1687-88.] SIR EDMUND ANDROS. 1G5 



Lakes and the Mississippi, his late rival had been 

 influenced by motives of personal gain. Be this 

 as it may, he was a bold and vigorous defender of 

 the claims of the British crown. 



Sir Edmund Andros now reigned over New 

 York ; and, by the terms of his commission, his rule 

 stretched westward to the Pacific. The usual 

 official courtesies passed between him and Denon- 

 ville ; but Andros renewed all the demands of his 

 predecessor, claimed the Iroquois as subjects, and 

 forbade the French to attack them. 1 The new gov- 

 ernor was worse than the old. Denonville wrote 

 to the minister : " I send you copies of his letters, 

 by which you will see that the spirit of Dongan 

 has entered into the heart of his successor, who 

 may be less passionate and less interested, but who 

 is, to say the least, quite as much opposed to us, 

 and perhaps more dangerous by his suppleness and 

 smoothness than the other was by his violence. 

 What he has just clone among the Iroquois, whom 

 he pretends to be under his government, and whom 

 he prevents from coming to meet me, is a certain 

 proof that neither he nor the other English-gov- 

 ernors, nor their people, will refrain from doing 

 this colony all the harm they can." 2 



While these things were passing, the state of 

 Canada was deplorable, and the position of its 



1 Andros to Denonville, 21 Aug., 1688 ; Ibid., 29 Sept., 1688. 



2 Me'moire de VEstat Present des Affaires de ce Pays depuis le lOme Aoust, 

 1688, jusqu'au dernier Octobre.de la mesme anne'e. He declares that the Eng- 

 lish are always " itching for the western trade," that their favorite plan 

 is to establish a post on the Ohio, and that they have made the attempt 

 three times already. 



