belief in the infamous atrocity of the French, that their thoughts were solely bent on the most deadly revenge.

Their subsequent hostilities fully justified this information; and the devastation of the Island of Montreal was attended by other losses and calamities. The fort, which had been erected at much expense and labour at Niagara, was garrisoned by a hundred troops, among whom a malady was introduced, which proved fatal nearly to the whole; and the survivors, finding it impossible to maintain the post, abandoned and demolished it.

It was even found impracticable to maintain the important fort at Frontenac. It was also abandoned and blown up; and two ships that were built for the purpose of navigating Lake Ontario, were burnt, to prevent their falling into the possession of the Iroquois. The same malady which was so fatal to the garrison at Niagara, prevailed at the same time all over Canada; and the affairs of the colony appeared altogether desperate. War, famine, and disease, seemed combined for the utter destruction of the French inhabitants.

CHAP. IV..

PERILOUS CONDITION OF CANADA. - REAPPOINTMENT OF M. DE FRONTENAC. - WAR WITH THE INDIANS. - SIR WILLIAM PHIPPS ATTACKS QUEBEC. - HOSTILITIES BETWEEN THE ENGLISH AND FRENCH COLONISTS. - CONFERENCES WITH THE INDIANS. - DEATH OF COUNT FRONTENAC. - M. DE VAUDREUIL. - INDIAN PERFIDY. - WAR WITH THE AUTAGAMIS. - DEATH OF M. DE VAUDREUIL. - M. DE BEAUHARNOIS. - WAR BETWEEN FRANCE AND ENGLAND, ETC.

THE critical condition of Canada, and the war between England and France imperatively required that the affairs of the colony should be intrusted to a person whose experience and abilities would give energy to the execution of his measures, and whose activity, resolution, and firmness, would command the respect of the Indians, and exact implicit obedience from those under his command.

These qualities in a person to manage, to govern, and preserve a colony with its affairs in a posture like that of Canada, were found to be only combined in the Count de Frontenac. He was accordingly appointed to the chief command, and arrived at Quebec in October 1689, accompanied by the Chevalier de Callieres as intendant, and the Iroquois chiefs who had been sent to France by Denonville.

He found the colony on the utmost verge of ruin; but he expected that the great personal esteem which the Iroquois and other Indian nations entertained for him, during his former administration, and the confidence which was reposed in him by Ourèharè, one of the Iroquois chiefs whom he brought back, would enable him to bring the five nations to pacific over

tures.

He was, however, disappointed. The Iroquois, while they pretended to wish for peace, avoided, with great address, coming to serious negotiations; and they soon renewed their hostilities, by rushing suddenly on the settlements, killing or making prisoners of the inhabitants, and carrying off all the moveable property.

M. de Frontenac, finding his attempts at negotiation useless, resolved to act with such determined vigour as eventually to humble the Iroquois confederacy, which alone prevented the French settlements enjoying any certain repose. He therefore collected his allies, divided them among his regular troops; and surprised with great success several of the English settlements, on account of their alliance with the Iroquois.

Detachments which he sent to convey to Montreal the furs stored for a long time at Makilimakinak, met also with a numerous band of Iroquois warriors, whom they defeated after a sharp skirmish, in which a great number were killed on both sides.

Although peace could not be secured with the five nations, yet they were convinced that M. de Frontenac was more to be dreaded than his predecessor; and the other tribes, who were about joining them, declined the alliance.

An expedition, fitted out under the command of Sir W. Phipps, for the conquest of Quebec, appeared in October, this year, (1690), as far up the river as Tadousac, before its destination for Quebec was known. The defence of the town required all the vigilance of M. de Frontenac, and he certainly lost no time in placing it in a fit condition to stand a siege. The squadron, consisting of thirty-four vessels of different descriptions, and said to have 7000 men on board, advanced as far as Beauport, when Phipps sent a flag of truce summoning the town to surrender, which was gallantly rejected by M. de Frontenac. On the 18th, the English troops disembarked near the River St. Charles, but not without great loss by the sharp fire from the French musketry. Four of the largest ships, which anchored opposite the town, commenced a bombardment; but the fire from the batteries was directed with such effect as to compel these vessels to remove up the river, beyond the range of the fortifications. A sharp skirmish between the troops took place next day; and, on the 20th, an action was fought, in which the English at first had the advantage, and pursued the French to the palisades of a large house, at which the latter made a gallant stand, and compelled the former to retreat towards Beauport, from which place they re-embarked two days after, when Sir W. Phipps raised the siege, and sailed with his squadron down the river on the 23d. Seven or eight of his vessels were lost in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Before he left Boston, it was arranged that a strong body of troops should march against Montreal, in order to create a division in the French forces. This was prevented by the defection of the Iroquois; and M. de Frontenac was consequently enabled to concentrate all his strength to defend Quebec. This circumstance, the failure of ammunition, and the approaching winter, rendered it expedient for Phipps to abandon the enterprise.

On the following year the Iroquois renewed their depredations.

About 1000 warriors appeared at the mouth of the Ottawa, landed on the island of Montreal at Point au Tremble, pillaged and burnt thirty houses and barns, and carried off several prisoners, whom they put to the most cruel tortures. Depredations and cruelties were also extended to many of the other French settlements; and various skirmishes took place between the French troops and the Iroquois, in which great numbers on both sides, and several French officers of rank and distinction were sacrificed. The French at last treated their prisoners with nearly as much cruelty as was practised by the savages; and M. de Frontenac at length, by the unremitting vigour of his measures, secured the defence of the colony so far, that in 1692 the inhabitants were enabled to cultivate their lands. The commerce in furs, although frequently interrupted, was also renewed, and carried on with considerable advantage.

In 1695, the fort at Frontenac was rebuilt, and additional security extended to the outposts at Mackilimakinak and St. Joseph. In the following year M. de Frontenac made an expedition to the country of the Iroquois, and without proceeding to such extremities as his force empowered him, he burnt some of their villages, and liberated a number of French prisoners.

He might, it is thought, have completely humbled the Iroquois at this time, but could not be prevailed upon to destroy the canton of Goyoquins, of which Ourèharè was the chief.