Meeting With Monsieur Belinzany,
Hee Told Me That Monsieur Colbert Thought It Necessary That I Should
Conferr With Monsieur De La Chesnay, [Footnote:
M. Du Chesneau was
appointed 30 May, 1675, Intendant of Justice, Police, and Finance of
Canada, Acadia, and Isles
Of Newfoundland.] a Canada Merchant who mannadg'd
all the Trade of thos parts, & who was then at Paris, that with him some
mesures should bee taken to make the best advantage of our Discoveries &
intreagues in the Northern parts of Canada, to advance the Beaver Trade, &
as much as possible might bee to hinder all strangers from driving that
trade to the prejudice of the French Collonies. The said monsr. Belinzany
also told me I could not more oblige monsr. Colbert, nor take any better
cours to obtaine his friendship by any servis whatsoever, than by using all
my skill & industry in drawing all the natives of thos Northern parts of
America to traffick with & to favor the French, & to hinder & disswade them
from trading with strangers, assuring me of a great reward for the servis I
should render the state upon this account, & that Mr. De La Chesiiay would
furnish me in Cannada with all things necessary for executing what
dessignes wee should conclude upon together to this intent.
According to these Instructions I went unto Mr. De La Chesnay. Wee
discours'd a long time together, & after severall inquiry's of the state of
the countrys that I had most frequented, having communicated unto him my
observations, hee propos'd unto me to undertake to establish a treaty for
the Beaver trade in the Great Bay where I had ben some years before upon
the account of the English. Wee spent two Dayes in adjusting the means of
selling this business; at last it was agreed that I should make a voyadge
into England to endevor to perswade my wife to come away, & also at the
same time to inform myself what shipps the Hudson Bay Company intended to
fit out for those parts. I performed this second voyage for England with
some remainder of hopes to find the Gentlemen of the Company something
better inclin'd towards me than they had ben formerly; but whether they
then looked upon me as wholy unneccessary for their purpos, or as one that
was altogether unable to doe them any harm, I was sufferr'd to come away
without receaving the least token of kindnesse. All the satisfaction I had
in the voyadge was that Prince Rupert was pleas'd to tell me that hee was
very sorry my offers of servis was so much slighted.
I resolv'd with myself not to bee dejected at this coldnesse, & returned
into france, thinking there to have found Monsieur De La Chesnay; but being
come to Paris, I heard hee was gon, & I presently resolved to follow him to
Canada, to execute what wee had concluded upon at Paris. I went to take my
leave of monsieur Colbert, acquainting him of my dessigne, whereof hee
approved very well.
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