These French delegates had orders to inform themselves of every thing carefully on the on the Savages, so that His Majesty's arms should

spot, and to learn if it were safe to confide again

not be retarded by an illusive hope of peace.

But scarcely were the Ambassadors two or three days journey from Quebec, when news came of the surprisal by the Mohawks of some Frenchmen belonging to Fort St. Anne who had gone to the chase,

and of the murder of Sieur de Traversy, Captain in the Carignan Regiment and Sieur de

FRENCH EXPEDITIONS AGAINST THE MOHAWKS.

Chusy, and that some volunteers had been taken prisoners.

The French delegates were at once recalled, and the Oneida savages who remained as hostages whose heads could have been at once split

by axes according to the laws of war in this country, were imprisoned. But without having recourse to these barbarous laws, means were adopted to derive greater advantage from this treachery and M. de Sorel, Captain in the Carignan Regiment, immediately collected a party of three hundred men, whom he led by forced marches into the enemy's country, resolved to put all, every where, to the sword. But when only 20 leagues distant from their villages he encountered new Ambassadors bringing back the Frenchmen taken near Fort St. Anne, and who were coming to offer every satisfaction for the murder of those who were slain and new guarantees for peace, so that this Captain having returned with his troops, there was no more talk but of peace, which they pretended to conclude by a general council of all the Tribes who had at the time delegates at Quebec. These treaties had not, however, all the success which was expected from them, and de Tracy concluded that, to ensure their success, it was necessary to render the Mohawks by force of arms more tractable, for they always opposed new obstacles to the publick tranquillity.