding Connecticut @ East @ West Jersey in case the war continues without the assistance of our Neighbors @ some men out of Europe will be wholly impossible, for we are the least government @ the poorest @ yet are at the greatest charges @ we find this year that the Revenue is very much diminished for in other years we are used to Ship off for England 35 or 40,000 Beavers besides Peltry @ this year only 9000 and some hundreds peltry in all

The Council to show their readiness to serve the King have passed two acts for raising 14 Pr lb at New York, Isopus @ Albany, these three places being the only support of the Government @ 14d on Long Island @ the rest of the Government who do not advance the Kings Revenue neither by Excise nor Customs 150lb P ann:

To secure the Beaver & Peltry Trade @ the Kings right to the Country: It's mine and the Councils opinion (alsoe to have an awe over our Indians @ make them firm to us) to build a Fort at Corlars Lake; to secure us that way from the Incursion of either French, or Indians, another at Cayonhage upon the great Lake, and another at Onyegra @ two or three little other Forts between Schonectade @ the Lake to secure our people going @ coming

This cannot possibly be done without 4 or 500 men out of Europe, @ in case Connecticut @ the two Jerseys be added to this Government, with some help from Pensylvania, @ the three lower Countys it may be effected without any charge to the King, and will be a great security to all these parts of America

If the metes @ bounds could be adjusted at home it would be very convenient, provided always that the Country were first well discovered by us in which the French at present have much

the advantage. And it is very unreasonable that the French who lye so much to the Northward of us shd extend themselves soe far to the Southward @ Westward on the Backside of his Maty Plantacöns when they have so vast a quantity of land Lying Directly behind ye dominions they now possess, to the Northward @Northwest as far as the South sea

Whether Peace or War it is necessary that the Forts should be built, @ that religious men live amongst the Indians.

I have that influence over our Indians, that I am sure they will not war on any Indians living amongst His Matys subjects.

The monies that are now to be raised is for defraying the charge of Arms, Powder, Lead @ other presents given to the Indians this summer as also to make some preparations against the Spring in Case of Necessity.

Whatsoever is his Matys pleasure I desire that My Lord Sunderland, will by the first conveniency either by the way of Maryland, Virginia or Boston let me know and send me orders, how I shall proceed in this affair,

You are so well acquainted with all that has passed in this Government, concerning this affair with the French, and my constant Endeavors to preserve a good correspondence with them, that what I have here omitted I desire you will take care to inform his Maty.

Dated the 8th

September 1687

THOS DONGAN

M DE DENONVILLE TO GOV. DONGAN.

[Paris Doc. III.; Lond. Doc. V.]

August 22, 1687. Sir-The respect I entertain for the King your Master and the orders I have from the King to live in harmony with His Britannic Majesty's Subjects induce me, Sir, to address you this letter on the present state of affairs, so as not to have any thing to reproach myself with.

On seeing, Sir, the letter you were at the trouble to write me on my arrival in this government I persuaded myself by your

frank discourses that we should live in the greatest harmony and best understanding in the world, but the event has well proved that your intentions did not at all accord with your fine words.

You recollect, Sir, that you positively asked me in that same letter to refer the difference about boundaries to the decision of our Masters; letters more recently received from you fully convince me that you received that which I wrote you in reply to your first to shew you that I willingly left that decision to our Masters. Nevertheless, Sir, whilst you were expressing these civilities to me you were giving orders and sending passes to despatch canoes to trade at Missilimaquina where an Englishman had never set his foot and where we, the French, are established more than 60 years. I shall say nothing of the tricks and intrigues resorted to by your people and by your orders to induce all the Savage tribes domiciled with the French to revolt against us. I tell you nothing, either, of all your intrigues to engage the Iroquois to declare war against us. Your Traders at Orange have made noise enough about it, and your presents of munitions of war made, with this view, last year and this, are convictions sufficiently conclusive not to entertain a doubt of it, even were there not proofs at hand of your wicked designs against the subjects of the King whose bread you have eaten long enough and by whom you have been sufficiently well entertained to cause you to have more regard for His Majesty, though you had not all the orders from his Britannic Majesty that you have to live well with all the subjects of the King, his antient friend.

What have you not done, Sir, to prevent the Senecas surrendering to me the Outaouas and Huron prisoners of Missillimaquina whom they treacherously captured last year, and how many goings and comings have there not been to the Senecas on your part and that of your traders who do nothing but by your orders, to prevent the restitution of the said prisoners by the said Senecas who were solicited at the village of the Onontagues to give me satisfaction.

I avow to you, Sir, that I should never have expected such proceedings on your part, which without doubt will not please the King your Master, who will never approve your so strenuously opposing by threats of chastisement the Iroquois coming to