II.

REPORT OF FATHER DRUILLETES.

(FERLAND, Notes sur les Registres de Notre Dame de Quebec. Page 70-2.)

I arrived here on the eighth of December, the feast of the Conception; and not without a special Providence. The Barque of my guide and governor, who is the Agent at Kenebaka, named John Winslow, was surprised by the ice, and we were accordingly compelled to march about a hundred leagues, according to what they say, partly by land and partly by water.

On the 9th, I was conducted by my introducer, and the Major General of this place, Mr. Quebin, (Gibbons*) (a great friend of M. de la Tour, and afterwards of the Governor of Kebec, when he heard that said M. de la Tour had been well treated at Kebec,) to the house of Mr. Dutley, (Dudley), Governor of all the Colony of Boston. He resides half a league from here. I presented the letter of credit from the Governor of Kebec, and solicited audience as ambassador and agent, not only in the name of the Governor, according to the tenor of the letter, but also on behalf of the Abnaquóis Catechumens, who are under the jurisdiction of Pleymoutch, (Plymouth,) which is another Colony; this my poor habit and equipage showed, likening me more to a savage than to a Frenchman of moderate condition.

The day of my audience was deferred till the following Tuesday, as the Governor of this place had to assemble the magistrates on that day for some other matter. Before stat

ing here what I have done for my twofold embassy, I feel it necessary to give you some information of the state and government of this country.

All New England is a republic, composed of four colonies. The first and most considerable is that of Boston, which has, they say, forty towns or villages in its dependence or district. The second is that of Pleymoutch, fourteen leagues from here; this has twenty towns or villages, of which Pleymoutch is the principal one, but much less than Boston, although it is the oldest of all; it is situated near Cape Malle

*Gibbons was Major General from 1649 to his death in 1654. JOSSELYN, Chronological Observations. Mass. Hist. Soc. Collections, III, iii., 386–8. 21

SECOND SERIES.-VOL. III.

barre, (Cod.) The third is that of Kenetigouc, (Connecticut,) thirty or forty leagues from the second. This has about ten towns, one of which alone has 500 men, they say. Kenetigouc is the river of the Sokokiois. The fourth is that of Kouinopeia, (Quinnipiack,) ten leagues from the third. This has only 4 or 6 villages on the coast towards Manathe, (Manhattan,) from which it is 30 leagues distant, or thereabouts. From Manathe to the largest English settlement is about 20 leagues.

All these 4 colonies are united by the articles of Confederation, one of which requires that no colony in private shall determine any thing for any war whatever, without the knowledge and consent of the Assembly of the States of the whole country; it is called the Council or Court of the Commissioners, who are 8 in number, that is to say, two deputies for each colony. They are to assemble at Kouinipeia (New Haven) at the first session, which is not held usually till the month of September. They themselves when they assemble choose one of their number who presides.

Besides the Council of the States for the whole country, each separate colony has a council composed of its Governor, Vice Governor, and a certain number of counsellors whom they call magistrates. This separate council gives audience according to the causes which arise during the year. All the officers of this separate Court are created and confirmed in the month of May, which is the time when the general Court of all the colony is held, that is to say, the upper house, composed of the most considerable men of the colony, and the lower house composed of the deputies of the people. It assembles in the chief town of the colony. It was this separate Court of Boston which gave me audience after inviting me to dinner on the 13th of December.

III.

LETTER ADDRESSED BY THE COUNCIL OF QUEBEC TO THE COMMISSIONERS OF NEW ENGLAND.

(CHARLEVOIX, Histoire de la Nouvelle France, I., 287.)

GENTLEMEN :

The gentlemen of Boston having a few years ago proposed to establish commercial intercourse between New France and New England, the Council appointed by His Majesty in this

country, united its answer to the letters which our Governor addressed to your colonies, the tenor of which was, that we should willingly enter into the commerce, and at the same time into union of hearts and minds between our colonies and yours; but that we should at the same time desire to enter into an offensive and defensive league with you against the Iroquois, our enemies, who would prevent the commerce, or at least render it less advantageous for us both. The obligation resting on you, it seems to us, to check the insolence of these Iroquois Indians, who massacre the Sokokinois and the Abenaquinois, your allies, and the facility with which you can conduct this war if properly undertaken, are two reasons which induce us to continue the negotiation with you in your Court of Commissioners. We have requested our Governor to write to you strongly; and this is to join our endeavors to his, and to assure you of the disposition of our hearts and of all those in New France for this commerce with New England, and for the designs of this war against the Iroquois, who must be our common enemies. Besides the Sieur de Dreuillettes who this winter began the negotiation, we have requested the Sieur Godefroy, Councillor of our body, to form our embassy. The merit of these two deputies inspires us with hopes of the successful issue of the plan; they are endowed with the necessary powers for this purpose; that is to say, both to establish solidly, intercourse between us, and to relieve you in the expenses necessary for carrying on the proposed war against the Iroquois.

