“You spoke ill of the Governor when you said he was a liar.  If anyone told you that he was forsaking you, I will be pleased if you will tell me who it is.  As for me I have no knowledge of it.

“M.  Desnoyers was present when you offered your necklace, and like me he heard your statement.  He told me you were wrong to complain about him because he would not take your peltries and that he wanted beaver only; you are complaining inopportunely seeing that he has not done any trading.  You should tell me who made those reports.  But as you are not glad to see him, he has decided to go back, and as I am going down to Montreal on good business, he will accompany me, and also M. Radisson, because the Governor wants him, and he must obey, and we will arrange so that we come back together.

“You have asked me to write down your speech to the Governor.  I will be the bearer of it.  I have not the authority to have the French to trade here; it is a matter that M. the Governor will settle with M. the Intendant.

“The Governor did not lie to you because he did not notify you the first year, that the merchants would be masters of the merchandise, because it was the King who sent it here then and I could dispose of it; since then, an order came from the King in favor of the merchants.

“This land is mine, because I am the first one who lighted a fire thereon, and you all took some to light yours.

“I am very glad that you like this land, and that you find it is good.

“It is of no consequence that the surgeon left, because when one goes another comes, and the same applies for the gunsmith.

“I have no more to tell you.  Here is some tobacco that you may all smoke together, and that it may give you wisdom until I return and the Governor sends you his word.  Attend to your mother during my absence, and see that she does not want for provisions, for if you do not take care of her, on my return I will not give you a drink of brandy.

“M. de Tonty replaces me; I pray you to be on good terms with him.”

FORTY SOLS, chief of the Hurons, spoke for all the indians:—­

“We remember well, father, of what we said yesterday because you repeat it to-day.  We thank you for having listened to us and granted all we asked you.  We thank the women for not going away, because their remaining is as if you remained.  From to-morrow we will stimulate our young men to go after provisions for our mother.

“It is three years ago, when in Montreal at the general meeting our chiefs died, the governor told us to have courage, that he was sorry for us, that he saw we were very far to come and get goods in Montreal, and he invited us to come and settle around you, and that he would send us merchandise at the same price as in Montreal.  This worked well for two years, but goods rose up too much in price the third year.

“The first year you came, we were very happy, but now we are naked, not even having a bad shirt to put on our back.  We would be pleased by the establishment of several stores here, because if we were refused in one, we could go to another.