56 FRONTENAC AND DUCHESXEAU. [1675-82. 



him. The general tone of the letter is moderate, 

 but the following significant warning occurs in it : 

 " Although no gentleman in the position in which 

 I have placed you ought to take part in any trade, 

 directly or indirectly, either by himself or any of 

 his servants, I nevertheless now prohibit you ab- 

 solutely from doing so. Not only abstain from 

 trade, but act in such a manner that nobody can 

 even suspect you of it ; and this will be easy, since 

 the truth will readily come to light." L 



Exhortation and warning were vain alike. The 

 first ships which returned that year from Canada 

 brought a series of despatches from the intendant, 

 renewing all his charges more bitterly than before. 

 The minister, out of patience, replied by berating 

 him without mercy. " You may rest assured," he 

 concludes, " that, did it not appear by your later 

 despatches that the letters you have received have 

 begun to make you understand that \'ou have for- 

 gotten yourself, it would not have been possible to 

 prevent the king from recalling you." 2 



Duchesneau, in return, protests all manner of 

 deference to the governor, but still insists that he 

 sets the royal edicts at naught ; protects a host of 

 coureurs de bois who are in league with him ; cor- 

 responds with Du Lhut, their chief ; shares his ille- 

 gal profits, and causes all the disorders which afflict 

 the colony. " As for me, Monseigneur, I have 

 done every thing within the scope of my office to 

 prevent these evils ; but all the pains I have taken 



1 Le Roy a Frontenac, 12 Mai, 1678. 



2 Colbert a Duchesneau, 25 Avril, 1679. 



