THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY
ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
It is noted that the following work from the Miami Archives should be read and
considered within the historical context in which it was composed and printed.
The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or
standards of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, but are, rather,
indicative of thought in that historical moment during which the document was
published.
Monsieur de La Barre to Governor Dongan
(July 25, 1684)
de La Barre in: Documents Relative to the Colonial History
of the State of New York, (Lon. Doc: V), v. III, p. 450.
p. 450.
I was much astonished by the receipt of your two letters of the fifth of July, New Stile, seeing one in French written by you, which I knew came from you as friend to friend, and that written in English which I knew came from your Council, and not from people disposed to maintain the union of our two kings.
I sent Bourbon to you to advise you of the vengeance which I was about to wreak for the insult inflicted on the Christian name by the Senecas and Cayugas, and you answer me about pretensions to the possession of lands of which neither you nor I are judges, but our two kings who have sent us, and of which there is no question at present, having no thought of conquering countries but of making the Christian name and the French people to be respected, in which I will shed the last drop of my blood.
I have great esteem for your person, and considerable desire to preserve the honour of his Britannic Majesty's good graces as well as those of My Lord the Duke of York, and I even believe that they will greatly appreciate my chastisement of those who insult you and take prisoners from you every day, as they have done this winter in Merilande. But if I was so unfortunate as that you desired to protect robbers, assassins and traitors, I could not distinguish their protector from themselves. I pray you, then, to attach faith to the credit which I give Mr. de Salvaye to explain every thing to you; and, if the Senecas and Cayugas wish your services as their intercessor, to take security from them, not in the Indian but in the European fashion, without which, and the honor of hearing from you, I shall attack them towards the 20th of August, New Stile. I have seen a letter which you wrote on the 3rd of August of last year to Mr. de Saint Castine, who commands for the King my Master at Pentagouet. The Treaty of Breda so clearly settles this affair, that I beg of you to take care before hand not to undertake anything against its tenor. These are the matters which I have to represent to you and that you believe me with much regard, . . .
Return
to TOC, p. 5
Continue
to next part of Miami Collection
[return to Miami
Collection Menu]
[return to Glenn A. Black
Laboratory of Archaeology List of Publications]
[return to Glenn A. Black
Laboratory of Archaeology Home]
Last updated: 13 January 2001
URL: http://www.gbl.indiana.edu/home.html
Comments: webmaster@www.gbl.indiana.edu
Copyright 1996, Glenn Black Laboratory of Archaeology and The Trustees of Indiana University