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.
Tonty to M. Cabart de Villermont
(Montreal, August 24, 1686)
Tonty, Henri de in: Bibliothèque Nationale,
Nouvelles acquisitions franc. 7485, fol. 132 and in
English Translation of Margry, Vol. 3, pp. 544-547.
p. 544.
(Copy of a letter written by
M. de Tonty from Montreal, on the
24th of August, 1686, to M. Cabart de Villermont)
Sir,
I have received the letter which you did me the honour of writing to me. I am the more indebted to you for it, since I have not the pleasure of knowing you, and the memory of my late father induces you to write to one who is at the other end of the world. As I know that you are interested in news from this country, I proceed to satisfy you with an account of a journey which I have made since M. de La Forest arrived here with the King's orders, by which M. de La Barre was obliged to send me up to Fort Saint Louis in the Illinois country. I will try to relate it to you briefly, for fear of wearying you.
When I got to the Fort, the Sieur Baugy quitted it, in accordance with orders. The tribes I had left there had become disunited and on bad terms with one another, under his guidance. I was obliged to mend matters and, by a present of a thousand crowns' worth of goods, to reconcile them and prevent the Illinois from ruining themselves and the Miamis too. I succeeded very well, and prevented the crippling of these two tribes, which would certainly have taken place, and would have given the Iroquois, our common enemies, the opportunity to destroy these two tribes, who are our allies, with ease. You will know that it is five hundred leagues from Montreal to the Illinois. I note this fact in order to give you some idea of the extent of country I have covered since April 1686.*
Apparently, he means 1685, see date in next paragraph. (Translator's note).
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