We beg you to hear them and act with them as you would with us, with that frankness which is natural to the English, as to us French. The Almighty will, we doubt not, bless your arms and ours, as they will be employed in the defence of Christian Indians, your allies and ours, against heathen savages, who have no faith, no God, no justice in their course, as you may learn in detail from our said Deputies, who will assure you of the sincere desire which we entertain that heaven may ever continue to bless your provinces, and load you, gentlemen, with his favors.

Given in the Chamber of the Council established by the King at Quebec in New France, this twentieth of June, onc thousand six hundred and fifty-one.

IV.

APPOINTMENT OF SIEUR GODEFROY AND FATHER

DRUILLETES.

[Extract from the Registers of the Old Council of this Country, June 20, 1651.]

(CHARLEVOIX, Histoire de la Nouvelle France, I. 288.)

The Council assembled at nine o'clock in the morning. Present, the Governor, the Reverend Father Superior, Messrs. de Mauze, Godefroy and Menoil, on the proposition made to the Council touching a certain rescription, made by the Council in the year 1648 to the Commissioners of the States of New England, for the formation of a union between the colonies of New France and New England, in order to trade together. The Council, wishing to meet their request, has appointed and appoints the Sieur Godefroy one of the Councillors of the Council established by His Majesty in this country, to proceed with the Reverend Father Dreuilletes to said New England to the said Commissioners, to treat and act with them, according to the powers given them by the Council, a copy whereof is inserted à la liasse as also a copy of a letter addressed to the said Commissioners of New England by this Council. And as to the merchandize brought by one Thomas Yost, on the assurance and good faith of Rev. Father Dreuilletes, the Council has resolved to send to meet him, to appoint him a place where to land them, and that in due time.

Louis d'Ailleboust, Lieutenant General for the King and Governor of all New France, &c., GREETING:

Having been requested and urged both by the Christian Indians depending on our government and by the Abénaquinois, dwelling on the river Kinibequi, and others their allies, to protect them against the attacks of the Iroquois, their common enemies, as had been heretofore done by the Sieur de Montmagny, our predecessor in this government, and they having anew shown us that all their nations would be entirely destroyed, unless we interfered, We, for these causes, and for the good of this colony, and according to special orders given us by the Queen Regent, Mother of the King, to protect the Indians against their said enemies,

have deputed and depute, with the advice of the Council established in this country, and some of the most notable settlers, the Sieurs Gabriel Dreuilletes, preacher of the Gospel to the Indian Nations, and John Godefroy, one of the Councillors of the said Council, Ambassadors for them to the Gentlemen of New England, to treat, either with the Governors and Magistrates of New England, or at the General Court of the Commissioners and Deputies of the United Colonies, for aid in men, munitions and provisions, to attack the said Iroquois on the most proper and convenient, spots; as also to settle the articles, which shall be deemed necessary, to secure this Treaty; and to accord to the said Sieurs of New England the commerce which they requested of us in their letter of the year 1647, with the articles, clauses and conditions, which they shall deem necessary, awaiting the arrival of the Ambassador whom we shall send on our behalf to ratify and finally conclude what they agree upon.

We request all Governors, Lieutenant Governors, Captains and others to let them pass freely, &c.

V.

COPY OF A LETTER FROM THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE UNITED COLONIES TO THE GOVERNOR OF CANADA.

(HAZARD, Historical Collections, II. 183.)

MOST ILLUSTRIOUS SIR, AND MUCH HONORED GENTLEMEN: We have receaved youer severall letters, perused youer Commissions, presented by youer honered agents, and seriusly considered what hath been by them either in writing or by conference propounded, conserning those injuries and hostile attempts made by som of the Mohaukes upon some of youer naighbouring easteren Indians, of whom (as wee are enformed) som are converted to the Christian Faith and others are willing to bee taught and may in time prove Desiples to our saveing Lord and Master; as such wee pity them, but see not how wee can protect or afford the healp desired, without exposing the smaler English Plantations, and our owne naighbouring Indians (of which some allsoe professe Christianitye) to danger. Wee can give due credits to youer deputies, and can conceave you may have just grounds for a