1683.] MEULES DENOUNCES HIM. 85 



little later, they are reported to have sent more 

 than a hundred. This forest trade robbed the 

 colonists, by forestalling the annual market of 

 Montreal ; while a considerable part of the furs 

 acquired by it were secretly sent to the English 

 and' Dutch of New York. Thus the heavy duties 

 of the custom-house at Quebec were evaded ; and 

 silver coin was received in payment, instead of 

 questionable bills of exchange. 1 Frontenac had 

 not been faithful to his trust ; but, compared to his 

 successor, he was a model of official virtue. 



La Barre busied himself with ostentatious prepa- 

 ration for war ; built vessels at Fort Frontenac, 

 and sent up fleets of canoes, laden or partly laden 

 with munitions. . But his accusers say that the 

 king's canoes were used to transport the governor's 

 goods, and that the men sent to garrison Fort 

 Frontenac were destined, not to fight the Iroquois, 

 but to sell them brandy. " Last year," writes the 

 intenclant, " Monsieur cle la Barre had a vessel 

 built, for which he made his Majesty pay heavily ; " 

 and he proceeds to say that it was built for trade, 

 and was used for no other purpose. " If," he 

 continues, " the two ( k ing's) vessels now at Fort 

 Frontenac had not been used for trading, they 

 would have saved us half the expense we have 

 been forced to incur in transporting munitions 

 and supplies. The pretended necessity of having 

 vessels at this fort, and the consequent employing 



1 These statements are made in a memorial of the agents of the 

 custom-house, in letters of Meules, and in several other quarters. La 

 Barre is accused of sending furs to Albany under pretext of official 

 communication with the governor of New York. 



