of Europeans. For how few soever they be, they are as it were a ciment of concord and civil society amongst the most barbarous nations.

In the mean while M. de la Salle being arriv'd at Quebeck, had the dissatisfaction not to meet with M. la Comte de Frontenac, for he had been re-manded to France by an order from court, and was gone thither. After his arrival, he did not fail to acquaint all the city with the discoveries' he had made, and with the news of so many nations yielding themselves subject to the king's power. The Te Deum was sung, as an acknowledgment of this happy addition of glory and honour to the crown. The earnest desire which M. de la Salle had to go to give the king and his ministers an account of the success of his travels, made him hasten his departure. He went from Canada in the beginning of October, 1684. But before he set sail, he sent the Chevalier de Bogia to me, as a person that had been highly recommended to him. He came to me to St. Louis's fort. I received him as well as I could, and gave him the best entertainment that my condition would permit me.

On the twentieth of March, in the same year, having received advice that the Iroquois, being jealous of our new establishment, were coming against us with considerable forces; I sent an express to M. de la Durontai, governour of the fort Missilimachinac, for some assistance. In the mean while I raised new fortifications, and by means of good ditches, rampires, and other works, I put the village into a good posture of defence. They came on the 28th of March, and lay before us, to the number of five hundred; we beat them back bravely in their very first attacks; at last, after six weeks, we raised the siege, and forced them to retire with the loss of fourscore of theirs, and not of one of ours. They took a few slaves in the neigh

bourhood, that they might have something to brag of, and might not be thought to come back empty; but as they were just a going to flea their scalps, the poor wretches were happily so cunning as to get away, and came to us in our fort.

About the 15th of April, M. de la Durontai, and Father de Loy a Jesuit, with sixty French, came to assist me, but it was needless then. In the mean while M: de la Barre was come to Quebeck, to succeed the Count de Frontenac. This change was a dreadful blow to new France in general, which look'd upon Count de Frontenac as their patron. But it proved no less severe in respect to my own particular. For no sooner was this new governour come over, who was a friend and relation of the Chevalier de Bogia, but he gave him the command of St. Louis's fort; the rise and perfection of which were all owing to me. He directed his orders to M. de la Duroniai, to deliver to me; who informed me with the new governour's orders to give up my command of the place, and to invest the chevalier therewith. I could do no other but obey the orders. I left some considerable effects in the fort, whereof I made an inventory, which the chevalier was so kind as to set his hand to; and I left the place the same day, taking with me what was of most inoment and use. I first took the road of Montreal, and thence went to Quebeck, where I arriv'd in the beginning of July. I could do no less than go and wait on the governour, and give him a faithful account of the condition and importance of the place which I had left by his order, and of the state of the country in general. He heard me very courteously, and very civilly offer'd me any other post I should desire in America. I thanked him for his kind offers, and told him I was not willing to take any employment until M. de la Salle came back; and so we parted.

As soon as I arriv'd, I did not fail to write to M. de la Salle, and give him an account how I was served, and how I thought my self wronged, by being thus put out of the command he had given me. Adding, that I really thought there might be some danger of the peoples sitting uneasie under a new governour, and forsaking their new habitations, or committing some disorder. I writ besides to M. de la Forest, a friend of mine, to support my interests with our common protector. These letters had all the good effect I could wish or hope for. I received an answer to my business by M. de la Forest himself, who came back to Quebeck in the latter end of July, 1684. I had the satisfaction to learn from him what a gracious reception M. de la Salle had met with at court, and what considerable forces the king had granted him to settle the colonies in the New-found-lands; and withal that he was imbark'd for the gulf of Mexico; but what compleated my joy was, that I triumphed over mine enemies, by my restitution to St. Louis's fort, in the quality of governour and captain; for which this gentleman brought me the letters which M. de la Salle had obtain❜d from the king in my favour.

I equipp'd my self straightway with arms and all materials necessary, as well for the fortification of the place, as for the raising of my company. And after we had spent some days together at Quebeck, M. de la Forest and I went away together the first of November, he for Frontenac, of which place he was going governour, and I for the Illinois.

The ice putting a stop to our voyage on the river of St. Laurence, we were forced to stay and winter at Montreal, until the next spring, in 1685.

In the beginning of April, we got up the river again as far as the fort Frontenac, where I took my leave of M. de la Forest. I went in a canoo on the first lake to Magara, where, after I had shot the

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fall of the river, I got to Missilimachinac, and then to Miamis, and being come to the mouth of the river of the Illinois, I went to fort St. Louis, about June 15, in the same year.

The Chevalier de Bogia immediately entertain'd me with all possible marks of joy, friendship, and respect; and I endeavour'd to make a suitable return to his kindness; but at last, after having inform'd him of M. de la Salle's embarking, and of all other news then stirring; I found my self oblig'd to shew him the letters patents, to be commander in chief, and governour of fort St. Louis, with which the king thought fit to honour me. He receiv'd this order with a great deal of submission, and put me again in possession of the place, with all the effects with which I had entrusted him, assuring me, at the same time, that nevertheless he should still be ready to do me service upon all occasions, and always to perform the office of a faithful friend. We spent the rest of the day together in amicable conversation, and the next morning he departed a third time for the town of Quebeck.

In the mean while the Miamis and the Illinois, neighbouring nations and our allies, being at variance about certain trivial pretensions; I endeavour'd to reconcile them; having receiv'd from both parties hostages and pledges of their fidelity. In the beginning of August, being much disturb'd that I had heard no news of M. de la Salle, I pass'd over to Missilimachinac, to make some enquiry after him. There I was inform'd that the Marquis d'Enonville succeeded M. de la Barre, in quality of governour of New France: and I had also the honour to receive a letter from him; in which he was pleas'd to express his desire of entering into a conference with me, about the design he had to make war with the Iroquois; at the same time he gave me to understand, that M. de la Salle, having

been for a long time at sea, had, without doubt, already enter'd the gulf with four tight ships, given him by the king, and that apparently he must needs have arriv'd at the mouth of the river Mississipi, or in some other port.

This letter serv'd only to increase the earnest desire I had to meet him, insomuch that I immediately took care to provide what supplies I could for him; fitted out twenty Canadians, and returning to the Illinois, with my new recruits; I arriv'd within a month at St. Louis's fort: where, after having given necessary orders, I left the command of the place to the Sieur de Bellefontaine and set forward with forty men for the gulf of Mexico. Thus we pass'd down our river into the great one of Mississipi, follow'd its course to the sea, and spent about two months in performing this voyage.

Upon our arrival on the sea shore, not meeting with what I sought for, nor any person who could give me any information about the matter, I sent out two boats, viz. one to the east, and the other to the south-west, to endeavour to make some discovery: They row'd up and down about twenty leagues from one side to another, along the coast, and having descry'd nothing, were oblig'd to stand in for some port for want of fresh water, and return'd to join our fleet, after a course of two days; without being able to get any notice of what I expected. All that I receiv'd from them by way of consolation was only a porpoise, and some very fine shells of mother of pearl, which they took on

a rock.

Therefore, perceiving that it would be to no purpose to wait there any longer, I advis'd with the most prudent men of our company, about the course we ought to steer at our return. I was inclin'd to follow the coast as far as Menada, hoping by that means, continually to discover some new