1691-93.] SERVICES OF ERONTENAC, • 321 



merely ask your leave most humbly to represent 

 that, having maintained this colony in full pros- 

 perity during the ten years when I formerly held 

 the government of it, I nevertheless fell a sacrifice 

 to the artifice and fury of those whose encroach- 

 ments, and whose excessive and unauthorized 

 power, my duty and my passionate affection for 

 the service of the king obliged me in conscience 

 to repress. My recall, which made them masters in 

 the conduct of the government, was followed by 

 all the disasters which overwhelmed this unhappy 

 colony. The millions that the king spent here, the 

 troops that he sent out, and the Canadians that he 

 took into pay, all went for nothing. Most of the 

 soldiers, and no small number of brave Canadians, 

 perished in enterprises ill devised and ruinous to 

 the country, which I found on my arrival ravaged 

 with unheard-of cruelty by the Iroquois, without 

 resistance, and in sight of the troops and of the 

 forts. The inhabitants were discouraged, and un- 

 nerved by want of confidence in their chiefs ; 

 while the friendly Indians, seeing our weakness, 

 were ready to join our enemies. I was fortunate 

 enough and diligent enough to change this de- 

 plorable state of things, and drive away the Eng- 

 lish, whom my predecessors did not have on their 

 hands, and this too with only half as many troops 

 as they had. I am far from wishing to blame their 

 conduct. I leave you to judge it. But I cannot 

 have the tranquillity and freedom of mind which I 

 need for the work I have to do here, without feel- 

 ing entire confidence that the cabal which is again 



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