in the writer’s own words, premising, that Connt
Frontenac had passed some three or four months
in his new governorship, and then selected the
winter season to execute his schemes. ,
“ He allowed no more time to elapse before
carrying them into execution, than was required
to send off some despatches to France, immedb
ately after which he determined to organise three
different detachments, to attack those.rebels at
all points at the same moment,. and to punish
them, at various places, for having afforded prate
etion to our enemies, the Mohawks. , The first
party was to rendezvous at Montreal, and proceed
towards Orange (Albany)v;: the second at Three
Rivers, and to make, a.descent on New, York, at
some place between Boston and Orange, and the
third was to depart from Quebec, and gain the
seaboard between Boston and Pentagouetr verging
towards Acadia. They all- succeeded ;per-
feetly well, and I shall now communicate to
you the details. •* * * *
“ The detachment which formed at Montreal,
may have been composed of about two hundred
and ten men, namely-; eighty savages from the
Sault, and from La Montagne; sixteen Algon-
quins; and the remainder Frenchmen, all under
the command of the Sieur Le Moyne de Sainte
Helene, > and Lieutenant Daillebout de Mantet,
both of whom were Canadians. The- Sieurs le
Moyne d’Iberville and Repentigny de Montesson
commanded under theses* The best qualified
Frenchmen were, the Sieurs de Bontepos and de
La Brosse^ Qalvinist officers, the Sieur la Moyne
de Blainville, Le Bert du Chene, and la Marque
de Montignyy who all served as volunteers.
They-took their departure -from Montreafeat the
commehceatient of-Fehruary.
“After having marched for the course of five or
six days, ,-fhey called a council to determine the
route they should follow, and the point they
should attacks -h
“ The Indians demanded of the French what
was their intention. ' Messielirs de Sainte Helene
and Mantet replied* that they had left in the
hope of attacking Orangm^AibanyX -if -possible,
as-it-ds? the-'capital of New York arid’a place of
.considerable importance, though they had no
orders to that effect,'’but generally to act according
as thepshould judge’,'- op the spot/ of their
chances-of success^ without-running too much
Bisk. ' This appeared to the savages, somewhat
rash, . They ^presented the difficulties and the
weakness of the party for so-hold an undertaking.
There wastevenbpe among them who, with his
mind filled with the rechlections-of the disasters
which he had witnessed last year, inquired of
our Frenchmeff/'/“ kinee when had they become
so* desperate^ It was- our- intention, now, to
regain thfe4 honor of which our misfortunes had
deprived iis,, and the sole means to accomplish
that, we replied, was to carry Orange, or to perish
in so glorious an enterprise. 8
“As the Indianshwho had an intimate acquaintance
with the localities, and more experience