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and it were to be willied, that Frenchmen had 

 the fame diftafte of the Indian women. La Hon- 

 tan could not be ignorant of what is notorious to 

 the whole country but he had a mind to render 

 his account entertaining ; on which account every 

 thing true or falfe was the fame to him. One is al- 

 'ways fure of pleafing fome people of a certain caft, 

 by obferving no meafure in the liberty one affumes 

 of inventing, calumniating, and in our way of ex- 

 preffing ourfelves on certain topicks. 



There are {till now and then companies or rather 

 flotillas of Indians arriving at Montreal, but no- 

 thing in comparifon of what ufed to refort hither 

 in time pail. The war of the Iroquois is what has 

 interrupted the great concourfe of Indians in the 

 colony. In order to provide againfl: this evil, ftore- 

 houfes have been erected in the countries of mo ft 

 Indian nations, together with forts, in which there 

 is always a governor and a garrifon, flrong enough 

 to fee ure the merchandize in them. The Indians 

 are above all things defirous there mould be a gun- 

 fmith among!! them, and in feveral there are mif- 

 fionaries, who would generally do more good there, 

 were there no other Frenchmen with them befides 

 themfelves. It would one would think have been pro- 

 per to have reftored things upon the old footing, ef- 

 pecially as there is an univerfal peace and tranquillity 

 all over the colony. This would have been a good 

 means of retraining the Couriers de Bois^ whofe avi- 

 dity, without mentioning all the diforders introduc- 

 ed by libertinifm, which occafions a thoufand mean- 

 neffes, which render us contemptible to the barba- 

 rians, has lowered the price of our commodities, and 

 raifed that of their peltry. Befides that, the Indi- 

 ans, who are by nature haughty, have grown info- 

 lent 



