tented himself throwing the scouts some quarter of a league in advance; and on the wings, between the scouts and the main body he placed a detached corps of 50, a forlorn hope commanded in turn by a lieutenant. They arrived on the same day before sundown within a league of the village; they would have pushed even farther if the convenience of encamping on the bank of a beautiful river had not invited them to halt. They were at the first dawn in sight of the village and as they were about to enter the fields of Indian corn, they met the Deputies of all that Nation.

They requested M. de Vaudreuil to halt, fearing that our savages would spoil their crops, assuring him that they would execute in good faith the orders which M. le Comte had given to their first delegate.

M. de Vaudreuil determined also on his side to obey punctually those which he had received, told them it was useless for them to think of preserving their grain, as, according to the word of their Father they should not want for any when retired among us; that, therefore, he should cut all down; that their fort and cabins. would not, either, be spared, having every thing ready for their reception.

He found in the village but 25 @ 40 persons, almost all having fled at the sight of the detachment, but the most influential chiefs had remained. M. de Vaudreuil consented that two or three men should follow these fugitives to try to bring them back.

On entering this village a young French woman was found a prisoner, just arrived from the Mohawk. She reported that that Nation and the English to the number of 300, were preparing to attack us. A Mohawk who had deserted from the Sault last year, the same who had given information of the proposed attack against his Nation, was captured roving around the village. He said he came there intending to surrender himself to us, which it was pretended to believe. An eye was kept on him, notwithstanding. He confirmed the report of the young French woman.

Another savage, also of the same Nation, but who had been captured with a party of our people of the Sault, where he resided, assured M. de Vaudreuil that the English and Mohawks had

indeed set out to come; that many of the former had moved out from Orange, but that they had contented themselves with remaining outside some hours in line, and had returned; that the consternation was pretty general among the one and the other.

This last intelligence caused M. de Vaudreuil's detachment as much regret as the first had given them joy. It was received with a thousand yells of satisfaction, particularly by the Abenaki's who said they had need neither of knives nor hatchets to beat the English; that it was idle to waste powder on such a set.

M. de Vaudreuil resolved to await them in the wood without shutting himself up in the fort. He left on the 9th between nine and ten o'clock in the morning after having seen it burned and the corn entirely cut. He camped the same night two leagues from Onnontagué. The celerity of his movements cannot be too much praised, since he occupied only three days in going, coming and executing all he had to do, although from one village to the other was fourteen good leagues in the woods with continual mountains and a multitude of rivers and large streams to be crossed. He was therefore not expected so soon, and M. le Comte was agreeably surprized to see him return in so short a time with 35 Oneidas, among whom were as we have said, the principal Chiefs of the nation, and four of our French, prisoners.

But we are accustomed in Canada to see him perform so many gallant actions, and he has the King's service so much at heart that those acquainted with him will not be surprized at this, however extraordinary it be.

The Mohawk deserter was burnt before the departure of the army who camped that same day midway from the fort where the batteaux were left; some savages having remained behind in the hope of finding more plunder received the fire of a small party; three of them were killed without the enemy daring to advance near enough to take their scalps.

The fort was reached on the 10th and destroyed. The army encamped on the 11th below the Portage, and on the 12th at 10 o'clock in the morning at the mouth of the river, on Lake Frontenac. It was time to quit that river, and if the waters had been as low as they ordinarily are in the month of August a portion of

the batteaux should have been, of necessity, aban loned. A very violent gale from the West retained the army until the 14th and though it was not altogether calm, ten leagues were made that day under sail, though we did not leave until noon.

The navigation is pretty dangerous for canoes and batteaux; the waves extraordinarily high, and the landing very difficult, there being numerous shoals in some places and in others headlands against which the sea breaks at a stupendous height. We camped in a river where the wind was less violent, and arrived next day, the 15th, at Fort Frontenac.

On the 16th, the militia and soldiers were occupied conveying fire-wood to the fort and in cutting and transporting what was necessary for the requisite planks and boards. The masons who had been left there had erected during the Count's absence a building of 120 feet, along one of the curtains, not so high on that side as the parapet. The wood work is attached, and there is a range of loop holes along the upper loft as in the remainder of the fort. This long building contains a chapel, the omcers' quarters, a bakery and the stores which are at present filled with provisions for the subsistence of the troops for more than eight months, exclusive of refreshments and what will be required for the Indians who may pass there. The two pieces of cannon, one of which was employed in the campaign and a quantity of grenades were left there. The army sojourned there the 17th; encamped on the 18th at La Galette and on the 19th on Lake St. Francis.

