La Barre, &
Imbark'd For France With My Brother-In-Law, The 11 9ber, 1683, In The
Frigat That Brought The Soldiers, And Arrived At Rochell The 18 Of Xber,
Where I Heard Of The Death Of Monsr.
Colbert; yet I continued my jorney to
Paris, to give the Court an account of my proceedings.
I arriv'd at Paris
with my Brother-in-Law the 15th January, wher I understood ther was great
complaints made against me in the King's Councill by my Lord Preston, his
Majesty's Envoy Extrordinary, concerning what had past in the River and
Port Nelson, and that I was accus'd of having cruelly abused the English,
Robbed, stoln, and burnt their habitation; for all which my Lord Preston
demanded satisfaction, and that exemplary punishment might bee inflicted on
the offenders, to content his majesty. This advice did not discourage me
from presenting myself before the Marquiss De Signalay, & to inform him of
all that had past betwixt the English and me during my voyadge. Hee found
nothing amiss in all my proceedings, wherof I made him a true relation; and
so farr was it from being blamed in the Court of france, that I may say,
without flattering my self, it was well approved, & was comended.
[Footnote: Louis XIV. to De la Barre, to April, 1684: "The King of England
has authorized his ambassador to speak to me respecting what occurred in
the river Nelson between the English and Radisson and des Grozelliers,
whereupon I am happy to inform you that, as I am unwilling to afford the
King of England any cause of complaint, & as I think it important,
nevertheless, to prevent the English establishing themselves on that river,
it would be well for you to have a proposal made to the commandant at
Hudson's Bay that neither the French nor the English should have power to
make any new establishments; to which I am persuaded he will give his
consent the more readily, as he is not in a position to prevent those which
my subjects wish to form in said Nelson's river."] I doe not say that I
deserv'd it, only that I endeavor'd, in all my proceedings, to discharge
the part of an honnest man, and that I think I did no other.
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