LAHONTAN. 305 



tan, of a piece of ground that lies contiguous to it, and of a hundred 

 thousand livres that lay in the hands of the Chamber of Bayonne- 

 These faithless creditors have no other reason to sue me, but that I 

 am now at the extreme end of the world, and that they are rich and 

 supported by the credit and protection of the parliament of Paris, 

 where they hope to make good their unjust pretensions in my absence. 

 Last year I obtained leave to return to France, in order to take care of 

 this matter; but now M. de Denonville has sent me with a detachment 

 to these lakes ; from whence I humbly petition that your Honour 

 would vouchsafe me leave to come home the next year, and at the 

 same time honour me with your protection. I am, with all possible 

 respect, your Honovir's, &c., &c." 



When this memorial was addressed to the Marquis de Seignelay, 

 Lahontan had been in Canada nearly five years. The first letter of 

 the series of which Lahontan's volumes principally consist was written 

 in 1683. It is dated at Quebec, Nov. 8th, in that year. Attached 

 as a junior ofiicer to one of three companies of marines, Lahontan 

 had just arrived from Eochelle, in a frigate. He had not at the time 

 completed his sixteenth year. De la Barre, the Governor-General of 

 New France, had asked for a re-inforcement of six or seven hundred 

 men to assist against the Iroquois, but only the force just named was 

 sent, it being considered imadvisable to risk more on the seas at such 

 a late season of the year. The time occupied in the passage is not 

 exactly specified. No bad weather was experienced until the Banks 

 of Newfotindland were reached. Here they caught incredible num- 

 bers of cod in 32 fathoms of water, and here the sailors performed on 

 . those who had never before made the voyage the ceremonies practised 

 on novices crossing the Line, passing thi-ough the straits of Gibraltar, 

 the Sound, the Dardanelles, &c.; persons of note and character, how- 

 ever, Lahontan observes, obtaining exemption on foi-nishing five or 

 six bottles of brandy for the ship's crew. An oflS.cer and some men 

 died of sciirvy in the passage. On the Banks, the needle varied 

 twenty- three degrees to the northwest. When only thii'ty leagues 

 below Quebec they were on the point of tui-ning back to France, the 

 ice encountered in the river and the snowy appearance of the sur- 

 roimding country alarming them. 



The second letter is dated at Beaupr(§, [near Quebec,] May 2, 1684. 

 Lahontan has now experienced one Canadian winter. His marines 

 had been cantoned at Beaupr6 ever since their arrival. They were 



