me, when I invited them to visit me to arrange with them the causes of discontent that I had on account of their violences. Three years ago, Sir, you made use of them to wage war against the French and their allies, you took great pains to give them, for that purpose, more lead, powder and arms than they asked. You did more, Sir; for you promised them reinforcements of men to sustain them against the King's subjects; quite recently, Sir, you would have again pushed your ill will further by sending two Parties, commanded by men carrying your orders, to Missilimaquina to expel us from there and put you into possession, contrary to the word you have given not to undertake any thing before the arrangement of their Majesties, our Masters.

You have, Sir, still surpassed all that; for after the pains you had taken to prevent the Iroquois assembling at Catarocouy where I expected to meet them to settle all our differences and receive from them the satisfaction they should have afforded me, as well in regard to the Huron and Outaouas prisoners they would have given up to me had you not opposed it, as for the pillagings and robberies that they have committed on us, and all the insults they daily offer our missionaries, as well those they may have actually among them as those they have expelled after an infinite amount of ill treatment during 20 years they lived in their villages; after you, Sir, having, I say, so little regard for the interests of the King's subjects and the good of Religion whose progress you thus prevent, you have, Sir, quite recently contravened the last treaty entered into between our masters, a copy of which you have received with orders to observe it, and of which you have also sent me copy. Read it well, Sir, if you please, and you will there remark how strongly their Majesties have it at heart to preserve their subjects in good union and understanding, so that their Majesties understand that the enemies of one are the enemies of the other. If the avarice of your merchants influenced you less than the desire to execute the orders of the King your master, doubtless, Sir, I should already have had proofs of your good disposition to execute the said treaty, according to which you ought not to afford either refuge or protection to the savages, enemies of the French Colony, much less assist them with ammunition to wage war against it.

Nevertheless, I assert positively that you have, since the publication of said treaty of neutrality, contravened it in this particular, since nothing is done in your government save by your orders. After that, judge, Sir, what just grounds I have to complain of, and be on my guard against, you.

On my return from the campaign which I just made against the Senecas, I received the letter that you took the trouble to write me, Sir, on the 11th (20th) June of this year. You send me copy of the Treaty of Neutrality entered into between our masters of which I also transmitted you a copy as I had reed it from the King and it was published in this country. Nothing more is required therein, Sir, than to have it fully and literally executed as well on your part as on mine. To do that you must discontinue protecting the enemies of the Colony and cease to receive them among you, and to furnish them with munitions as you have done. You must, also, observe the promise you gave me at the time of my arrival, that you would leave the decision of the limits to our masters. You must, likewise, not undertake any expedition against us in any of our establishments, the greatest portions of which were before Orange (Albany) was what it is, or any of Manate were acquainted with the Iroquois and the Ouatouas.

When you arrived in your present government, did you not find, Sir, in the whole of the five Iroquois villages, all our Missionaries sent by the King almost the entire of whom the heretic merchants have caused to be expelled even in your time, which is not honorable to your government. It is only three years since the greater number have been forced to leave; the fathers Lambreville alone bore up against the insults and ill treatment they received through the solicitations of your traders. Is it not true, Sir, that you panted only to induce them to abandon their mission ? You recollect, Sir, that you took the trouble to send under a guise of duty so late as last year to solicit them by urgent discourses to retire under the pretext that I wished to declare war against the village of the Onnontagués. What certainty had you of it, Sir, if it were not your charge and prohibitions you had given them, against giving me up the prisoners I demanded of them, and they surrendered to me? You foresaw the war I would make because you

wished me to make it against them and because you obliged me to wage that against the Senecas. In this way, Sir, it is very easy to foresee what occurs.

