THE

CONQUEST OF CANADA.

CHAPTER I.

IN May, 1691, the Iroquois, to the number of about 1000 warriors, again poured down upon the settlements near Montreal, and marked their course with massacre and ruin. Other bands, less numerous, spread themselves over the fertile and beautiful banks of the Richelieu river, burning the happy homesteads and rich storeyards of the settlers. At length, the Sieur de la Mine, with a detachment of militia, surprised a party of these fierce marauders, at Saint Sulpice, and slew them without mercy. Twelve of the Iroquois escaped into a ruinous house, where they held out for a time with courage and success; but the French set fire to the building, and they were obliged to abandon it: some were killed in their efforts to escape, but five fell alive into the hands of their exasperated enemies, and were burned with a savage cruelty, such as they themselves would have exhibited.

VOL. II.

B

1691

Intelligence now arrived that a formidable force of English, Iroquois, and Mahingan Indians were advancing upon Montreal by the River Richelieu or Sorel; 800 men, led by the Chevalier de Callières, were sent to oppose their progress, and encamped on the Prairie de la Madeleine,' by the borders of the Saint Lawrence. Before daylight the following morning, the invaders carried an important position by surprise, slaying several of the defenders, and finally retreated in good order and with little loss. On falling back into the woods, they met and destroyed a small French detachment, and boldly faced a more considerable force under M. de Valrenes. For an hour and a half these formidable warriors withstood the fire, and repelled the charges of the Canadian troops; but, at length, they were overpowered and dispersed, not however before inflicting a loss of no less than 120 men upon their conquerors. An Englishman captured in the engagement declared that the invaders had purposed to destroy the harvest, which would have reduced the colony to the last extremity. The design, in a great measure, failed, and an abundant crop repaid the industry and successful courage of the French.

At the first news of this alarming inroad, M. de Frontenac hastened to the post of danger, but tran

1

"Vis à vis de Montreal, du côté du sud est un endroit qu'on appelle la Prairie de la Madelaine."-Charlevoix, tom. ii., p. 233. "Le Cap de la Madelaine a eu son nom de l'Abbé de la Madelaine, un des membres de la Compagnie des cent Associés." The name of the Prairie had probably the same origin.—Charlevoix, tom. v., p. 167.

quillity had already been restored, and the toils of the husbandman were again plied upon the scene of strife. At Montreal he found a dispatch from the governor of New England, proposing an exchange of prisoners and a treaty of neutrality with Canada, notwithstanding the war then carried on between the mother countries. The Canadian governor mistrusted the sincerity of the English proposals, and they were not productive of any result. During the remainder of the year, the Iroquois continued to disturb the repose of the colony by frequent and mischievous irruptions, and many valuable lives were lost in repelling those implacable savages.

The war continued with chequered results and heavy losses on both sides in the two following years. An invasion of the canton of the Agniers, by the French, was at first successful, but in the retreat, the colonists suffered great privation, and most of their prisoners escaped, while any of their number that strayed or fell in the rear, were immediately cut off by their fierce pursuers. The fur trade was also much injured by these long continued hostilities, for the vigilant enmity of the Iroquois closed up the communication with the western country by the waters of the St. Lawrence and its magnificent tributaries.

We have seen that for a long period the history of the colony is a mere chronicle of savage and resultless combats, and treacherous truces between the French and the formidable Iroquois confederacy.

This almost perpetual warfare gave a preponderance to the military interests among the settlers, not a little injurious to their advance in material prosperity. The Comte de Frontenac had by his vigorous administration and haughty and unbending character, rendered himself alike respected and feared by his allies and enemies. But while all acknowledged his courage and ability, his system of internal government bore upon the civil inhabitants with almost intolerable severity; upon them fell all the burden and labour of the wars; they were ruined by unprofitable toil, while the soldiers worked the lands for the benefit of the military officers whom he desired to conciliate. He also countenanced or at least tolerated the fatal trade in spirituous liquors, which his authority alone could have suppressed. Owing to these causes the colony made but little progress, commerce languished, and depression and discontent fell upon the hearts of the 1695 Canadian people.

In the year 1695, M. de Frontenac re-established the fort of Catarocouy, despite the universal disapprobation of the settlers, and the positive commands of the king. The object was, however, happily and ably accomplished by M. de Crisasy in a very short time and without the loss of a man, This brave and active officer made good use of his powerful position. He dispatched scouts in all directions, and by a judicious arrangement of his small forces checked the hostilities of the Iroquois upon the Canadian settlements.

The Sieur de Révérin, a man of enlightened and

enterprising mind, had long desired to develope the resources of the Canadian waters, and in 1697 at length succeeded in associating several merchants with himself, and establishing a fishery at the har- 1697 bour of Mount Louis among the mountains of Nôtre Dame, half way between Quebec and the extremity of the Gulf of St. Lawrence on the southern side. The situation was well chosen, the neighbouring soil fertile, and the waters abounded in fish. But where nature had provided everything that industry could require, the hand of man interfered to counteract her bounty. The hostility of the English embarrassed the infant settlement and alarmed its founders: despite of these difficulties, a plentiful harvest and successful fishing at first rewarded the adventurers; subsequently however they were less fortunate, and the place was for some time neglected and almost forgotten.2

Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac, died in the seventy-eighth year of his age, 1698, having to the last preserved that astonishing energy of character which had enabled him to overcome the difficulties

and dangers of his adventurous career. He died as he had lived, beloved by many, respected by all; with the unaided resources of his own strong mind, he had preserved the power of France on the American continent, undiminished if not increased, through years of famine, disaster, and depression. He loved patronage and power, but disdained the

There was a flourishing settlement at Mount Louis in 1758, which was destroyed by General Wolfe.

1698