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never deferved them, have failed of acquiring, are 

 not worthy of the publick's regret, if the bad con- 

 sequences had not fallen upon the colony, which, in, 

 a fhort time, was reduced to the condition of fee- 

 ing a fpring, from whence fo much riches might 

 have flowed into its bofom, entirely dried up or di- 

 verted into another channel. 



Its great plenty was the beginning of its ruin. 

 By means of accumulating beaver fkins, which has 

 always been the principal object of this commerce, 

 fo great a quantity were heaped up in the warehoufes 

 that no vent could be found for them, whence it 

 happened, that the merchants declining to buy any 

 more, our adventurers, called here Coureurs de J^ois^ 

 or hunters, took the refolution of carrying them tq 

 £he Englifh, and many of them fettled in the pro- 

 vince of New-York. Several attempts were made 

 to put a flop to the progrefs of thefe defer tions, but 

 to little effect ; on the contrary, thofe who had been, 

 led by motives of intereft, to take refuge among 

 their neighbours, were kept there by the fear ofpu- 

 nifhment ; and the vagabonds, who had acquired a 

 tafte for a wandering and inclependant life, remain- 

 ed among ft the fa v ages or Indians, from whom they 

 were no longer diftinguifhable but by their vices. 

 They frequently had recourfe to amnefties to recaj 

 tfiofe fugitives, which were at firft of little confe-? 

 quence ; but in the end being managed with pru- 

 dence, they produced part of the effect; promifed 

 from them. 



Another method was made ufe of which was ftijl 

 more efficacious but thofe people who were zealous, 

 for good order and the advancement gf religion, 

 found the remedy worfe than the difeafe. This was 

 to grant permiffion to thofe in whom they though! 



