II.

example to him. The Marquis having dispatched the CHAP. messenger with his answer, moved on with his little army, which he embarked in canoes, in two divisions, and on the twenty-third of June, one half proceeded on the South, and the other on the North side of Lake Ontario, and both met near Oswego, where landing his men, he sent forward scouts to discover the force of the enemy. No opposition being made, and the village deserted, the Marquis marched on without order or regularity, but when at the distance of a mile from it, five hundred Senecas, who lay in ambush, shouted the war whoop, and charged the French with spirit. The French immediately dispersed, and the greatest confusion and terror prevailed, when recovering from their dismay, they repulsed the Indians in their turn. The loss on both sides was inconsiderable. The French had eight killed and twenty wounded, and the Indians forty-five killed and sixty wounded. After destroying their Corn and Castle, the Marquis returned to the Lake, and erected a Fort at Niagara, in which he posted one hundred men, under the command of Le Chevalier de la Troye. From the want of provisions, the whole garrison, with the exception of ten soldiers perished through famine.

BEFORE de Nonville's return to Quebec, he proposed the settling of differences by negociation, and collected a number of the Chiefs of the Five Nations to a conference; these Deputies far from expecting any stratagem were most basely seized loaded wiih Irons and sent to the Gallies. The Indians excused Lambreville, who had brought them to this conference and conducted him to a place of safety, and then took up arms to be reveng

CHAP. ed. A party of Mohawks and Manhingans, advanced to II. the attack of Chambly, burnt several houses and capti

vated many of the Inhabitants who were taken to Albany. In the mean time, forty Onandagas surprized several Soldiers near Cataraqui, whom they confined as prisoners in lieu of the Indians, that had been carried to France. As soon as Dongan had heard of de Nonville's perfidy, he sent to the Marquis, with a declaration, that the Five Nations, should never make peace with the French, but on condition that, the Indians sent to the Galleys and the Cagnawahga Proselytes should be returned to their Tribes, Niagara and Frontinac demolished, and the Senecas compensated for the damages they sustained in the late expedition.

DONGAN in the mean while sent for the Chiefs of the Five Nations, and explained to them, the answer he had given to de Nonville's Messenger. They highly approved of his conduct, and Dongan was now in hopes, that the French, would no longer treat the Five Nations as independent nations, and that the Indians themselves would acknowledge their dependence on the English Crown. The mistaken policy of King James of England, counteracted the wise conduct of Dongan, and when on the eve of accomplishing what he wished, he was ordered to persuade the Five Nations to send Messengers to Canada and to receive proposals of peace from de Nonville. For this purpose a cessation of arms and a mutual redelivery of prisoners was agreed upon. Near twelve hundred of the Five Nations, attended this negociation at Montreal, and in their Speech to de Nonville, insisted with great resolution on the terms proposed by Colonel Dongan to Father le Vaillant. The

French Governor declared his willingness to put an end CHAP. to the war, if all his allies might be included in the Peace, and if the Mohawks and Senecas would send deputies to signify their concurrence, and the French might supply Fort Frontenac with Provisions. These terms were at length agreed to, and Peace was ratified in the Field.

WHILE these negociations were going on, Le Rat, the bravest, the most resolute, and most subtle Indian, ever found in the wilds of America, arrived at Fort Frontenac, with a chosen band of Hurons. He had been told, that there was a prospect of peace between the French and the Five Nations, that the Deputies were on the route to Montreal, and that it would be an insult to the French Governor, if he should commit hostilities against the Five Nations, now about concluding peace. Le Rat, incensed at the conduct of de Nonville, in entering into negociations, without consulting his nation, as one of his allies, resolved to punish him for his presumption. Le Rat, with his party, left Frontenac, and lay in wait for the Deputies. He soon came up with them and killed several and took the rest prisoners. When the Ambassador told them the object of their journey, he feigned the greatest surprize, and assured the Deputies, that they were attacked by the express order of De Nonville. The better to carry on the deceit, he released all the prisoners, except one, who was detained in the place of one that had been killed, and then addressed himself to Dekanesora, the principal Ambassador:

"Go, my Brethren, I untie your hands, and send

L

CHAP. you home again. Though our nations be at war, the II. French Governor has made us commit so black an action, that I shall never be easy, till the Five Nations shall have taken revenge." He then hastened to Michillimackinac, where he presented his prisoner to the French Commandant, who, ignorant of the Treaty that was on foot, immediately put him to death. An old Seneca Indian, who had been many days a prisoner, was set at liberty, and he desired him to acquaint his nation, that while the French were amusing them with nego. ciations, they were murdering their Countrymen. The artifice succeeded as Le Rat had wished; war was renewed with the utmost fury and thirst for revenge. had been determined at a Council of war of the Five Nations, early in the Spring to attack the Island of Montreal, and to lay waste the Country; to carry this intention into execution, a large body of twelve hundred 1688. Indians, after a fatiguing march landed on the twentysixth of July, on the south side of the Island. The army was divided into several small parties, with orders to lay waste the Country. They killed near one thousand persons, burnt many houses, and carried off many captives. The Mohawks lost only three men, in this scene of desolation.*

It

THE Garrison at Lake Ontario, was no sooner apprized of this dreadful calamity, than they deserted the post, and passing down the river two precipitately, many were drowned in shooting the falls. The Five Nations, availed themselves of this consternation, seized the Fort, and secured the Stores, that had been deposited

Smith's History of New York, p. 57. Charlevoix says that this invasion was in August, the Indians 1500, and that the French only lost 200.

II.

there. The allies of the French, thought it no longer CHAP. their interest to be connected with those that were unable to assist them, and they begged to make peace with the English and the Five Nations.

To such a deplorable state was Canada reduced, that the Inhabitants hardly dared to cultivate their lands, and those that ventured to sow their corn, frequently had it destroyed, by the scouting parties of the Mohawks, who spread desolation and horror, where ever they went. f

CANADA, subsisted from the period of its original establishment, chiefly by its great commerce in Furs. With the view to regulate this commerce which had been conducted by a number of disorderly persons, known by the appellation of Coureurs de Bois, a limited number of written licences from the Governor General, were directed by the King to be granted to poor gentlemen and old officers, that they might convoy, exclusively, merchandize to the Lakes. Whenever these licences were obtained, there was no difficulty in finding Coureurs de Bois to undertake the long voyages, which it was necessary for them to take to gain a considerable profit. The merchants placed six men in two canoes, stipulated in each licence, together with the value of a thousand crowns in merchandize suitable for the Savages, rated and delivered to these Coureurs de Bois, at fifteen per cent more than the price at which it was sold for ready money in the

The Population of Canada, by a Census amounted to 11,219 Souls.Charlevoix. Vol. I. p. 542.