to build, the destruction of the enemy's corn and the thirty leagues of road we had, going and coming, to travel by land, they will not have been idle. It was impossible for us to

do any more than we accomplished, for provisions would have failed

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us hadnve made a longer delay.

#*

It is full 30 years that I have had the honour to serve, but I assure

you, my lord, that I have seen nothing that comes near this in labour and fatigue.

You have perceived, my lord, it was imposeven had we made any, we should have distributed

You ordered me to send you the prisoners we took. sible for us to make any among the Senecas, and

them among the savages our allies and those who made the seizure in the neighbourhood of Fort Cataracouy who are themselves native Iroquois, but for the most part from villages north of Lake Ontario

where there had been some fine and large which the Iroquois south of said Lake forced to join them ; northern border. It would be for our interest

this began to swell their numbers and depopulate the

to repeople these villages because they would be more close allies, and under our control.

Among the prisoners there are some I cannot send you, being near relatives of our Christian InBesides there are some of the Onnontague village whom we must manage with a view to

dians.

As I have of the movements the much dispose news of Iroquois, should like not to of all these not yet any Nevertheless, my lord, as you desire them, I shall content myself by retaining those only prisoners. who will be of use to me and are guiltless of all the disorders of others. Yet, my lord, be so good as to keep them in a place from which they can be withdrawn, in case of need and we finally come to a general arrangement I believe that would be a very useful thing.