y 3 An Hîjîorîcal Journal of 



Kind of Fair, which brought many French to this Town. The 

 Governor General, and the Intendant, came hither alfo, and 

 they took Advantage of this Occafion to accommodate the Dif- 

 ference that might have happened between our Allies. But if 

 you meet. Madam, by Chance, with the Book of La Hontan^ 

 where Mention is made of this Fair, I would have you take 

 Care hovv you give Credit to what he fays of it : He does not 

 even preferve Probability. The W omen of Montreal never gave 

 any Foundation for what this Aothor reports of them, and there 

 is no Fear that their Honour Ihouid ever fufFer any Blemifh from 

 the Savages. There is no Example that any have ever taken- 

 the ieaft Liberty with the French Women, even when they were 

 their Prifoners : They not even feem to have an Inclination 

 to it ; and it v/ere to be wifhed that the Frenchmen had the fame 

 Piilike to the Savage Women. La Hontan could not be ignorant 

 of what is fo publickly known in this Country ; but he wanted 

 to give a Gaiety to his Memoirs, and for this Purpofe he faid 

 any Thing. We are always fure to pleafe certain Perfons, 

 when we give no Bounds to a Liberty of inventing Stories, and 

 ©f Handering. 



One fees now and then little Fleets of Savages arrive at Mon^ 

 iveal ; but nothing in Comparifon of former Times. It is the 

 Iroquois War that has interrupted this great Concourfe of Na- 

 tions in the Colony. To make Amends for this Failure of the 

 Savages coming to Montr ml, they have eftabliihed amongft the 

 greateftPartof them Magazines and Forts, where there are always 

 an Officer and Soldiers enough to fecure the Merchandize. The 

 Savages will always have a Gunfmithin thefe Places^ andinmany 

 there are Miffionaries ; who would do more Good if there were 

 ÎJO other French there. There is P.eafon to believe it would be 

 better to fet Things upon the antient Footing, fince Peace has 

 been eftablithed both within and without the Colony : This 

 would be the Means to reilrain the V»^ood-Rangers, whofe Cove- 

 tonihefs (not to m.ention theDiforders caufed by their Licentiouf- 

 nefs) makes them every .Day guilty of mean Adions, which ren- 

 der us defpicable in the Sight of the Savages, have lower 'd 

 aur Pvîerchandizes, and raifed the Price of Skins. Befides, the 

 Savages, naturally proud, are grown infolent, fince they find 

 that we feek after them. 



The Fiîhery might much more enrich Canada than the Chace j 

 7 o r ^^^^ ^^^^ depend on the Savages : 



y ^ Two weighty Reafons for following it, which. 



" yet have not been fuÊcient to engage our Co- 



loniils to make it the principal Objed of their Trade. 1 have 



nothing ÎO add to what I have already faid on the Cod Fiihery, 

 xd^ich alone would be worth more to us than Feruy if the Fourj- 



ders 



