to North- America. 



lot 



dred Onnontagues, whom he durft not engage other- 

 wife than in a running Fight, by which he loft four 

 Men. Being inform'd of all thefe Circumftances, I 

 confulted with the three different Nations that were 

 then polled in my Fort. After a mature Refle&ion 

 upon the Intelligence that was laid before 'era 5 they 

 came to this Refolution ; That fince the Marquis de 

 Venonville had a mind to clap up a Peace, and the 

 Fort of Niagara was abdicated, the Fort I then com- 

 manded would be of no ufe ; that fince 1 had nei- 

 ther Provifions nor Ammunition for above two 

 Months, I fhould be oblig'd at the end of thefe two 

 Months to retreat to the Place from whence I now 

 write ; that at that time of the Year our Navigation 

 would be uneafie and dangerous ; that in regard I 

 lay under an indifpenfible nece/Iity of making my 

 Retreat, 'twas of no great moment whether I march'd 

 off two Months fooner or later ; and, in fine, that 

 fince I had receiv'd no frefh Orders, nor no Succors, 

 'twas my Bufinefs to go off along with them. This 

 Refolution, which was a fufficient Argument to fway 

 me, afforded matter of joy to the Soldiers, who were 

 afraid of being obliged to a more rigorous courfe of 

 Abfiinence in that Poft than they had formerly un- 

 dergone ; for the meafures of a critical Abftinence do 

 not fit well upon a Soldiers Stomach. In fine 5 purfuant 

 to our joint Refolution, we fet fire to the fort on 

 the 27th, and embarked that fame day, and keeping 

 clofe to the South fhore of the Lake that I took no- 

 tice of in my laft, arriv'd here on the 10th of Septem- 

 ber. The Oumamis march'd over Land to their own 

 Country, and carry'd with 'em the Wounded, who 

 were then in a condition to march. 



Upon my Arrival in this Place, I found here Mr. 

 de la Durantdy, whom Mr. Denonville has inverted 

 with the Commiffion of Commander of che Coureurs 

 de Bois that trade upon the Lakes, and in the Southern 

 Countries of Canada. The Governour has fent me 



H 3 Orders 



