Niagara Falls 



1906 Lakes, with special reference to the history of the Niagara region. 

 Severance p^ sources f r0 m which the narrative is drawn are almost wholly 

 documentary, both printed and in manuscript. The most impor- 

 tant printed sources are the " London Documents," and " Paris 

 Documents," which constitute volumes five and nine of the 

 "Documents relative to the Colonial History of the State of New 

 York." . . . Some examination of the manuscripts themselves 

 has been made in various depositaries, especially the Public 

 Record Office and the British Museum in London, the Canadian 

 Archives Office at Ottawa, and in the manuscripts office of the 

 New York State Library, at Albany. Some facts have been 

 gleaned from the Provincial Records of Pennsylvania. . . . 

 With the exception of the short but precious " Histoire du 

 Canada " of the Abbe de Belmont; the " Histoire de l'Amerique 

 septentrionale " of De Bacqueville de la Potherie (Paris 1 722) ; 

 the works of Charlevoix and one or two other chroniclers who 

 were contemporary with the events of which they wrote, the fol- 

 lowing narrative is based entirely on the documents themselves. 



In June, Alphonse de Tonty left Montreal for Detroit, at 

 which post he had been granted the privilege of trade, on condi- 

 tion that he would confine his operations to the jurisdiction of 

 Detroit, nor send goods for sale to distant tribes. In crossing 

 Lake Ontario, on his way to Niagara, he met nine canoes, all 

 going to Albany to trade. Three were from Mackinac, three 

 from Detroit and three from Saginaw. Tonty endeavored to 

 head off this prospective trade for the English and succeeded so 

 well, heightening his arguments by substantial presents, that they 

 all agreed not to go to Albany, but to go with him to Detroit. 



Two days later, when this imposing flotilla was within six miles 

 of Niagara, they fell in with seventeen canoes, full of Indians and 

 peltries. In reply to his inquiries, these also admitted that they 

 were going to Albany to trade, though they added that they were 

 coming to Detroit afterwards. Tonty was equal to the emer- 

 gency. Inspired by self-interest as well as loyalty to his govern- 

 ment, " he induced them also to abandon their design, by the 



1254 



