II. That all the Company's servants at Albany River shall enjoy all wearing apparel belonging to themselves. III. That the aforesaid Henry Sergeant, Esq., Governor, shall enjoy and possess all that belongs to himself: and that his minister, his three men servants and maid servant shall constantly be permitted to remain with him and attend him. IV. That the Chevalier de Troyes shall convey all the Company's servants to Charleton Island, there to expect English ships for their transportation; and if English ships should not arrive, then the aforesaid Chevalier de Troyes is to assist them with what vessels the country affords, for their conveyance into England. V. That the said Chevalier de Troyes shall deliver to the said Henry Sergeant, Esq., Governor, or to his storehouse keeper, such provisions as shall be thought fitting and necessary to carry them to England, if no ships come from thence, and in the meantime give them such sustenance as shall be sufficient for them. VI. That all the storehouses shall be locked up, and the keys delivered to the said Chevalier de Troyes, Lieutenant, that nothing may be in the said storehouses embezzled, till the account be taken, according to the first article. Lastly. That the Governor and all the Company's servants at Albany River shall come out of the Fort and deliver it up to the said Chevalier de Troyes, all the men, the Governor and his son excepted, being without arms, which is to be forthwith. Denonville, 10th October, 1686. "Nous avons eprouvé que par les Temiskamins et Abitabis c'est un chemin terrible et de si grandes difficultes que tout ce que l'on saurait faire est d'y porter suffisamment de vivres pour aller et revenir. L'on croit celui de Nemisco par Tadoussac plus traitable; mais en vérité il est aussi fort long et très penible, outre que la navigation des rivières est si difficile que l'on n'y saurait passer que par dessous des arbres couchés de travers sur la rivière, qui est etroite; mais cela se peut accommoder avec le tems. Voila, Monseigneur, les deux seuls chemins pour le fond de la Baie. "On compte 250 lieues de poste de Quichichouanne au port de Nelson. Ce chemin n'est pas encore bien connu à nos François par les terres; l'an prochain ne se passera pas qu'on ne le connaisse; il n'est pas praticable pour y porter des marchandises.* Marquis De Denonville, 13th October and 16th November, 1686. "Affairs are becoming more and more embroiled, and the English who urge on the Iroquois are but too well aware of their evil design. "The French coureurs des bois, with 100 men, took from them three forts they were occupying in Hudson's Bay. * * 'The convention concluded with England, that the River Bourbon or Port Nelson shall remain in joint occupation of the two crowns, is not advantageous to the French, for the voyages of the English are too dangerous on account of their attacking the coureurs des bois as much as possible, besides purchasing the beaver at a higher rate, and furnishing their goods cheaper than the French. In his opinion, it would be more beneficial for the company and colony that the French merchants restore the posts at the head of the Bay, which they took, and that the French should leave Port Nelson or River Bourbon. If this arrangement were feasible, the Indians could be thus intercepted by land, for it would be useless to attempt to become masters of the upper parts of the Rivers Bourbon and Ste. Thérèse, inasmuch as it would be impossible to prevent the Indians trading with the English. "The latter could, by this means, be intercepted by land, and * Denonville, October 10, 1686. We have experience that, by the Temiskamins and Abitibis, the road is terrible, and that all that could be done would be to carry a sufficient supply of provisions for the round trip. It is believed that that of Nemisco by Tadoussac is better; but in truth it is long and painful enough: besides the navigation of the rivers is so difficult, that it is only possible to pass underneath the trees that lie across the narrow river; but that may be overcome in time. These, Monseigneur, are the only two roads that lead to James' Bay (les deux seuls chemins pour le fond de la Baie). It is reckoned 250 leagues from the post of Quichichouanne to Port Nelson. The overland road is not yet well known to our French; the next year will not pass without their becoming acquainted with it; it is not practicable to carry merchandize there. we should have an opportunity of discovering an infinitude of nations yet unknown, through whom a great many peltries can yet be procured, and, possibly, the passage and entrance to the Pacific Ocean eventually discovered." M. DE DENONVILLE TO M. DE SEIGNELAY. February 15, 1690. "Our affairs at Hudson's Bay will prosper if the Northern Company continue to co-operate with, and second the designs of, D'Iberville, one of the sons of the late Le Moyne, whom I left resolved to go to Port Nelson, the only remaining port in the possession of the English. For that purpose it is absolutely neces sary, I believe, that my Lord the Marquis de Seignelay inform· Monsieur de Lagny that the King intends that the Northern Company undertake the capture of that post, and furnish said Iberville with everything he requires to render his design successful. He will want two ships. He has already, at Quebec, one that he took this winter from the English. In truth, my Lord, it would be very advantageous to the King's service had said Iberville some honourable rank in the navy, in order to excite emulation