nder M. de
Valrenes. For an hour and half these formidable warriors withstood the
fire, and repelled the charges of the Canadian troops; but at length
they were overpowered and dispersed, not, however, before inflicting a
loss of no less than 120 men upon their conquerors. An Englishman
captured in the engagement declared that the invaders had purposed to
destroy the harvest, which would have reduced the colony to the last
extremity. The design, in a great measure, failed, and an abundant crop
repaid the industry and successful courage of the French.

At the first news of this alarming inroad, M. de Frontenac hastened to
the post of danger, but tranquillity had already been restored, and the
toils of the husbandman were again plied upon the scene of strife. At
Montreal he found a dispatch from the governor of New England, proposing
an exchange of prisoners and a treaty of neutrality with Canada,
notwithstanding the war then carried on between the mother countries.
The Canadian governor mistrusted the sincerity of the English proposals,
and they were not productive of any result. During the remainder of the
year the Iroquois continued to disturb the repose of the colony by
frequent and mischievous irruptions, and many valuable lives were lost
in repelling those implacable savages.

The war continued with checkered results and heavy losses on both sides
in the two following years. An invasion of the canton of the Agniers, by
the French, was at first successful, but in the retreat the colonists
suffered great privation, and most of their prisoners escaped, while any
of their number that strayed or fell in the rear were immediately cut
off by their fierce pursuers. The fur trade was also much injured by
these long-continued hostilities, for the vigilant enmity of the
Iroquois closed up the communication with the Western country by the
waters of the St. Lawrence and its magnificent tributaries.

We have seen that for a long period the history of the colony is a mere
chronicle of savage and resultless combats, and treacherous truces
between the French and the formidable Iroquois confederacy. This almost
perpetual warfare gave a preponderance to the military interests among
the settlers, not a little injurious to their advance in material
prosperity. The Comte de Frontenac had, by his vigorous administration,
and haughty and unbending character, rendered himself alike respected
and feared by his allies and enemies. But, whil