1684.] LA BARRE TAKES THE FIELD. 99 



man, who spoke as if he were drunk ; * and it was 

 resolved at last that he, Big Mouth, with an em- 

 bassy of chiefs and elders, should go with Le 

 Moyne to meet the French governor. 



While these things were passing at Onondaga, 

 La Barre had finished his preparations, and was 

 now in full campaign. Before setting out, he had 

 written to the minister that he was about to ad- 

 vance on the enemy, with seven hundred Cana- 

 dians, a hundred and thirty regulars, and two hun- 

 dred mission Indians ; that more Indians were to 

 join him on the way ; that Du Lhut and La Duran- 

 taye were to meet him at Niagara with a body of 

 coiireurs cle bois and Indians from the interior ; 

 and that, " when we are all united, we will perish 

 or destroy the enemy." 2 On the same day, he 

 wrote to the king : " My purpose is to exterminate 

 the Senecas ; for otherwise your Majesty need 

 take no farther account of this country, since there 

 is no hope of peace with them, except when they 

 are driven to it by force. I pray you do not 

 abandon me ; and be assured that I shall do my 

 duty at the head of your faithful colonists." 3 



A few days after writing these curiously inco- 

 herent epistles, La Barre received a letter from his 

 colleague, Meules, who had no belief that he meant 

 to fight, and was determined to compel him to do 

 so, if possible. " There is a report," wrote the 

 intendant, " that you mean to make peace. It is 

 doing great harm. Our Indian allies will despise 



1 LamberviUe to La Barre, 28 Aug., 1684, in N. Y. Col. Docs., IX. 257. 



2 La Barre au Ministre, 9 July, 1684. 



3 La Barre au Roy, meme date. 