On the same day, the enemy attacked some canoes of our people, who had found means to precede us. One of our party was drowned, one wounded; the enemy lost three men and could not be captured by a detachment which was sent in pursuit.

On the 20th we arrived at Montreal. Some batteaux upset in the rapids and three militiamen were drowned. We were obliged to make good to the others the arms and bagage that the boat lost by upsetting.

We might extend the narrative of this campaign to a greater length, but as we should be obliged to use terms little known to those unacquainted with Canada, we considered this slight sketch would suffice.

.

It might have been more advantageous to His Majesty's arms, and more glorious to Count de Frontenac, had the Onnontagués followed their first plan; it would have, no doubt, cost the lives of some brave men, as the Iroquois do not fight with impunity. There might have been, perhaps, six to seven hundred men in their fort including those who had come to their aid, and scarcely any would have escaped; but their loss cannot fail to be considerable. After M. Denonville's [departure from] the Seneca country, we know the difficulty that Nation had to subsist for several years. The Iroquois were powerful, and are diminished since; assistance from the English, especially in provisions, comes in less abundantly; wheat is worth twenty francs the minot [three bushels] at Orange; the pound of powder, a pistole; lead and other mer chandize are, in truth, cheaper than with us,

The Mohawks have very little Indian corn; the Oneidas are ruined, and it is not known whether the Senecas will not remem ber the high price the Onnontagués set on provisions at the time of their discomfiture, when they were obliged to give most valuable belts for supplies. There remain then only the Cayugas who can succor their neighbours, and we cannot say if they alone are suffi cient for that purpose. Their hunting and fishing will, without doubt be interrupted by the different small parties now in the field. In fine, it is certain, by continuing the war as at its commencement, and as Count de Frontenac determined, the Iroquois will be reduced to the necessity of dying of hunger, or accepting peace on the conditions we may think proper to impose on them; and if the almost invincible obstinacy they seem to have to wage it with us continue, we will not despair to bring them to it, if this blow, struck without the participation of our allies from above, and which they did not believe could be undertaken without them, could force them to make as great efforts on their side as we have nade on ours; it will be easy to urge them to it as long as the French remain at Missilimakinac and at other posts, but when the fatal moment of their return arrives, their absence will put an absolute termination to the little good will the former may feel towards us, when they shall see themselves abandoned. Possibly they will be greatly cooled down this autumn, seeing neither pow

der nor ball, nor goods coming to them. How can they be persuaded to wage war without furnishing them with the means; how can the destruction of the Iroquois be completed without their aid, if they withdraw from us and retire into the woods?

Count de Frontenac learned on his arrival, that an Onontagué who had been captured at the fort above the island of Montreal killed] himself in prison.

On the 224 August, thirteen Algonquins brought in two Mohawk scalps, and one woman and two girls, prisoners. Seven savages from the Sault and the Mountain who had been detached to Oneida with Mons de Vaudreuil, brought in a prisoner of the same Nation, who was burned at Montreal. Some small parties of the enemy appeared along the south shore, but they made no attack, and the harvest has been saved very quietly.

COLL. FLETCHER TO THE LORDS OF THE LATE COMMITTEE DATED THE 22P AUG. 1696.

[Lond. Doc. X.J

May it please your Lordships.

On the 2nd instant I had intelligence the Governor of Canida was in our Indian Country with 1000 French and 2000 Indians, and that the people of Albany were in some consternation lest the Indians of the Five Nations should joyne with them and fall down upon Schenectady and Albany. He surprized one Castle at Oneyde which he burnt, and destroyed the Indian corne. The Onondages sent away their old men, women and children to the southward, the young men tarryed 'till they perceived the French were too numerous for them, then burnt their Fort and retreated, leaving their corne to be destroyed. It is reported by some prisoners that did escape, that an Indian brought tydings to Count Frontenac, that I was on my march from Albany with a great army as numerous as the trees of the woods, which hastened his retreat, the Cayounges and Sinnekes are no[t] hurt, I wrot to Connecticut for their quota and to the Governour of the Jerseys