opposed their utmost influence to its pernicious progress. At length the
worthy bishop hastened to France, and represented to the king the
dreadful evil that afflicted the colony. His remonstrances were
effectual; he succeeded in obtaining such powers as he deemed necessary
to stop the ruinous commerce.

The year 1663 was rendered memorable by a tremendous earthquake, spoken
of in a preceding chapter. In the same year the Associated Company
remitted to the crown all their rights over New France, which the king
again transferred to the West India Company.[381] Courts of law were
for the first time established, and many families of valuable settlers
found their way to the colony. Up to this period extreme simplicity and
honesty seems to have prevailed in the little community, and it was not
till then that a Council of State was appointed by the crown to
co-operate with the governor in the conduct of affairs.[382] The king
sent out the Sieur Gaudais to inquire into the state of his
newly-acquired dependency, and to investigate certain complaints
preferred against the Baron d'Avaugour, who had himself prayed to be
recalled. The sieur performed his invidious task to the satisfaction of
all parties: he made valuable reports as to the general character of the
colonial clergy, of the advantages and disadvantages of the local
administration of government, and imputed no fault to the Baron
d'Avaugour, but a somewhat too rigid and stern adherence to the letter
of the law, and the severity of justice. The baron then joyfully
returned to France, but soon afterward fell in the defense of the fort
of Serin against the Turks, while, with the permission of the French
king, serving the emperor.

M. de Mesy succeeded as governor, upon the recommendation of the Bishop
of Canada, whose complaints on the subject of the sale of spirituous
liquors had been the principal cause of the Baron d'Avaugour's recall.
The new appointment proved far from satisfactory to those by whose
influence it was made. M. de Mesy at once raised up a host of enemies by
his haughty and despotic bearing. He thwarted the Jesuits to the utmost
extent of his power; the council supported them, alleging that their
influence over the native race was essential to the well-being of the
colony. Various representations of these matters were made to the court
of France, and the final result was, that the governor was recalled.

Alexandre de Prouville, marquis de Tracy, was ne