Canadians back by the Albany river to Orange on their way to their batteaux and on their return home. I should winter at Manathe with all the troops I would have brought with me except the 200 soldiers left to guard Orange; and as I shall have nothing to fear from the land side, being master of the rivers, I would work through the winter to strengthen myself against attacks of the English whilst waiting until H. M. should be pleased to send what may be necessary to secure this important conquest.

It would render H. M. absolute Master of the whole of Iroquois who derive from this Colony all the arms and ammunition with which they make war on us. This will afford the means to disarm them whenever considered necessary, and thereby impose on them such laws as H. M. may please; the town of Boston, the capital of New England being too far from them to afford any aid. Having mastered the Iroquois we shall have equal control of all the other Savages who will come without hesitation and bring us all their peltries. This will cause the trade of our Colony to flourish; will considerably augment H. M's revenues and eventually diminish the expences he is obliged to incur for the preservation of Canada.

It will firmly establish the Christian Religion as well among the Iroquois as among the other Savages to whom we shall be able to speak as Masters when they are encircled on the side of Canada as well as of New York. It will secure and facilitate the Cod fishery which is carried on along our Coasts of la Cadie and on the Great Bank. It will give H. M. one of the finest harbours in America which can be entered during almost all seasons of the year in less than one month of very easy navigation; whilst that from France to Quebec cannot be prosecuted except in summer on account of the Ice which closes the River St. Lawrence, itself long and perilous.

It may be objected to this plan, that the Colony of Orange and Manathe may remain faithful to the King of England, and in this case it would not be apropos to attack it and draw down an open war with that English Colony to the prejudice of the Treaty of Neutrality concluded between the two nations.

It may be answered to this, that the colony of Manathe and

Orange, being the same as that formerly called New Netherland which the English took from the Dutch, and the greater part of which is still of this latter nation and all Protestants, it is not to be doubted but that they would receive the orders of the Prince of Orange and even force their Governor, did he not consent, to acknowledge him, and therefore we must look on as certain a war between that Colony and us, and not give it the time to push its intrigues with the Savages to ruin us by means of them, if we do not anticipate them. And in case that, contrary to all appearances, they remain faithful to the King of England during the general rebellion of the English, we might, if H. M. thought proper, being on terms with that King, confide to him the secret of this expedition, draw from him an order to the Commandant of Orange and of Manathe to surrender these places into H M.'s hands, who would keep them for him and prevent the Rebels becoming masters of them, so as to have an opportunity to treat them as rebels did they not obey that order, being besides this, in a position to force them to it, on condition of negotiating eventually with the King for that Colony, which is the only means of securing Canada, firmly establishing Religion, Trade and the Kings authority throughout all North America. If the favorable opportunity which presents of becoming master of that Colony be neglected, it may surely be calculated that, through its intrigues with the Iroquois and other Savages, it will destroy Canada in a little time; whose ruin will entail that of the establishment at Hudson's bay, the beaver and other peltry trade; that of Acadia, the local fishery, and that of Newfoundland; and if we be forced to abandon Canada, it will, hereafter, in consequence of the frequent chasing of our fishermen by English vessels, render very difficult and dangerous for H. M.'s subjects the Codfishery on the Great Bank, which produces several millions to France, and is one of the most profitable investments that we have.

MEMOIR OF INSTRUCTIONS TO COUNT DE FRONTENAC

RESPECTING THE EXPEDITION AGAINST NEW-YORK. 7TH JUNE, 1689.

[Paris Doc. IV.]

The King, having examined the proposition made him by Sieur Chevalier de Callières Bonnevue of Montreal to attack New-York with his Majesty's troops in Canada and a number of the militia of that country, has the more willingly assented to it as he knows that the English inhabiting that quarter have resolved since the last year to excite the Iroquois Nation, His Majesty's subjects, and force them to wage war against the French, having furnished them for that purpose with arms and ammunition, and endeavoured in every way, even to the prejudice of the King of England's orders and the faith of Treaties, to usurp the trade of the French in the country in possession of which they have been from all time.

