1694-96.] ENGLISH WEAKNESS. 401 



Fletcher was busy with other matters ; and he had 

 besides no force at his disposal but four companies, 

 the only British regulars on the continent, defec- 

 tive in numbers, ill-appointed, and mutinous. 1 

 Therefore he answered not with acts, but with 

 words. The negotiation with the French went 

 on, and Fletcher called another council. It left 

 him in a worse position than before. The Iroquois 

 again asked for help : he could not promise it, but 

 was forced to yield the point, and tell them that he 

 consented to their making peace with Onontio. 



It is certain that they wanted peace, but equally 

 certain that they did not want it to be lasting, and 

 sought nothing more than a breathing time to re- 

 gain their strength. Even now some of them were 

 for continuing the war ; and at the great council 

 at Onondaga, where the matter was debated, the 

 Onondagas, Oneidas, and Mohawks spurned the 

 French proposals, and refused to give up their 

 prisoners. The Cayugas and some of the Senecas 

 were of another mind, and agreed to a partial com- 

 pliance with Frontenac's demands. The rest seem 

 to have stood passive in the hope of gaining time. 



They were disappointed. In vain the Seneca 

 and Cayuga deputies buried the hatchet at Mont- 

 real, and promised that the other nations would 

 soon do likewise. Frontenac was not to be de- 

 ceived. He would accept nothing but the frank 

 fulfilment of his conditions, refused the proffered 



1 Fletcher is, however, charged with gross misconduct in regard to 

 the four companies, which lie is said to have kept at about half their 

 complement, in order to keep the balance of their pay for himself. 



26 



