"Tis very easie to guess what impression such a discovery wrought upon a weak and credulous people, who believed without any further inquiry, whatever our villains had told them. They broke off immediately their society with us, and lookt upon us, but chiefly upon our chief, as their greatest enemies, and resolved upon our ruin. M. La Salle suspected the cause of their mistrust, and was sensible of the danger he was exposed to, but did not know from whence it came. His great courage was not however cast down, and trusting to his good conscience, went boldly to the chief of the savages, and told them, that he observed such an alteration in their proceedings with him, that he could not but be concerned at it; and therefore desir'd them to tell him the motives of their mistrust, and to consider whether they were well grounded, or only an artifice of their common enemies, who were jealous of the good correspondence that was between them.

The Illinois could not refuse that reasonable demand, and therefore told him, that his own men had discover'd his designs against them, in conjunction with the Iroquois. M. La Salle, though surpriz'd at the perfidiousness and treachery of his men, made use of such convincing arguments, to prove the malice of his accusers and his innocence, together with the impossibility of his league with a cruel nation, who is bound by no law nor sense of humanity; that the Illinois were perswaded of the sincerity of his intentions, and of the motive of his enemies, and therefore we became friends again.

The calm was hardly setled, but that it was disturbed by a more dangerous storm than the former, by the arrival of one Mausolea, a secret emissary of the Iroquois, of the neighbouring nation of the Mascontans, a cunning, seditious and eloquent man. This pretended embassador arriv'd in the camp of

the Illinois during the night, and having gain'd the chief of them, the council was called, where Mausolea having displayed his presents, acquainted the assembly with the motives of his embassie. He told them that it was not the interest alone of his nation and theirs, but rather of all the Americans, which had occasion'd his deputation, seeing that they were informed that the French were come with a design to subdue the whole country of the Northern America to the gulph of Mexico; that to succeed therein, we pretended not only to make use of our own forces, but likewise of the Americans themselves; that in order thereunto, we had contracted a strict alliance with the Iroquois their common enemies: that the fort we had erected on their river, was the beginning of our tyranny, and a place of refuge 'till the arrival of our confede rates: that if they expected any longer, and gave us time to join together, their miseries should be past remedy, and therefore advised them to prevent us, and destroy us whilst it was in their power.

These calumnies of Mausolea made a great impression on the credulous Illinois, and so much the more, because his accusation agreed exactly with what our own men had told them. But doubtless the reader expects an account of the reason that put the Iroquois upon this villainous trick; and if we remember what has been already said of the character of that barbarous nation, 'tis easie to discern, that they were afraid that the Illinois would grow too powerful by their commerce with us, and be enabled by the use of fire-arms, to make head against them, and therefore they made use of this Mausolea to accuse us as he did, in order to incense the Illinois against our nation, and prevent thereby our settlement in the country.

M. La Salle, who relied upon the faith of the late reconciliation, knew nothing of this new

storm; and having no other thoughts than to settle his union with the Illinois, rose very early, and went directly to the camp of the Illinois with his best friend, where he was mightily surpriz'd to see a general uproar, and that no body would speak with him. The conjuncture was very nice, and therefore M. La Salle was in a great perplexity, and did not know what to do. Some were of opinion to retire into the fort 'till this new treachery was discover'd, but he would not hearken to this advice, lest his retreat should confirm the accusation of his enemies; and took a resolution more worthy of himself, tho' more dangerous. He went up boldly to the assembly of the chief of the nation, and expressed himself as well as he could in their own language, and much to this effect:

FRIENDS,

I CANNOT but wonder at your inconstancy; we parted very good friends last night, and this morning I find you almost in arms against me; no body speaks to me, and every body threatens me: what new crime have I committed? or rather by what new impostor have you been incensed against me? I surrender myself, and therefore if ever I have acted against the interest of your nation, you may do what you please, I am at your mercy. The savages considering his speech, and his countenance, were almost perswaded with his innocence, and told him the subject of the embassie of Mausolea, who was at that time present, whereupon M. La Salle directed his speech to him in this manner: You accuse me of an alliance with a barbarous and treacherous nation, but where are your proofs? If you have any, speak out; but if you have none, do you think the Illinois will believe your malicious contrivances?

Mausolea had certainly no proof, but endeavoured to make out his accusation by some circumstances; as his former commerce with the Iroquois; the fort he had built upon the river of the Illinois; and his return to fort Frontenac, concluding that though these were no direct proofs, yet they were substantial indications of his design. It was very easie for M. La Salle to answer his arguments, and to shew that the Iroquois, being jealous of their good correspondence, and sensible that their union would enable them to make head against them, had hir'd this emissary to create these divisions. He advised them to consider every thing, and how the Iroquois had subdued, by their artifices, the Miamis, the Quiaquons, and the Mascontans, who sent this pretended advice; and therefore exhorted to weigh every thing, and enquire into the embassie, for he suspected Mausolea was sent by the Iroquois, and not by his own nation; assuring them, in the mean time, that he was come to protect them against the Iroquois and their other enemies.

These reasons being accompanied with the assuredness which a good cause inspires, had all the expected effect; insomuch that Mausolea himself, out of fear, or remorse of conscience, confess'd, that the Iroquois had spread those reports among the Mascontans, on purpose to excite a general insurrection against us, and owned that the safety of the Illinois, and of his own nation, depended on their union with us; whereupon the Illinois made us all the protestations in the world, that they would never renounce our alliance, nor give ear any more to the suggestions of our common enemies.

This peace and good correspondence being thus happily restored, M. La Salle turn'd all his thoughts towards his enterprise, and finding himself near the

great river Mississipi, he resolved to divide his men, to carry on at once his discoveries to the north and to the south, by means of that river, reserving for himself to fall down to the sea, and to send some body else towards the source of the river. But as he was thus preparing himself, his treacherous men plotted to put a stop both to his journey and to his life, and to poison him and his best friends at once. They pitched upon Christmas-day for acting this villainy, and found means to put some poison into the pot, to cut off at one blow, all such as might have avenged the death of their captain, and likewise to remain the sole masters of the fort, and of all the effects that were therein.

The dinner was hardly over, that M. La Salle and his friends found themselves very ill. They fell into convulsions and other symptoms, which discover'd the true cause of them; wereupon they took a dose of good treacle, and by this quick remedy, prevented the effect of the poison, insomuch that all recover'd.

This was too plain to be denyed, and too horrid to be forgiven, therefore the rogues ran away to avoid the just punishment they deserv'd; and tho' M. La Salle, sent after them, it was not possible to overtake them, the thick forests affording them a fair opportunity to make their escape. The desertion of these villains weaken'd our band, but we were soon recruited by several young savages, who engag'd themselves into our service, and likewise by some French men who were dispers'd and wandering in the woods, so that our number was in a little time considerably increased.

Things being thus settl'd, M. La Salle apply'd himself to the execution of his project, and appointed Mr. Dacan for the discovery of the country along the Mississipi, to the north-east, with four French men, two savages, and father Louis, a Re