To accomplish this project His Majesty has given orders to Sieur Begon to prepare the munitions necessary for the expedition and has caused two of his ships of war to be equipped in the port of Rochefort under the command of Sieur de la Caffinière whom he has ordered to follow exactly the directions which said Sieur de Frontenac will give him regarding this expedition.

He will set out with all diligence to embark at Rochelle in on of the ships and sail without loss of time for the entrance of the gulf of St. Lawrence and Campseaux bay, where he will embark in the best of the merchantmen that will follow and repair to Quebec.

Therefore on his arrival at Quebec he will take advantage of the state in which he will find things, to complete the suitable arrangements for departing with batteaux, canoes and all the equipage necessary for this expedition with the Chevalier de Callières who will command the troops under his orders.

He will despatch by land or water as he shall deem most certain, orders and instructions to Sieur de la Caffinière, to the place he will have designated, as to what he shall have to do,

order to repair to Manathe, he making use of the cypher which shall have been furnished him.

He will order him to sail directly and without undertaking any thing along his course, follow the coast of Acadie (where he will leave in passing what he shall have for the said coast of Acadie) down to Manathe, and order him to anchor as safely as posible and to observe well the quarter where he will make his landing when said Sieur de Frontenac shall have arrived there.

He will give orders to the Sieur de la Caffinière to seize the vessels he will find in the bay of the said Manathe, without exposing himself to any accident that may render him unable to cooperate in that enterprise.

As it is impossible to fix on a certain rendezvous for the arrival. of said vessels at Manathe at the same time that the Sieur de Frontenac will arrive there with the troops, without alarming those of that place, the two vessels of war must go right into the bay, more especially as the attack on the frontier post of NewYork will give warning to those of Manathe; and the vessels thus arriving before the land forces, will cause a diversion.

The said Sieur de Frontenac having informed himself of the route he is to take, of which he will make more particular enquiries on the spot, as regard the convenience, security and expedition of the troops, His Majesty will not enter into further detail on this subject, nor on the attack on Orange and Manatte nor on any thing that relates thereto. He will solely recommend him to act as much as possible, in such a manner that those of Orange may not be advised of his march, so that he may surprise this first post and cut in below Orange to secure the number of vessels he may require to descend on Manathe, and to place things in such order as not to be uneasy when he shall depart for and be established at, the said Manathe. For this purpose he ought to leave a confidential officer at Orange with such detachment as he will find necessary to be left there, with orders to be on his guard and to fortify himself, and obtain all information possible for the success of the expedition against Manathe. He will also cause all the inhabitants to be disarmed and their effects to be seized, giving them to hope every

good treatment with which they can flatter themselves until he entertains no further apprehensions; then His Majesty desires that what is hereinafter prescribed to him, may be executed.

He wishes particular care to be taken to prevent any plunder of provisions, merchandize, ammunition, property, cattle, utensils and principal household furniture; and as his object must be to place Forts Orange and Manathe in a state of defence, and to support the Frenchmen who will have remained there, he must not only victual the forts for the longest time possible but collect there all he can of provisions, and in default of a sufficient quantity of magazines in said forts, he will lock them up in the towns, taking care not to touch those which he should deposit in said forts except when obliged.

His Majesty does not wish any suspected inhabitants be left in that Colony. His intention also is that an exact Inventory be made in the settlements and plantations by Commissary Gaillard (whom His Majesty wishes him to take with him,) of all cattle, grain, Inerchandize, furniture, effects and utensils he may find in each of the said settlements; that he select from among the inhabitants of Canada and the officers and soldiers of the troops those who will be found qualified to maintain and improve them, and that he furnish these with farms in His Majesty's name leaving them of the provisions that will be found there, as much as shall be necessary to support them until they have produced some; and he will examine, one with another, those to whom he will think proper to grant said farms, so as to distribute the greater number in proportion to their skill and strength, observing to associate several in the same settlement when he shall deem such necessary. He will inform his Majesty of all he shall have done in this regard by sending him the enumeration of all that he shall have left in each such settlement, and furnish his opinion of the Quit rents which they will be in a condition to pay him. After having settled on what he shall judge absolutely necessary to leave to those to whom he will have given these farms, he will place in store all the surplus, such as grain, whale oil and all sorts of merchandize and other principal effects of which also inventories shall be made to be equally sent to his Majesty.