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 othr injurys he has done his Majties subjects of this Government Councill held at ffort James, Wednesday ye Seaventh day of Septemb 1687. Present His Exceley the Govern' &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 y° Govern 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 Vister until further Ord" 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 the Governour's boddys, for I no sooner came into this province than Mons de la Barr desired my assistance to warr against the Sinnekes, upon which I went to Albany and sent for the fiue nacôns to come to me, and when they came was very angry with them for offering to doe any thing to the French that might disturb their hunting, or otherwise, on which they answered me that they had not don anything to the French, but what Mons' de la Barr ordered them, which was that if they mett with any French hunting without his passe to take what they had from them, notwithstanding if any of their people which were abroad had don any injury they knew not of, they assured me they would give satisfaction. I send him word of all this, and assured him satis. ffaction, butt notwithstanding, he comes in a hostile manner on this side of the lake to a place called Kayonhaga, and there by the means of the Onnondages made a peace with the Sinnekes, so if they have committed any fault before that, it was all concluded there, but I appeal to any rational man whatever whether it was fitt for any Govern' of Canada to treate or make any peace with his Majesty's subjects without the advice and knowledge of the Governour of the Provinc they lived under, butt I finde the designe to ruine those five nations (Since you cannot with bribes or other means gain them to be of your party), is of a longer date than three of foure yeares. since Mons Denonuille follows the same steps his predecessors trod in, tho' he proposed to himselfe so fair a beginning, I am sure he will not make so good an end for no sooner was Mons' Denonuille in possession of his govern, ment butt he began to build a great many boates and cannoes, and putt a great deal of provisions and stores in the Cataraque at which our Indians on this side of the lake were much alarmed and came to me, to know the meaneing of itt. upon which I sent to you by the way of Mons' Lamberville to know what you intended by all these preparations, your answer was, as Mons' Denonville may remember that the winters being long, and you resolving to have a good number of men at Cataraque, you accordingly made provision for them, and if I had not really believed what you writt to be true I might have bin in as much readynesse to have gone on the other side of the lake as Mons de Nonuille was to come on this. Now sir, I will not answer your hayty way of expressions in your own stile butt will plainly let you know the matter of fact as it is; if Sr you [will] please to peruse those letters I from time to time sent you, you will find that I still couetted nothing more than to preserue that friendshipp which is between our masters, and aught to be between their subjects here, and as you well remarke, is according to their commands, and pray, Sir, which is itt of us both that hath taken the way to unty that knott of friendshipp-Mons' 'de Nonuille invadeing the King of England's territorys, in a hostill manner, (tho' his reception has not been according to his expectation) is soe plaine a matter of fact that it is undenayable whether you did it designedly, to make a misunderstanding or noe, I cannot tell, if you did I hope itt will take noe effect butt that our masters at home notwithstanding all your trained souldiers and greate officers, come from Europe will suffer us poor planters and farmers, his Majesties subjects in these parts of America, to do ourselves justice on you for the injuryes and spoyle you have committed on them, and I assure you Sir if my master gives leave I will be as soon [with you] at Quebeck as you shall be att Albany. as for Major McGregorie and those others you took prisoners they had no passe from me to go to Missillimaquine butt a pass to go to the Ottowawas, where I thought it might bee as free for us to trade as for you, and as for giving them any commission or instructions to disturb your people I assure you do me wrong, and if you please to read his instructions you will find there I give express orders to the contrary and for your pretences to sixty yeares possession, 'tis impossible for they and the Indians who wear pipes thro' their noses, traded with Albany long before the French settled att Montreall, butt in case it weare as you alledge, which I have not the least reason to believe, you could only have prohibited their trading in that place and let them goe to some other nation It is verry true I offered you to leave the decision to our masters at home, in case of any difference, and pray Sir lett me know in what I in the least have acted to the contrary; you tell me I hindered the five nations on this side the lake, who have subjected themselues, their countrys, and conquests under the King of Eng land to go to you at Cattaraque: Itts very true I did so and thought itt very unjust in you to desire their comeing to you-for the King of England did not send me here to suffer you, to give laws to his subjects of this Government-you also alleage that I have given orders to those Indians to pillage and warr upon your people—sure Sir, you forgot what you desired of me; if you will please to reflect on one of your owne letters, in which you acquainted me, that many of your people run away into this Government, and desired that I would take and send back any should be found upon this side the lake without your passe, upon which I ordered those of Albany and also the Indians, to seize and secure all persons whatever, as well french as English, they should finde on this side of the lake without your pass or mine-truly Sir, I ought severely to be rebukt for this, itt having been the hindrance of many thousands of beavers comeing to Albany: further you blame me for hindring the Sinakees deliuering up the Ottawawa prisoners to you, this I did with good reason-for what pretence could you have to make your applications to them and not to me, neverthelesse I ordered Major McGregory to carry them to the Ottawaways and if your claim be only to Missilimaquina what cause had you to hinder Magregory to go to the Ottawawas What you alleage concerning my assisting the Sinnakees with arms, and amunition to warr against you, was neuer giuen by mee until the sixt of August last, when understanding of your unjust proceedings in invaeding the King, My Masters territorys, in a hostill manner, I then gave them powder lead and armes ; and united the five nations together to defend that part of our King's dominions from your injurious invasion. And as for offering them men in, that you doe me wrong, our men being all biusy then att their haruest, and I leave itt to your judgement whether there was any occasion when only foure hundred of them engaged with your whole army. You tell me in case I assist the Indyans you will esteme me an ennemy to your colony-Sir, give me leave to lett you know, you are a farr greater ennemy to your Colony than I am, itt haueing always been my endevour to keepe those Indyans from warring with you, who in your protecting their enemys that have killed and Robbed them in their hunting -- |
