106 LA BARRE AND THE IROQUOIS. [1684. 



There is no reason to believe that he indulged in it 

 on the present occasion, and his account of what 

 he now saw and heard may probably be taken as 

 substantially correct. According to him, La Barre 

 opened the council as follows : — 



" The king my master, being informed that the 

 Five Nations of the Iroquois have long acted in a 

 manner adverse to peace, has ordered me to come 

 with an escort to this place, and to send Akouessan 

 {Le Moyne) to Onondaga to invite the principal 

 chiefs to meet me. It is the wish of this great 

 king that you and I should smoke the calumet of 

 peace together, provided that you promise, in 

 the name of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, 

 Cayugas, and Senecas, to give entire satisfaction 

 and indemnity to his subjects, and do nothing 

 in future which may occasion, rupture." 



Then he recounted the offences of the Iroquois. 

 First, they had maltreated and robbed French 

 traders in the country of the Illinois ; " where- 

 fore," said the governor, " I am ordered to demand 

 reparation, and in case of refusal to declare war 

 against you." 



Next, " the warriors of the Five Nations have 

 introduced the English into the lakes which belong 

 to the king my master, and among the tribes who 

 are his children, in order to destroy the trade of 

 his subjects, and seduce these people from the 

 obedience they owe him. I am willing to forget 

 this ; but, should it happen again, I am expressly 

 ordered to declare war against you." 



matter of veracity is due chiefly to this fabrication. On the other hand, 

 his account of what he saw in the colony is commonly in accord with 

 the best contemporary evideuce. 



