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denonville’s expedition TO The GENESEE COUNTRY AND NIAGARA.

established by us and converted by the care of our Reverend Jesuit Fathers, and that he wouldgivejhem other land and an English Jesuit , to govern them.

5. That he wishes that they should have Missionaries only from him throughout the whole ofthe_Five Iroquois Nations, and that they cause our French Jesuits to withdraw, who have been solong established there.

6. That if Monsieur de Denonville attacks them, he will have to do with him.

7. That he orders them to plunder all the French who will visit them ; to bind them and bringthem to him, and what they’ll take from them shall be good prize.

The Iroquois. —He accompanied his orders with presents to the Five Iroquois Nations , and de-spatched his thirty English, escorted by Iroquois , to make an establishment at Missilimakinak.

The Iroquois pillage our Frenchmen every where they meet them, and threaten to fire their settle-ments which are much exposed and unfortified.

These measures, and the discredit we are in among all the savages for having abandoned our alliesin M. de la Barre’s time, for having suffered them to be exterminated by the Iroquois and borne theinsults of the latter, render war against them absolutely necessary to avert from us a General Re-bellion of the Savages which would bring ruin on our trade and finally the extirpation of ourColony.

It is likewise necessary for the establishment of Religion which will never spread itself thereexcept by the destruction of the Iroquois : so that on the success of the war which the Governor-General of Canada proposes to commence against the Iroquois on the 15^ of May next, dependseither the Ruin of the Country and of Religion if he be not assisted, or the Establishment of Religion,Commerce and the Kings’ Power over all North America if he be granted the aid he demands.

If the merit in the eyes of God , the Glory and utility which the King will derive from this succorbe considered, it is easy to conclude that expense was never better employed since, independent ofthe Salvation of the quantity of Souls in that vast Country to which His Majesty will contribute byestablishing the Faith there, he will secure to himself an Empire of more than a thousand leagues inextent, from the mouth of the River Saint Lawrence to that of the River Mississipi in the Gulf ofMexico; a country discovered by the French alone, to which other nations have no right, and fromwhich we shall eventually derive great Commercial advantages, and a considerable augmentation ofHis Majesty’s Revenues in those countries.

The Marquis de Denonville , whose zeal, industry and capacity admit of no addition, requires areinforcement of 1500 men to succeed in his enterprize. If less be granted him, success is doubtfuland a war is made to drag along, the continuation of which for many years will cost His Majestymore to sustain than would the immediate expense necessary to guarantee its success and prompttermination.

It is necessary to attack the Iroquois in two directions. The first and principal attack, throughthe Seneca Nation on the borders of Lake Ontario; the second, by the River Richelieu and LakeChamplain on the side of the Mohawk Nation. 3000 Frenchmen will be required for that purpose.Of these there are sixteen companies which make 800 men and 800 selected from the habitant, 100of the best of which the Governor General destines to conduct 50 canoes which will go and comeincessantly to convey provisions. Of these 3000 Frenchmen , of which he has only the half thoughhe boasts of more for reputation’s sake, because the other habitans are necessary to protect and culti-vate the farms of the Colony, a part must be employed in guarding the posts of Fort Frotenac,Niagara, Toronto, Missilimakinak so as to secure the aid he expects from the Illinois and other Sava-ges,on whom however he cannot rely unless he will be able alone to defeat the Five Iroquois Nations .

The Iroquois force consists of two thousand picked warriors (tPelite) brave, active, more skilful inthe use of the gun than our Europeans and all well armed ; besides twelve hundred Mohegans