My nephew, who remained in the fort with the Governor, having learned that
the ships were ready to leave,
Kept himself near me with the French whom I
had resolved to leave in Canada, to say adieu to me, & it was in the
company of this Governor that they made the journey, during which, as I
have since learned from my nephew, he showed to them more good will than he
had yet done, assuring them that they should never want anything, & in
consideration of me they would receive the same treatment as himself. The
behaviour that my nephew & the other Frenchmen had shown gave no reason for
doubting the sincerity of their protestations. They no longer believed that
any one could have any mistrust of them. My nephew & his interpreter had
been solicited to remain in the country to serve the company, & they had
consented to it without a murmur because I had charged myself with the care
of their interests in England. All that passed in the presence and by the
persuasions of the Governor. Nevertheless, behold a surprising change which
came to pass by the inconstancy, the caprice, & the wicked behaviour of
this same Governor.
I disposed myself to part with the other Frenchmen, when the Governor,
having come aboard of the little frigate, caused a signal to be made to
hold a council of war. Upon this the Captains of the ships & myself
rendered ourselves on board, where my nephew followed us, remaining upon
the poop, whilst the officers & myself were in the room where this Governor
demanded of us, at first, if we had any valid reasons why he should not
send back in the ships all the Frenchmen who were in the country; to all
which the others having said nothing, I was obliged to speak in these
terms: "At my departure from England I received a verbal order from the
company, in particular from Sir James Hayes, to leave in the country where
we are as many of the Frenchmen as I should find desirable for the good &
advantage of the company. I have upon that resolved to engage my nephew &
his interpreter to remain in it, & I have come for that end, by my
attendance, for the consent of the Governor, who demands to-day that they
may be sent back as people who apparently are known to him as suspected. I
have always believed, & I believe it still, that their presence is useful
in this Country and also necessary to the Company, and it was difficult to
be able to overlook two, because they are known to all the nations. It is
also upon them that I have relied for the Security of the merchandises
which are left behind at the houses of the French, because without their
assistance or their presence they would be exposed to pillage. Nevertheless
I do not pretend to oppose my self to the design that the Governor has put
in execution & the proposition that he proposes making.
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