The French, To
Ruin Their Commerce With The Natives, Came And Made A Settlement Not Above
Eight Days' Journey Up
That river from the place where the English traded.
'Twas therefore debated whether the Company's Agents should not remove from
Rupert's to Moose river, to prevent their traffick being interrupted by the
French. On the 3d of April, 1674, a council of the principal persons in the
Fort was held, where Mr Baily, the Governor, Captain Groseilliers, and
Captain Cole were present and gave their several opinions. The Governor
inclined to move. Captain Cole was against it, as dangerous, and Captain
Groseilliers for going thither in their bark to trade. [Footnote: Oldmixon,
Vol. I. p. 552.] ... The Governor, having got everything ready for a voyage
to Moose river, sent Captain Groseilliers, Captain Cole, Mr Gorst, and
other Indians to trade there. They got two hundred and fifty skins, and the
Captain of the Tabittee Indians informed them the French Jesuits had bribed
the Indians not to deal with the English, but to live in friendship with
the Indian nations in league with the French.... The reason they got no
more peltry now was because the Indians thought Groseilliers was too hard
for them, and few would come down to deal with him." [Footnote: Oldmixon,
Vol. I. p. 554.] After Captain Baily [Footnote: Ibid., Vol. I. p. 555.]
had returned from a voyage in his sloop to trade to the fort, "on the 30th
Aug a missionary Jesuit, born of English parents, arrived, bearing a letter
from the Governor of Quebec to Mr Baily, dated the 8th of October, 1673.
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