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Lcrsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproidult en un seul cllchA, II est film* A partir de I'angia aupArlaur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut an baa, an prenant la nombre d'images nAcessaire. Las diagrammea auivants lllustrent la mAthode. »y errata ad to int \n9 pelure, Bpon A 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 >*, u'*>' ^ki^l^^i Hi •■m s* J* -*'=»>aF,- ' f w^^sm'^' L E T T ER TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM PITT, Efqj FROM AN OFFICER at Fort Frontenac. LONDON: Printed for J. Fleming, oppofite Norfolk- Street, in the Strand. MbCCLIX^ ;^. 'S^Wff''^ ,f: V::^^;. nm'S'i^- w •Sf- ll»l|>.«HlMl LETTER, &c. AMongft the crowd of ad- drcfles which undoubtedly have been prefented to you on fo happy an occafion as the late fuccefs of his majefty's arms in this part of the world, accept thefe few lines from one who thinks himfelf extremely happy in having been ap-. pointed to ferve in the expedition againfl fort Frontenac. I flatter myfelf that a fhort ac- count of this place, and its great importance, will not be difagreeable from a perfon who is fo thoroughly acquainted with the fubjedl he fpeaks updh, and has had many opportani- B ties % to , ties to inform himfelf particularly about every thing that relates to this place. I never defigned that this letter fliquld in the leaft refemble a pane- gyfick on your adminiftration, 1 fliall leave that to more able pens ; there- fore will confine myfelf at prefent to my fubjeft, and endeavour to ac- quit myfelf with truth and impar- tiality in the following relation. f.Frontenac, called by the natives Cadaraqui, is a fort advantageoufly fituated for a trade with the Iroquefe, or five nations ; for their villages lie in the neighbourhood of the lake which bears the fame name, and on which it is built, and by whofe means they may transport their furs in canoes, with moreeafe than they can carry them over land to New- York. It was built to fupprefs the ravages of thefe Indians, into the heart of whofe country they can thence ' M \\ \\ %^ [3] thence make excurfions in twenty- four hours ; but thev demolifhwd it in 1688, before which time it vviis a fquare confiding of large curtains, flanked with four little baftions ; thefe flanks had but two battlements, ' and the walls fo low that one might eafily climb over them without a ladder ; and all of it but indifferently . fenced with mud banks and palli- fades. It ftands near the junction of lake Ontario with the great river St. Lawrence. It was here that the famous M. de la Sale built two barks, both which lie at this day funk near the caftle. It is about 150 miles S. W. from Montreal; and 100 leagues above Quebec. The winter about this place is much fhorter than at Quebec, and the foil fo well cultivated, as to yield all forts of European and Indian corn, and other fruits. When his majefty's forces un- B 2 der |ii/; [4] der colonel Bradftreet took this im- portant place, it was furrounded with walls, baftions, and other for- tifications of fquare ftone, which are found in great plenty, and ready cut and polifhed by the beat- ing of the waves of the lake above- mentioned, on the north fide of which it is built, on a peninfula, and near which is a good haven for all forts of veffels to ride in fafety. It mounted fixty pieces of cannon; and is fituated in lat. 44® 20'. Some of the colonies that cam^ hither, brought with them feveral forts of horned cattle, fowl, and otho: ufeful creatures; fo that there, fel- dom or never was a want of any thing in it. When we took it there were vaft magazines of all forts of provifion and ammunition in it^ which it will be very difficult for the French to re-eftabli{h. .1 T]ie only natural misfortune at- tending I I [5] tendLig this place is, thiat the iad- vantageous communication between this lake, Montreal and Quebec, is fomewhat difficult and dangerous, becaufe the river of the Iroquois is full of rocks, catarads, and may be eafily obftruded by the ambulhes of that wild people, who lie on each fide. This fort was one of the princi- pal marts