of the Iroquois tribes, to induce them
to refrain from joining in the quarrel of those among their confederates
who alone had injured him and his nation. He arrived at Montreal on the
21st, with 700 Canadians, 130 soldiers, and 200 Indians: his force was
organized in three divisions. After a brief stay he continued his march
westward.

The governor had not proceeded far when he received intelligence that
the other Iroquois tribes had obliged the Tsonnonthouans, his especial
enemies, to accept of their mediation with the French, and that they
demanded the Sieur le Moyne, in whom they placed much confidence, to
conduct the negotiation. At the same time, he learned that the tribe he
proposed to assail had put all their provisions into a place of
security, and were prepared for a protracted and harassing resistance.
His appeals both to the remaining Iroquois tribes and to the English had
also failed, for the former would assuredly make common cause against
him in case of his refusing their mediation, and the latter had actually
offered to aid his enemies with 400 horse, and a like force of infantry.
Influenced by these untoward circumstances, he dispatched M. le Moyne to
treat, and agreed to await the Iroquois deputies on the shores of Lake
Ontario. In the mean time, M. de la Barre and his army underwent great
privations from the scarcity and bad quality of their provisions; they
could with difficulty hold their ground till the arrival of the savages,
and such was their extremity that the name of the Bay of Famine was
given to the scene of their sufferings.

The savage deputies met the French chief with great dignity, and, well
aware of the advantage given them by the starvation and sickness of the
white men, carried their negotiations with a high hand. They guaranteed
that the Tsonnonthouans should make reparation, for the injuries
inflicted on the French, but at the same time insisted that the governor
and his army should retire the very next day. With this ignoble
stipulation M. de la Barre was fain to agree. On his return to Quebec,
he found, to his chagrin, that considerable re-enforcements had just
arrived from France, which would have enabled him to dictate instead of
submitting to dictation. The new detachment was commanded by MM.
Monterlier and Desnos, captains of marine, who were commissioned by the
king to proceed to the most advanced and important posts, and to act
independently of the governor's authority. Th