Wee Spent Two Dayes In Adjusting The Means Of
Selling This Business; At Last It Was Agreed That I Should
Make a voyadge
into England to endevor to perswade my wife to come away, & also at the
same time to
Inform myself what shipps the Hudson Bay Company intended to
fit out for those parts. I performed this second voyage for England with
some remainder of hopes to find the Gentlemen of the Company something
better inclin'd towards me than they had ben formerly; but whether they
then looked upon me as wholy unneccessary for their purpos, or as one that
was altogether unable to doe them any harm, I was sufferr'd to come away
without receaving the least token of kindnesse. All the satisfaction I had
in the voyadge was that Prince Rupert was pleas'd to tell me that hee was
very sorry my offers of servis was so much slighted.
I resolv'd with myself not to bee dejected at this coldnesse, & returned
into france, thinking there to have found Monsieur De La Chesnay; but being
come to Paris, I heard hee was gon, & I presently resolved to follow him to
Canada, to execute what wee had concluded upon at Paris. I went to take my
leave of monsieur Colbert, acquainting him of my dessigne, whereof hee
approved very well. Hee wished me a good voyadge, advising me to be
carefull. I went to visit the Society of the Jesuits at Paris, as being
also concern'd with La Chesnay in the Beaver Trade. They gave mee some
money for my voyadge. I went & took shipp at Rochell, & arrived at Quebeck
the 25th of 7ber, 1682. As soon as I went ashore I spake with monsieur La
Chesnay, who seem'd to bee very glad to see me, and after some discours of
what wee had concluded upon at Paris, hee said the businesse must bee
presently set about; & being privy unto the Court Intrigues, & fully
acquainted with the mesures wee were to use in this enterprize, hee took me
along with him unto the Governor's house, & ingadg'd me to demand his
assistance & such orders as wee should stand in need of from him for the
carrying on our Dessigne. But the Governor spake unto us in a way as if hee
approved not of the businesse; whereupon La Chesnay demanded a Pass for me
to return back unto Europ by the way of New England, in a vessel belonging
to the Governor of Accadia, which was at that instant at Quebeck, & redy to
saile in som short time.
These formalitys being over, Monsieur La Chesnay & I spake home to the
businesse. Wee agreed upon the voyage, & of all things that were to bee
setled relative unto our concerns & Intrest. Hee undertook to buy the
Goods, & to furnish all things that concern'd the Treaty; to furnish me
with a vessell well fitted & stored with good provisions. It was agreed
that I should have one fourth part of the Beaver for my care and paines, &
the danger I expos'd myself unto in making the setlment. My Brother-in-Law,
Desgroisilliers, who was then at Quebeck, made a contract with De La
Chesnay for the same voyage allmost on the same terms as I had don. All
things being thus concluded, the Governor was desired that I might have
leave to take three men along with me. Hee knew very well to what intent,
but hee pretended to bee ignorant of it, for 'tis unlikely that hee could
think I would return back to france without doing something about what La
Chesnay & I had mention'd unto him, seeing I demanded these three men to
goe along with me. One was my kinsman, John Baptista Des Grosiliers, of
whom I made great account, having frequented the country all his life, &
had contracted great familliarity & acquaintance with the natives about
trade. Hee laid out L. 500 Tournais of his own money in the voyadge &
charge, disbursed by monsieur De La Chesnay in the Enterprize. The second
was Peter Allmand, whom I took for my Pilot, & the 3d was John Baptista
Godfry, who understood perfectly well the Languadge of the natives, & one
that I knew was capable of Treating. I set saile from Quebeck the 4th of
9ber, 1682, with my 3 men, in the Governor of Accady's vessell, having my
orders to bee redy the Spring following, at the L'isle perse, hallow Isle,
at the entrance of the River Saint Lawrence, unto which place La Chesnay
was to send me a vessell well Equipp'd & fitted according to agreement for
Executing the dessigne. Hee also promisd to send mee fuller Instructions in
writing, for my directions when I should bee on the place.
Wee arrived at Accadia the 26th of november, 1682, and there winter'd. In
the Spring I repair'd unto hallow Island. The vessell I expected arrived,
but proved not so good as was promised, for it was only an old Barque of
about 50 Tunns with an Equippage but of 12 men, thos with me being
comprised in the number. There was goods enough on board to have carry'd on
the Treaty, but Provisions were scant, so that had I not ben so deeply
ingadg'd as I was in the businesse, such a kind of a vessell would have
quite discouradg'd me. But the arrivall of my Brother-in-Law,
Desgrosiliers, in a vessell of about 30 Tunns, with a crew of 15 men,
incouradg'd me, so that wee joyntly resolved not to quit our Enterprize;
but wee had much adoe to perswade our men to it, being unwilling to expose
themselves to the danger of a voyadge of 900 Leagues in such small,
ordinary vessells, & in such boisterous seas, where ther was also danger of
Ice. However, they seeing us willing to run the same fortune as they did,
they at length consented, & it was agree'd upon betwixt my Brother-in-Law &
myself to steere the same cours, & to keep as neere each other as wee
could, the better to assist one another as occasion required.
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