1675-82.] DUCHESNEATJ PERSISTS. . 57 



have only served to increase the aversion of Mon- 

 sieur the governor against me, and to bring my 

 ordinances into contempt, This, Monseigneur, is 

 a true account of the disobedience of the coureurs 

 de bois, of which I twice had the honor to speak 

 to Monsieur the governor; and I could not help 

 telling him, with all possible deference, that it was 

 shameful to the colony and to us that the king, 

 our master, of whom the whole world stands in 

 awe, who has just given law to all Europe, and 

 whom all his subjects adore, should have the pain 

 of knowing that, in a country which has received 

 so many marks of his ^paternal tenderness, his 

 orders are violated and scorned ; and a governor 

 and an intenclant stand by, with folded arms, con- 

 tent with saying that the evil is past remedy. For 

 having made these representations to him, I drew 

 on myself words so full of contempt and insult that 

 I was forced to leave his room to appease his 

 anger. The next morning I went to him again, 

 and did all I could to have my ordinances exe- 

 cuted ; but, as Monsieur the governor is interested 

 with many of the coureurs de bois, it is useless to 

 attempt to do any thing. He has gradually made 

 himself master of the trade of Montreal ; and, as 

 soon as the Indians arrive, he sets guards in their 

 camp, which would be very well, if these soldiers 

 did their duty and protected the savages from 

 being annoyed and plundered by the French, in- 

 stead of being employed to discover how many 

 furs they have brought, with a view to future 

 operations. Monsieur the governor then compels 



