1696.] IBERVILLE IN NEWFOUNDLAND. 389 



of action, they were too remarkable to be passed 

 in silence. 



The French had but one post of any consequence 

 on the Island of Newfoundland, the fort and vil- 

 lage at Placentia Bay ; while the English fisher- 

 men had formed a line of settlements two or three 

 hundred miles along the eastern coast. Iberville 

 had represented to the court the necessity of check- 

 ing their growth, and to that end a plan was set- 

 tled, in connection with the expedition against 

 Pemaquid. The ships of the king were to trans- 

 port the men ; while Iberville and others associated 

 with him were to pay them, and divide the plun- 

 der as their compensation. The chronicles of the 

 time show various similar bargains between the 

 great king and his subjects. 



Pemaquid was no sooner destroyed, than Iber- 

 ville sailed for Newfoundland, with the eighty 

 men he had taken at Quebec ; and, on arriving, he 

 was joined by as many more, sent him from the 

 same place. He found Brouillan, governor of 

 Placentia, with a squadron formed largely of priva- 

 teers from St. Malo, engaged in a vain attempt to 

 seize St. John, the chief post of the English. 

 Brouillan was a man of harsh, jealous, and imprac- 

 ticable temper ; and it was with the utmost diffi- 

 culty that he and Iberville could act in concert. 

 They came at last to an agreement, made a com- 

 bined attack on St. John, took it, and burned it to 

 the ground. Then followed a new dispute about 

 the division of the spoils. At length it was settled. 

 Brouillan went back to Placentia, and Iberville and 

 his men were left to pursue their conquests alone. 