the French had in North - America, for a trade with the In- >dians ; which took off a great quan- tity of coarfe woolen goods, fuch as ftrouds and duffils, and with thefe> guns, hatchets, knives, hoes, kettles, powder and Ihot ; befides fhirts and cloaths ready made, iron and brafs work, and trinkets of all forts, with feveral other articles ; in exchange for all forts of furs. The Indians come to this mart from all parrs of North America, even from the dif- tance of a*thoufand miles. The , tiiide 1 trade now is wholly confined to fort Frontenac and Montreal ; for tho' many, if not moft of the Indians, adtually pafs by our fettlerrlent of Albany in New York, where they may have the goods they want cheaper confiderably than at either Montreal or Frontenac; yet they travel on many miles further to buy the fame commodities at fecond hand, and enhanced by the expence of fo long a land carriage at the French marts. For the French find it cheaper to buy our goods from the New York merchants, than to have them from their own, after fo bad and fo tedious a paflfage as it is from the mouth of the river St. Lawrence to Frontenac ; fo much do the French exceed us in induftry, oeco- nomy, and the arts of conciliating the affedions of mankind ; things that even ballance all the difadvan- tages they naturally Jabour under in this [ 7 ] this country. It may not be im- proper here, Sir, to lay before you one inftance of which I myfelf was awitn^fs. Six Indians came from the banks of the Ohio, with a very valuable cargo of furs ; they brought them fome part of the way in canoes, and • at fome places on their flioulders, (to avoid being feen by the French from their forts on that river) with an incredible deal of patience and • induftry, to our town of Albany in New York ; they there met with feveral Engliflinven, who cheapened their goods, and pretended to agree with them for the fale of them 3 in the mean time they found means to intoxicate thefe poor Indians with ipirituous liquors ; and in the middle of their drunken fit, made their bar- gainy infinitely to the advantage of themfelves, as may be fuppofed ; but this was not all. There 1.1(11 l"#*»*«- **.•!. A B'i^-.- :■ fPP mwaipi [ 8 ] There catnc with thefe fix In- dians, three women^ wi^es to three of the Indians; who, while their hufbands were intoxicated with brari- ^jy were deluded away by three Englifhmen, and debauched by^ them. Heaven feldbmfuiFers fo bru- tal a piece of viliany to gb unpu-^ nifhed; the Indian men, in their return home, difcovering how grofly they had been abufed, had their ^ wives all three burnt to death, as foon as they got home (which i^ the punifhment their laws inflid on thofe who are guilty of adultery). Thefe Indians never forgive an injury, and they vowed revenge on the authors of their difgrace ; they aflembled and armed fourfcdre or an hundred of their neighbours, and marched, day and night, feveral hundred miles, till they arrived on the confines of New York, where - they burnt and deftroyed every fettlement that ciaiilc in [♦9 3 . in their .way ; fcalpiag all the mi- rferable, the innocent inhabitants. It is faid they happened on but, one of their particular enemies ; him they carried away prifbner, to endure torments, at the very name of which human nature fhudders : it muft be ^ allowed that he deferved punifh- r ment as well as thoie who efcaped from the juft vengeance of tbefe ir- , ritated Indians. From this time ; their nation has remained fail friends to our eneinies the French. < Row contrary to this behavipiir ^ are the maxims pf the vi^lant French : at their fair at Montreal, |:he governpr aflifts, to pjrefcrve order ^t the jgreat concourfe of nations which then meet to trafHck; the . ufe of {pirituops liquors is abfojutely J forbid, under the ievereft penal ti^, .■and all poifible harmony is obferved. put I will dwell no longer on a fub- je^, which cannot he othcfwif? than w ,^r4! Very dif{k|re^ble tb a Maik) t^o dbe; %I1 4hat is "poiSbk % iriam^tn "a 'j^roper re^ to'ii'e Btefifts 6f Ae 'Mtifli niribn in tViify*^ bf iHe 'mm. %fbre ^I 'prbfcfec'd ai^ rftlrHier*In Wis 't!6iftle,tr*«^U V ¥>Wj^r to give :V\!.Wif6mfe'atidtrtiht!