I Stay'd So Litle A While In The Country Afterwards
That I Could Not Quite Determine This Differrence.
In due time I will
relate what upon Inquiry I farther heard of it in my last voyadge.
This businesse being upon a matter ended, I was inform'd that Mr. Bridgar,
contrary to his promise of not speaking with the Indians, yet enter'd into
discours with them & said that wee were Ill people, & told them hee would
come & kill us; that hee would traffick with them more to their advantage
then wee did; that hee would give them 6 axes for a Bever Skin & a
fowling-peece for 5 skins. I taxed Mr. Bridgar with it; also I ratted the
salvages, who promis'd they would go neere him no more, & that I should
feare nothing. Being desirous to make all things redy for my departure, I
againe crossed over the dangerous river to goe burn Mr. Bridgar's House,
there being nothing left remaining in it, having caused evry thing to bee
put on board the New England shipp & taken a full Inventary of it before. I
had along with me 3 English men & one frenchman, relying more on the
English, who loved me because I used them kindly, than I did on the
ffrenchmen. What I did at this time doth shew the great confidence I put in
the English; for had I in the least distrusted them, I would not have
ventur'd to have gon 11 Leagues from my habitation with 3 English & but one
of my owne french men to have fired Mr. Bridgar's House. Wee were very like
to bee lost in returning home. I never was in so great danger in all my
life. Wee were surpris'd with a suddain storm of wind neere the flats, &
there was such a great mist that wee knew not where wee were.
Being return'd unto our Habitation, I found our Men had brought the shipp
to anker neere our House, & seeing the weather beginning to come favorable,
I gave my Nephew Instructions to carry on the Trade in my absence untill
our Return. I left 7 men with him & the absolute comand & disposall of all
things; which being don I caused our ffurrs to bee put on board & the shipp
to fall down to the mouth of the river to set saile the first faire wind.
It was where I left Mr. Bridgar. His shallup being well provided &
furnish'd with all things, hee was ready to saile; but having made some
tripps from one river unto the other, the sight of such vast quantitys of
Ice as was in those seas made him afraide to venture himselfe in so small a
vessell to saile unto the Bay. So that wee fitting things to bee gon the 20
July, having sent for Mr. Bridgar to come receave his Provisions, hee told
me hee thought it too rash an action for him to venture himself so great a
voyadge in so small a vessell, & desired I would give him passage in our
shipp, supposing all along that I would compell him to imbark for ffrance.
I told him hee should bee very welcom, & that I intended not to force him
to anything but only to quitt the place.
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