1687-88.] ANGRY CORRESPONDENCE. 163 



tried to temporize, and asked for a truce, with a 

 view to a final settlement by reference to the two 

 kings. 1 Dongan referred the question to a meeting 

 of Iroquois chiefs, who declared in reply that they 

 would make neither peace nor truce till Fort Niagara 

 was demolished and all the prisoners restored. 

 Dongan, well pleased, commended their spirit, and 

 assured them that King James, " who is the greatest 

 man the sunn shines uppon, and never told a ly in 

 his life, has given you his Royall word to protect 

 you." 2 Vaillant returned from his bootless errand ; 

 and a stormy correspondence followed between the 

 two governors. Dongan renewed his demands, 

 then protested his wish for peace, extolled King 

 James for his pious zeal, and declared that he was 

 sending over missionaries of his own to convert the 

 Iroquois. 3 What Denonville wanted was not their 

 conversion by Englishmen, but their conversion 

 by Frenchmen, and the presence in their towns 

 of those most useful political agents, the Jesuits. 4 

 He replied angrily, charging Dongan with prevent- 

 ing the conversion of the Iroquois by driving off 

 the French missionaries, and accusing him, farther, 

 of instigating the tribes of New York to attack 



1 The papers of this discussion will be found in N. Y. Col. Docs. ,111. 



2 Donrjan's Reply to the Five Nations, Ibid., III. 535. 



3 Dongan to Denonville, 17 Feb., 1638, Ibid., III. 519. 



4 " Ilya une necessite indispensable pour les interais de la Religion et 

 de la Colonie de restablir les missionaires Jesuites dans tous les villages 

 Iroquois : si vous ne trouves moyen de faire retourner ces Peres dans 

 leurs anciennes missions, vous deves en attendre beaucoup de malheur 

 pour cette Colonie ; car je dois vous dire que jusqu'icy c'est leur habilite 

 qui a soutenu les affaires du pays par leur scavoir-faire a gouvern^r les 

 esprits de ces barbares, qui ne sont Sauvages que de nom." Denonville, 

 Me'moire adressg au Ministre, 9 Nov., 1688. 