I admire, Sir, the passage of your last letter of the 11th June of this year in which you state that the King of England your Master has juster title than the King to the Posts we occupy, and the foundation of your reasoning is that they are situate to the South of you, just on the border of one portion of your dominion (domination). In refutation of your sorry reasonings, Sir, it is only necessary to tell you that you are very badly acquainted with the Map of the country and know less the points of the compass where those Posts are relative to the situation of Menade, (New York). It is only necessary to ask you again what length of time we occupy those Posts and who discovered them-You or we? Again, who is in possession of them? After that, read the 5th article of the treaty of Neutrality and you will see, if you were justified in giving orders to establish your trade by force of arms at Missilimaquina. As I send you a copy of your letter with the answer to each article, I need not repeat here what is embraced in that answer. Suffice it to say this in conclusion, that I retain your officer Mr. Gregory here and all your orders for your pretended expedition, who were taken within the Posts occupied by the King. My first design was to send them back to you but as I know that you entertain and give aid and comfort to the Iroquois Savages contrary to the Treaty of Neutrality of the 16th Nov 1686 agreed to by our Masters, causing them to be supplied with all munitions necessary to wage war against us, I have determined, in spite of myself, to retain all your people until you have complied with the Intentions of the King your Master and executed said Treaty, being obliged to regard you as the King's enemy whilst you entertain his enemies and contravene the treaties entered into between the King of England and the King my Master.

All that I can tell you for certain, Sir, is, that your conduct will be the rule of mine, and that it will remain with yourself that the said Treaty be thoroughly executed. I must obey my Master and I have much respect and veneration for one of the greatest

Kings in the world, the protector of the Church. You pretend that the Iroquois are under your dominion. To this I in no wise agree, but it is a question on which our Masters will determine. But whether they be or be not, from the moment that they are our enemies you ought to be opposed to them and be their enemies, and if you comfort them, directly or indirectly, I must regard you as an enemy of the Colony and I shall be justified in subjecting the prisoners I have belonging to your government to the same treatment that the enemies of the Colony will observe towards us.

Hereupon, Sir, I will expect news from you as well as the fitting assurances you will please give me that I may be certain you do not employ the Iroquois to wage war on us by giving them protection.

Rely on me Sir. Let us attach ourselves closely to the execution of our Masters' intentions; let us seek after their example to promote Religion and serve it; let us live in good understanding according to their desires. I repeat and protest, Sir, it remains only with you. But do not imagine that I am a man to suffer others to play me tricks.

I send you back Antoine Lespinard, bearer of your passport and letter. I shall await your final resolution on the restitution of your prisoners whem I wish much to give up to you, on condition that you execute the treaty of Neutrality in all its extent and that you furnish me with proper guarantees therefor.

Your very humble & very obt Servt

THE M. DE DENONVILLE.

[From Council Min. V.]

Council held at ffort James,

Monday the ffifth day of September 1687

Present His Excelcy the Goven' &c.

Proposed that Some Course may be taken about Major McGregorie & his Company who are prisoners in Cannada.

Resolved that a lett be sent by a ffitt person to ye Governor of Cannada about that and the oth injurys he has done his Majties subjects of this Government

Councill held at ffort James,

Wednesday ye Seaventh day of Septemb 1687.

Present His Excelcy the Govern1 &c.

It being now plaine that ye ffrench are Resolved to Do all the Prejudice they can to the Kings Subjects of this Government It is for ye preventon thereof

Ordred that ye people of ye City and County of Albany Do Cutt Pallasadoes and by ye five and twentieth day of March next Cart them to ye sd Citty and ye towne of Schanechtade to fortifye those places in ye Spring That in ye meanetime they Keep a careful Watch there and that this ord be sent to ye Justices of ye Peace of ye sd County who are to take Care that it Be put in Execution.

That ye Mayor of Albany send ordrs to ye North Indyans to Keep thirty or forty Indyans allways towards Corlaers lake. That the sd Mayor if he be in Albany send a belt of Wampum to Each of the five Nations with ordrs that ye Christian Indyans who Come from Caunada to them be sent Hith' to his Exy ye Govern1 and to encourage ye Indyans to look out Carefully letting them Know the Govern' will be up early there ye next Spring

Ordred that a Proclamacôn be Drawn up Prohibiting ye Bringing any Indyan Corne or Pease Out of ye Countys of Albany and Vlster until further Ordr

Ordred that Peiter Schuyler take examinacöns of ye antientest traders In Albany how many yeares Agon they or any others first traded with ye Indyans yt had the Straws or Pipes thro' their noses and the ffarther Indyans.

GOV. DONGAN TO M. DE DENONVILLE.

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

8th Sept. 1687. Sir-Yours of the 21st of August last I have received and am sorry that Mons' de Nonville has so soon forgot the orders he had received from his master to live well with the King of England's subjects. but I find the air of Canada has strange effects on all