At The Time My Brother-In-Law And I Were Dissattisfy'd With The Hudson's
Bay Company, Wee Were Severall Times
Invited by the late Monsieur Colbert
to return back for france, with large promises that wee should bee very
kindly
Entertain'd. Wee refused a great while all the offers that were made
us; but seeing our businesse went wors and wors with the company, without
any likelyhood of finding any better usage, at last wee accepted the offer
that was made unto us, of paying us 400 Lewi-Dors redy money, of
discharging all our Debts, and to give us good Employments. These
conditions being agreed upon, wee passed over into france in Xber, 1674.
As soon as wee got to Paris wee waited upon monsieur Colbert. Hee
reproached us for preferring the English Interest before that of ffrance;
but having heard our defence, and observ'd by what wee said unto him of our
discoverys in the Northern parts of America, and of the acquaintance wee
had with the Natives, how fit wee might bee for his purpos, hee soon
assur'd us of his favor & protection, & also of the King's pardon for what
was past, with an intire restoration unto the same state wee were in before
wee left france, upon condition that wee should employ our care & industry
for the advancement & increas of the comers of the Beaver Trade in the
french Collonies in Canada. Hee also confirmed the promis had ben made us
at London, of the gratuity of 400 french Pistolls, that all our Debts
should bee discharg'd, & that wee should bee put into Employments. Our
Letters Pattents of pardon & restoration were forthwith dispatch't, &
monsieur Colbert would have it expressly mention'd in them, for what caus
the King granted them, viz., to employ the greatest of our skill & industry
with the Natives, for the utillity & advancement of the Beaver Trade in the
french Collonies. The 400 peeces of Gould was pay'd us, & all things else
promised was perform'd, excepting only the Employment, for the which wee
were made to attend a great while, and all to no purpos.
But at last I perceaved the cause of this delay, & that my marrying in
England made me bee suspected, because my wife remained there. Monsr.
Colbert having delayed us a long time with sundry Excuses, one day hee
explained himself, saying I should bring my wife over into france if I
expected that a full confidence should bee put in mee. I represented unto
him that it was nott a thing fully in my power to doe, my wife's father
refusing to give me the Liberty of bringing her over into france; but I
promiss'd him to use my best endeavors to that effect. In the meantime
Monsr. Colbert intimated that hee would have my Brother-in-Law & myself
make a voyadge unto Canada, to advise with the Governour what was best ther
to bee done, assuring us that hee would write unto him in our behalf.
Wee undertook the voyadge, but being arriv'd at Quebeck, wee found that
jelosy & interest which some Persons had over those that had the absolute
command, at that time, of the Trade in Canada, & whos Creatures were
Imploy'd for new Discoverys, ordered things so that the Count De Frontinac,
the Governor, took no care to perform what wee had ben promis'd hee should
have don for us; so that finding myself slighted, I left my Brother-in-Law
with his familly in Canada, & returned back again for France, intending to
serve at sea in the fleet.
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