^^f tfie^lakel h*^e To'dftfen sfteiitiiWjfed, irid' dn ^VrMgh fott'i«"Wiit^c-'is'fctiilt' " ^he Me' bntaiio is^near '^80 ^es'fti' jdrdiWtfiSride j -its ^tA-e is oval, " any^its Metoth rtttis* Bfetivi^n t^dit/aiidtWferiw-'fiirefirthbta. On ;lheiibrtfi fide is fe^bil'fitde^gul^hs. ^fiiej-e^ is a cBirinitiitfcatfon l^ti^itfen 'I9d8 teke'i^'^k' 6f '"the^ Hdrt)tts, %y the tiVfer 'T^iiotiMte j 'fi^ihi '^hfetfce' you llive'afeil*tkrlttj|e of '^br <^ghr teagttfes'tc/ 'the' rtvfer ^b- 'irdiito, wMch ' fafls into ^ it. The Trerich have two fdrti^ of cdftftij^lite ^'cin this Me. FVdttlferiac, hiii&h ' jtliinmands ihe rivpr St. t^'^renfe, wherp 2J, !. }fW hljodffee^ upjapd ^a^^^ tl^ gaj>'i|o'?v of this fort, fbme time ago.;^ bu( mp tli^V {^%j, to let tbep x^eGt t|b^. hftWes. - Oa tfe? f9«th-?aft (^ pjf thw lalse ftgod owfy^ 4 p%gp^^q inJEaflt ^ttkqstf t|t,; ^f^ ^y. die, province^ of Ne\M Yo^kv with the nppk yiqw. c^gainij^ tO; ^e- cypj^rn of Gr^-r- Sritain th? GoiBnjsfid of the five l^es, %i)d the dei>en4^^ 9^^ ^^ fodians ift tfee nd^'bourhpod i, and, to its fu^pi^. tlj^ bei^efit of te^«i c^rW oil by thwer to fupply thenif^ with eve^ thing they want mucb cheaper dian the French can pofli^ bly- do ; and if we eyer but eftablifk the fort at Ofwege^ and ufe l^ In^ ^ians with half the- policy which our enemies do| I don't fee why we illould- not eng^ois the u^hple fur trade of the five lakes ; if thisqnce comes to be th&cafe) the French fet^* tlement oF Canadia would not pay the charges of keepfing, O^e who undei'ftands the tnid ia-r tiereft of the Britifli natio» fo weH as you do, Sir, mud be entirely ia^ tisfied with the impoptanee oi every inth of land in Nwth America^; if we fisffer jhe French to^ i'nqroach a furlong, C ^5 ] , It :^is ^ten to one bat in a twdvjeltnotlth's time, they ufnrp jfoll!&l:n'e X>T s, hundred miles. This is verified ijy their heb^tviom' :at Ctemx Poiiit. The natural and juft botiiidaries of^our colonies is. the ri- ver St. X^wrence ; now fome time ago, the^Ffench built feveral forts, ttnd Made f^me inc<»iiiderable ^ fct- tlenients,^ ^ i [31] New York to Quebec, which the French mutt take from Quebec to New York. The Englifti in Ame- rica have loft many opportunities of making themfelves matters of Ca- nada, and driving the French from thence, when they were not the fixth part fo ttrong as they are at prefent. In 1 68 8,when their whole force was fcarce 2000 men, thpjive nations, to be revenged on the mar- quis of Nouville, who had fei^ed the Seneka's country the year before, furprifed the ifland, which thpy eur tered on the fouth fide, burnt: all the plantations, and maflacred ^bove 1000 French: The five natioosjott only. three men) in this expedition, who getting drunk weiie left biebind. Jn October following, they invaded Montreal a fecond time ; and having dettroyed the ; plantations on the lower fide of the ifland, carried a- way many prifoner§. If only )New York "l 'P^ff^ I'S '•. [ 32 ] Vdrk ji^d perforft^d her engage^ lAent^jat that time with the fiv€ na^- tions, or the latter undeHldod the iiiet}k)d of attacking forts, the year 1688 would have been as memora^ bk in America for the deftrudion of Canada as it is in Great Britain for the banifhment of popety and ar*- ixitmry power. The French have a chain of foru from which they can annoy us in all quart^K, while they are fecute them-^ Mw^. The prliic^al of thefe arts Qt>wn Point) Niagara^ and fort t)u iQudhe 5 but efpecially the two fetttr* Before we took Frontenac, that was one of the moA coiifidera- ble. The ddlroying Crown Point will {H'tv^iit the pfefent infults of the Prencih ; but the deftrudioh tjf Du Queftie md Niagam will fep the very foundations of their uiiirped power, and give us peace upon our own terms. Youmay haveobferved that .» ,/. : ♦• %«*-* tliat the colonies depending immc^ diately on the crown^ fuch as Vir-* ginia and New York, have been much lefs harraffed by the Indians, and much better prepared to defend their refpedive countries than the charter-governments of New Eng- land. This makes one believe that the moft efFedual method to drive the French entirely out of North