( '76 ) 



The Abenaquife town of Reckancourt is not now" 

 fo populous as formerly. They would, certainly, 

 for all that, be of great fervice to us In cafe a war 

 Ihould happen to break out. Thefe Indians are the 

 beft partifans in the whole country, and are always 

 very ready to make inroads into New-England, 

 where the name of them has thrown terror even into 

 Bofton itfelf. They would be equally ferviceable to 

 us againft the Iroquois, to whom they are nothing 

 inferior in bravery, and whom they much furpafs-in 

 point of difcipline. They are all Chriftians, and 

 an handfome chapel has been built for them, where 

 they practife with much edification, all the duties 

 of Chriftian devotion. It muft, however, be ac- 

 knowledged, that their fervour is not fo confpicuous 

 as formerly when they firft fettled among us. Since 

 rhat time, they have been made acquainted with the 

 ufe of fpirituous liquors, which they have taken a 

 tafte to, and of which no Indian ever drinks but 

 on purpofe to intoxicate himfelf $ notwithstanding, 

 fatal experience has taught us, that in proportion 

 as men deviate from their duty to God, the lefs re- 

 gard do they entertain for their perfons, and the 

 nearer do they draw to the Englifii. It is much to 

 be feared the Lord mould permit them to become 

 enemies to us, to punifh us for having contributed 

 thereto, from motives of fordid intereft, and for 

 having helped to make them vicious as has already 

 happened to fome nations. 



After embracing the miffionary at Beckancourt, 

 vifiting his canton, and making with him melancholy 

 reflections on the inevitable confequences of this 

 diforder I have been mentioning, and for which he 

 is often under the neceflity of making his moan be- 

 fore the Lord ; I croffed the river St. Lawrence, in 

 order to get to this town. Nothing, Madam, can 



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