in the Canadians who will follow the sea. A commission of lieutenant would work miracles. He is a very fine fellow, and very capable of rendering himself expert, and doing good service. "The Iroquois war continuing, as there is every appearance it will, both against us and the Indians, in the direction of the Outawas who traffic with us, the greatest part of the trade will be diverted towards Port Nelson, on the River Bourbon. What I have learned of the facilities possessed by the Indians beyond Lake Superior to reach the sea in that direction, very strongly convinces me of the necessity we are under to bethink ourselves of driving the English from that commerce. But it must be effected without fail, for they will get up this year some expeditions against us. "The Northern Company require that my Lord should order M. de Champigny to attend their meetings sometimes when he considers it necessary. I fear some divisions are creeping in there which will bring about its failure. There is no fear that the pre sence of an Intendant like M. de Champigny can be productive of any harm." FORT NELSON.-LETTRE DE MESSIEURS DE FRONTENAC ET CHAMPIGNY, On the subject of attacking Fort Nelson, August 7, 1693. "Sa Majesté ayant fait savoir par sa dépêche du 28 Mars dernier que son intention était que nous fissions partir sans retardement le Sieur Iberville, avec ses vaisseaux Le Poli, l'Intendant, et celui de la Compagnie du Nord, afin d'aller dans la Baie d'Hudson y faire l'attaque de Fort Nelson, suivant le mémoire particulier que sa Majesté nous a encore à cet effet envoyé et l'instruction dudit Sr. d'Iberville, Capitaine dudit vaisseau, le Poli, nons aurions pour l'execution desdits ordres conféré avec Monsieur de Champigny, Intendant en ce pays, et aurions mandé le 26 Juillet ledit Sr. d'Iberville chargé de ladite expedition dudit Fort de Nelson, et les Sieurs intéressés en la Baie du Nord."* MEMOIRE DE LA COMPAGNIE DU NORD. 15 Nov. 1690. Le Compagnie du Commerce du Nord établie à Quebec, avec permission et patente de S. M., a eu le malheur, après avoir pris possession, audit pays du Nord, de la riche et grande rivière de Bourbon in 1682, d'avoir été pillée en terre en 1683, par les Fort Nelson-Letter of Messrs. de Frontenac and Champigny on the subject of attacking Fort Nelson, Aug. 7, 1693. His Majesty having made known to us by his despatch of the 28th March last, that it was his intention that we should cause Sieur Iberville to set out without delay, with his vessels, the Poli, the Intendant, and that of the Compagnie du Nord, in order to go to Hudson's Bay, according to the private memoir which His Majesty has sent us to this effect, and the instruction of the said Iberville, captain of the Poli, we have conferred with Monsieur de Champigny, Intendant of the country, on the execution of the said orders, and on the 26th of July ordered the said Sieur d'Iberville, charged with the said expedition to the said Fort Nelson, and the gentlemen interested in Hudson's Bay, (la Baie du Nord) to set out on that expedition. Anglois, pendant le retour de leur vaisseau à Quebec, qui leur prirent un magasin rempli de plus de 200,000 livres de castor, martre, et autres pelleteries dans le temps qu'il n'y avait point de guerre entre les deux nations, ayant corrompu deux ou trois Françoisgardiens desdites pelleteries en magasin. * * * * Ce fut durant ce temps que S. M. accorda au Roi d'Angleterre, que les limites des terres seroient reglées par MM. les Commissaires qui furent nommés de la part des deux Royaumes; cependdant défend aux sujets de faire aucun acte d'hostilité à quoi lesdits Anglais refusant d' obeir de leur part, seraient venus sur la fin de l'année 1688, au fond de la Baie du Nord, occupée par les François, hiverner avec trois navires et environ cent hommes d'équipage, auroient bati un Fort au Nord de celui desdits François. [The company asked the assistance of the French Government in the emergency.] CHARLES ALBERT DE LA Chéne.* [The commerce, in a word, could only be carried on by sea; by that means the immense cost of carrying goods by land was saved. The fattest beavers and the best furs were at the north. The French wanted to exchange the forts on James' Bay for Fort * Memorial of the Company of the North, Nov. 15, 1690 : The Commercial Company of the North, established at Quebec, by permission and patent of His Majesty, has had the misfortune, after having taken possession of the north country, and the rich and large river of Bourbon, in 1682, to have been robbed, on land, in 1683, by the English, when their vessel had returned to Quebec, by whom were taken from their magazine more than 200,000 livres of beaver, martin and other peltries, at a time when there was no war between the two nations, and by means of bribing two or three Frenchmen in whose charge the peltries in the magazine were. This occurred at the time when His Majesty had agreed with the King of England that the boundaries of their territories should be fixed by Commissaires, to be appointed on the part of the two kingdoms; they had however forbidden their subjects to commit any act of hostility, in which respect the English proved disobedient; arriving, near the end of the year 1688, at the foot of James' Bay, (au fond de la Baie du Nord) occupied by the French. They wintered there with two vessels and about a hundred men belonging to the ships, and built a fort to the north of that of the French. [The Company asked the assistance of the French Government in the emergency.] |