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MEMOIR OF INSTRUCTIONS TO COUNT DE FRONTENAC
RESPECTING THE EXPEDITION AGAINST NEW-YORK . 7tH JUNE, 1689.
[ Paris Doc. IV. ]
The King, having examined the proposition made him by Sieur Chevalier de Callieres Bonnevueof Montreal to attack New-York with his Majesty’s troops in Canada and a number of the militia ofthat country, has the more willingly assented to it as he knows that the English inhabiting thatquarter have resolved since the last year to excite the Iroquois Nation , His Majesty’s subjects, andforce them to wage war against the French , having furnished them for that purpose with arms andammunition, and endeavoured in every way, even to the prejudice of the King of England’s ordersand the faith of Treaties, to usurp the trade of the French in the country in possession of whichthey have been from all time.
To accomplish this project His Majesty has given orders to Sieur Begon to prepare r the munitionsnecessary for the expedition and has caused two of his ships of war to be equipped in the port ofRochefort under the command of Sieur de la Caffintore whom he has ordered to follow exactly thedirections which said Sieur de Frontenac will give him regarding this expedition.
He will set out with all diligence to embark at Rochelle in on of the ships and sail without loss oftime for the entrance of the gulf of St. Lawrence and Campseaux bay, where he will embark in thebest of the merchantmen that will follow and repair to Quebec . * * * *
Therefore on his arrival at Quebec he will take advantage of the state in which he will find things,to complete the suitable arrangements for departing with batteaux, canoes and all the equipage neces-sary for this expedition with the Chevalier de Calltores who will command the troops under hisorders.
He will despatch by land or water as he shall deem most certain, orders and instructions to Sieurde la Caffini^re, to the place he will have designated, as to what he shall have to do, in order torepair to Manathe, he making use of the cypher which shall have been furnished him.
He will order him to sail directly and without undertaking any thing along his course, follow the coastof Acadie (where he will leave in passing what he shall have for the said coast of Acadie ) down toManathe, and order him to anchor as safely as possible and to observe well the quarter where hewill make his landing when said Sieur de Frontenac shall have arrived there.
He will give orders to the Sieur de la Caffiniere to seize the vessels he will find in the bay of thesaid Manathe, without exposing himself to any accident that may render him unable to cooperate inthat enterprise.
As it is impossible to fix on a certain rendezvous for the arrival of said vessels at Manathe at thesame time that the Sieur de Frontenac will arrive there with the troops, without alarming those at thatplace, the two vessels of war must go right into the bay, more especially as the attack on the frontierpost of New York will give warning to those of Manathe ; and the vessels thus arriving before theland forces, will cause a diversion.
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The said Sieur de Frontenac having informed himself of the route he is to take, of which he willmake more particular enquiries on the spot, as regard the convenience, security and expedition ofthe troops, His Majesty will not enter into further detail on this subject, nor on the attack on Orangeand Manatte nor on anything that relates thereto. He will solely recommend him to act as much aspossible, in such a manner as that those of Orange may not be advised of his march, so that he maysurprise thi3 first post and cut in below Orange to secure the number of vessels he may require to