74

DE LA BARRE’s EXPEDITION TO HUNGRY BAY.

sent with some Belts of Wampum to the Mohawks , and two to the Oneidas, to say to them that wewere resolved to observe the peace made with them—that we were very willing to live there as withfriends, and that we requested them not to interfere in the war which we were about to wage againstthe Senecas, who had cruelty insulted us in the person of the frenchmen whom they had plunderedand seized, and fort St. Louis which they had attacked, since, and in violation of the peace made lastyear at Montreal ; we sent the three others to Onontague to explain the same things, and finally Idespatched Sieurs Guillet and Hebert to the Outaouacs to advise Sieurs Ladurantaye and Dulhut ofmy design and of the need I had of their assistance, and sent my orders to the Rev. Father Enjalran,Superior of said Missions, to operate there and send orders to different quarters according to hisusual zeal and capacity, whilst I despatched Sieur Bourbon to Orange or Manatte to notify ColonelDongan of the insult the French had received from the Senecas, which obliged me to march againstthem,of which I gave him notice, assuring him that if he wished to revenge the twenty-six English-men of Merilande, whom they had killed last winter, I would promise him that I would unite myforces to his, that he may obtain satisfaction for it, or avenge them.

I next despatched Sieur Dutast, first captain of the King’s troops, on the twentieth of the samemonth with five or six picked soldiers and six mechanics, carpenters and masons, with provisionsand ammunition of war to throw themselves into Fort Frontenac and put it, in all haste, beyondinsult; after which, having caused all to embark at la Chine, I proceeded from Montreal , on St.John’s day, to return to Quebec were I had requested the Intendant to make out the detachments ofMilitia which should follow me to the war, without inconvenience to the Country; I arrived thereon the twenty-sixth, having used great diligence on the route, and found the people ordered andsome canoes purchased; but as they were not sufficient for the embarcation of all, we caused fifteenflat (bottomed) pine batteaux, suitable for the conveyance, each, of fourteen or fifteen men, to beconstructed in a hurry.

I divided all my small force into three divisions, I placed myself at the head of the first which Icommanded to lead the van. I left the management of the second to Mr. D’Orvilliers, antient Captainof Infantry; the third being composed of troops from the Island of Montreal and the environs, wascommanded by Sieur DuguG, antient Captain of Carignan. Sieur D’Orvilliers had been, since thefore part of spring, reconnoitering Lake Ontario and the Seneca Country, to see where the descentshould be made and in what direction we should march to their two principal villages, of which hehad made a faithful and exact plan. I selected as Major of the Brigade which I commanded, Sieurde Villebon-Beccancour, formerly Captain of the King’s Dragoons, so that acting in my place, as Iwas obliged to have an eye to all, I could confide in him; he succeeded with all possible diligenceand experience.

I left Quebec the ninth of July, at the head of Three hundred militiamen, accompanied by the saidSieur de Villebon, and arrived at Montreal the 16 th, where I was joined by Sieur D’Orvilliers on thetwenty-first, who brought me, in addition to two hundred and fifty militia, batteaux to embark theKing’s troops. Thus after having issued every possible order for the conveyance of provisions, inwhich I had much difficulty in consequence of the scarcity of canoes and of experienced persons toconduct them in the portages of the Rapids, I detached Sieur de Villebon to take the lead with mybrigade, and the two companies of King’s troops, and ordered them to pass the first and secondportages, where I should join them, so that on the thirtieth I passed their encampment beyond thesaid second portage, and we marched next day, both brigades together, Sieur D’Orvilliers bringingup the rear with the third one day behind us, so that being, on the 1 st of August in Lake St. Franciswith about two hundred canoes and our fifteen batteaux, I was joined there by the Rev. FatherLamberville, Junior, coming on behalf of his Brother from Onontague, and by the Rev. Father Millet,from the Oneidas.