140

DENONVILLe’s EXPEDITION TO THE GENESEE COUNTRY AND NIAGARA.

neither have I ever allowed any to plunder. I have only permitted severall of Albany to tradeamongst the remotest Indians with strict orders not to meddle with any of your people, and I hopethey will finde the same civillity from you—It being so farr from pillageing that I beleeve it as law-ful for the English as French nations to trade there we being nearer by many leagues than you are—I desire you to send me word who it was that pretended to have my orders for the Indians to plunderand fight you; that I am altogether as ignorant of any enterprise made by the Indians out ofthis Government as I am of what you meane by “ mihilmiqum ” and neither have I acted any thingcontrary to what I have written, but will stricktly endeavour to immitate the ammity and friendshipbetween our masters—I have desired you to send for the deserters, I know not who they are buthad rather such Rascalls and Bankrouts as you call them were amongst their own countrymen thanthis people, and will when you send word who they are, expell, not detain them and use all possiblemeans to preuent your good wishes and hopes that our merchants may suffer by them—Tis true Iordered our Indians if they should meet with any of your people or ours on this side of the lakewithout a passe from you or me, that they should bring them to Albany and that as I thought byyour own desire expressed in your letter, they being as you have very well remarked very ill peopleand such that usually tell lyes as well to Christians as Heathens, The Missionary Fathers, if theyplease but do me justice can give you an account how careful I have bin to preserve them, I haveordered our Indians strictly not to exercise any cruelty or insolence against them and have writtento the King my master who hath as much zeal as any prince living to propagate the Christian faithand assure him how necessary it is to send hither some Fathers to preach the Gospell to the nativesallyed to us and care would be then taken to dissuade them from their drunken debouches thoughcertainly our Rum does as little hurt as your Brandy and in the opinion of Christians is much morewholesome: however to keep the Indians temperate and sober is a very good and Christian per-formance but to prohibit them all strong liquors seems a little hard and very turkish—What I wroteconcerning what was due to me for my service in France was very true, Mons r Charnell, the Inten-dant at Nancy, adjusted and sent them to Mons r Lenoy signed by himself and me and I gave thecopies of them to Mons r Pagaion living in the street of S l Hon e to putt them into the hands ofMons r Carillon Chaplaine to the Duchesse of Orleans, but, Sir, you need not to trouble yourselfabout itt for I intend to get it represented out of England and doubt not but the King your masterwho is so bountiful a prince will be so just as to pay what became my due by a great deal of fatigueand labour, however I humbly thank you for the civill obliging offers you make and doe assure youshall bee heartily glad of any occasion to requite them desiring you to believe I earnestly wish andcontend for the union (you say) you desire and will contribute all in my power to promote and pre-serve it which is all the refSection I shall make on your letter being—

Sir, assuredly with all due respect your most humble

and affectionate

servant—T. Dongan.