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descend on Manathe, and to place things in such order as not to be uneasy when he shall depart forand be established at, the said Manathe. For this purpose he ought to leave a confidential officer atOrange with such detachment as he will find necessary to be left there, with orders to be on hisguard and to fortify himself, and obtain all information possible for the success of the expeditionagainst Manathe. He will also cause all the inhabitants to be disarmed and their effects to be seized,giving them to hope every good treatment with which they can flatter themselves until he entertainsno further apprehensions ; then His Majesty desires that what is hereinafter prescribed to him, maybe executed.
He wishes particular care to be taken to prevent any plunder of provisions, merchandize, ammu-nition, property, cattle, utensils and principal household furniture ; and as his object must be to placeForts Orange and Manathe in a state of defence, and to support the Frenchmen who will haveremained there, he must not only victual the forts for the longest time possible but collect there allhe can of provisions, and in default of a sufficient quantity of magazines in said forts, he will lockthem up in the towns, taking care not to touch those which he should deposit in said forts exceptwhen obliged.
His Majesty does not wish any suspected inhabitants be left in that Colony. His intention also isthat an exact Inventory be made in the settlements and plantations by Commissary Gaillard (whomHis Majesty wishes him to take with him,) of all cattle, grain, merchandize, furniture, effects andutensils he may find in each of the said settlements ; that he select from among the inhabitants ofCanada and the officers and soldiers of the troops those who will be found qualified to maintain andimprove them, and that he furnish these with farms in His Majesty’s name leaving them of the pro-visions that will be found there, as much as shall be necessary to support them until they have producedsome; and he will examine one with another, those to whom he will think proper to grant said farms,so as to distribute the greater number in proportion to their skill and strength, observing to associateseveral in the same settlement when he shall deem such necessary. He will inform his Majesty ofall he shall have done in this regard by sending him the enumeration of all that he shall have left ineach such settlement, and furnish his opinion of the Quit rents which they will be in a condition topay him. After having settled on what he shall judge absolutely necessary to leave to those to whomhe will have given these farms, he will place in store all the surplus, such as grain, whale oil and allsorts of merchandize and other principal effects of which also inventories shall be made to be equallysent to his Majesty.
He will examine into the means of distributing said property so that from what he will acquirethere his Majesty may order, on his advice, the gratuities he shall judge fitting to bestow on saidmilitia, the army and navy officers, soldiers and sailors who shall have distinguished themselves andgiven individual marks of that satisfaction which he expects from their zeal and industry on thisoccasion.
If he find among the inhabitants of New York, whether English or Dutch , any Catholics on whosefidelity he can rely, he may leave them in their habitations after making them take the oath ofallegiance to His Majesty, provided there be not too many of them and they do not excite any sus-picion, having regard, in that, only to what will best promote the preservation and advantage of theColony and its security at the same time as well as that of the French .
He may likewise retain, if he think proper, mechanics and other working people necessary tocultivate the land and work at fortifications in the capacity of prisoners, distributing them amongthe French inhabitants who may require them, until matters being in a state of entire security, theymay be restored to liberty.
The officers and principal inhabitants, from whom ransom can bo exacted, must be detained inprison.