1690-92.] FRENCH AND ABENAKIS. 347 



The French were filled with alarm. Peace be- 

 tween the Abenakis and the " Bostonnais " would be 

 disastrous both to Acadia and to Canada, because 

 these tribes held the passes through the northern 

 wilderness, and, so long as they were in the inter- 

 est of France, covered the settlements on the St. 

 Lawrence from attack. Moreover, the government 

 relied on them to fight its battles. Therefore, no 

 pains were spared to break off their incipient treaty 

 with the English, and spur them again to war. 

 Villebon, a Canadian of good birth, one of the 

 brothers of Portneuf, was sent by the king to gov- 

 ern Acadia. Presents for the Abenakis were given 

 him in abundance ; and he was ordered to assure 

 them of support, so long as they fought for 

 France. 1 He and his officers were told to join 

 their war-parties ; while the Canadians, who fol- 

 lowed him to Acadia, were required to leave all 

 other employments and wage incessant war against 

 the English borders. " You yourself," says the 

 minister, " will herein set them so good an exam- 

 ple, that they will be animated by no other desire 

 than that of making profit out of the enemy : there 

 is nothing which I more strongly urge upon you 

 than to put forth all your ability and prudence to 

 prevent the Abenakis from occupying themselves 

 in any thing but war, and by good management of 

 the supplies which you have received for their use 

 to enable them to live by it more to their advan- 

 tage than by hunting." 2 



1 Me'moire pour servir d' Instruction au Sieur de Villebon, 1691. 



2 " Comrae vostre principal objet doit estre de faire la guerre sans re- 

 lache aux Anglois, it faut que vostre plus partieuliere application soit 



