1684.] DISAPPOINTMENT AND ANGER. 113 



never have to give yourselves the trouble," retorted 

 Perrot, "for at the first war-whoop you will all 

 run off." He gained his point. Their pride was 

 roused, and for the moment they were full of fight. J 



Immediately after, there was trouble with the 

 Ottawas, who became turbulent and threatening, 

 and refused to proceed. With much ado, they 

 were persuaded to go as far as Niagara, being 

 lured by the rash assurance of La Durantaye that 

 three vessels were there, loaded with a present of 

 guns for them. They carried their canoes by the 

 cataract, launched them again, paddled to the 

 mouth of the river, and looked for the vessels in 

 vain. At length a solitary sail appeared on the 

 lake. She brought no guns, but instead a letter 

 from La Barre, telling them that peace was 

 made, and that they might. all go home. Some 

 of them had paddled already a thousand miles, in 

 the hope of seeing the Senecas humbled. They 

 turned back in disgust, filled with wrath and scorn 

 against the governor and all the French. Canada 

 had incurred the contempt, not only of enemies, 

 but of allies. There was clanger that these tribes 

 would repudiate the French alliance, welcome the 

 English traders, make peace at any price with the 

 Iroquois, and carry their beaver skins to Albany 

 instead of Montreal. 



The treaty made at La Famine was greeted with 

 contumely through all the colony. The governor 

 found, however, a comforter in the Jesuit Lamber- 



1 La Potherie, II. 159 (ed. 1722). Perrot himself, in his Mceurs des 

 Sauvages, briefly mentions the incident. 



8 



