DE DENONVILLE TO THE MINISTER.

ATTACK ON THE SENECAS ; ERECTION OF FORT NIAGARA. [

Paris Doc. III. ] Ville Marie, 25 August, 1687.

The first thing with which I occupied myself on my arrival [at Irondequoit Bay] was to select a We post easily to be fortified for securing our batteaux to the number of 200 and as many canoes. cut 2000 palisades which we finished planting in the forenoon of the 12 th of July.

me Sieur d'Orvilliers as the fittest to receive the whole of Canada into his hands for the loss of this post would be the assured loss of the whole country which obliged me to leave 440 men there. On the 12 th I departed at three o'clock in the evening with all our French and Indian allies and I had

brought with

;

Christians having caused

them to take 1 5 days provisions.

We made only three leagues that day

across the woods which are very open.

On the 13 th about four o'clock in the afternoon, having passed through two dangerous defiles, we arrived at the third where we were vigorously attacked by 800 Senecas, 200 of whom fired, wishing to attack our rear whilst the remainder of their force would attack our front, but the resistance they met produced such a great consternation that they soon resolved to fly. All our troops were so

overpowered by the extreme heat and the long journey we had made that we were obliged to bivouac on the field until the morrow.