America, would be to unite all the northern colonies under one gover- nor; as Nova Scotia, New Eng- land, New York, and Penfylvania s and the fouthern ones, under ano- ther. If this was done, I think we might foon expeft to fee the French quite driven out of the American continent ; for they would never be able to refill the whole ftrength of our plantations, if it was properly united againft them. There are fome objedions to this fcherae, and F fo »« ■ 40 t34] fo there muft be to every one that can be offered ; and that which has the leaft inconveniencies attending it, ought to be embraced. I am of opinion with feveral other gentle- men, who knows this country per- fedly well, that in time of war, the befl: thing we could do, would be to attack Quebec. This city is not ilrong ; and if a fleet and a confi- derable body of land forces were fent up the river St. Lawrence, at a proper ieafon of the year, with fkil- jful pilots, I make no doubt, (fetting afide any unlikely and unforefeen accidents) but they would give a good account of this city. If they could once land their men in fafety, their bufinefs would be done ; as to the city, the fortifications are but very indiiferent. The ill fuccefs that attended our expeditions, when- ever we /ailed up the river St. Law- rence, is no argument againfl at- tempting t- g [ 35 i tempting the (lege of Quebec ^gain ; becaufe it was always owing to the want of pilots who underftood that navigation ; but this can no longer be 9 reafon againflf the attempt, fince father Charlevoix's hiftory of New France has been publiflied. Were we once able to matter Quebec, and fortify ourfelves ftrongly in that city for the prefent time, all Canada would fall of courfe ; 'till we found that this was the cafe, it would be advifeable to remain at Quebec, but fortified in the ftrongeft manner ; becaufe, while we com- manded the navigation of St. Law- rence, by means of our having that city in our power, the inland French would be obliged to lurrender ; as they could not then be able to be fti|:^Ked with any thing from Old France. Vou, Sir, I am fure, muft know dte value of our colonies too well, F 2 not it [ 36 ] not to have confidered which would be the mod Hkely method to make them entirely fafe from any future encroachments of the French, l^q dpubt, many fchemes have been of- fered to you Upon that head ; and, indeed, our poffeflions here have lately be^n fo very precarious, that it is high time to take their fafety under confideration. From what I have faid abpve, it appears that the French, by means of their fettlements in Canada and Louifiana, have entirely furrounded our Colonies upon the continent of North America ; and thereby cut u^ ofF from all correfpondence with the . natives of that vaft continent, ex- , cept the few that inhabit thofe trads of land, which in faft, ber long to our own colonies. And from this it appears, that they have npw opened a communicatipn, moft- ly by water carriage, from the mouth of it U7] pf the river St. Lawrence to th^ mouth of the river Mifliflippi j and have in a manner taken pofleflion of thofe great lake3 in Nqrth Amer ^-ica, whiph are the largest in th^ known world. I leave you to judgQ what the confequence of fuch an encroachment would be. But not to detain you with fuch a reprefentatipn, which, how true foeyer it is, ftill muft be difagreeable to you, I make no doubt but you will continue tp guide the helm of ftate with fuch prudencej as not to pverlook ouf colonies, \^rhich are io ^ilential to our independency as a free nation. Should the French ever be able to put their ambitious fchemes in execution j and that en- terprifmg and reftlefs nation become as powerful in America, as they are already in Europe : I fay, from fo fatal and fo unhappy a period, might ;" 3. r > [ 38 3 might we date the firft days of our flavery. For no man can poffibly think, that if the French were once mailers in America, but that they would foon be fo in Britain ; one is the natural confequence, which cer- tainly will follow foon after the other. ' >^-^^f» ^ ' ♦• t\ FINIS, Ji** > 'i>j )f our offibly 2 once t they one is :h cer- ?r the ■ h XT