ct deceitfully. The savages could be perfidious
themselves, but they were not without a conception of honour and felt
genuine respect for a white man whose word they could trust.
Denonville, who in his private life displayed many virtues, seemed to
consider that he was justified in acting towards the savages as the
exigency of the moment prompted. Apart from all considerations of
morality this was bad judgment.

In his dealings with the English Denonville had little more success
than in his dealings with the Indians. Dongan was a thorn in his side
from the first, although their correspondence opened, on both sides,
with the language of compliment. A few months later its tone changed,
particularly after Dongan heard that Denonville intended to build a
fort at Niagara. Against a project so unfriendly Dongan protested with
emphasis. In reply Denonville disclaimed the intention, at the same
time alleging that Dongan was giving shelter at Albany to French
deserters. A {105} little later they reach the point of sarcasm.
Denonville taxes Dongan with selling rum to the Indians. Dongan
retorts that at least English rum is less unwholesome than French
brandy. Beneath these epistolary compliments there lies the broad fact
that Dongan stood firm by his principle that the extension of French
rule to the south of Lake Ontario should not be tolerated. He
ridicules the basis of French pretensions, saying that Denonville might
as well claim China because there are Jesuits at the Chinese court.
The French, he adds, have no more right to the country because its
streams flow into Lake Ontario than they have to the lands of those who
drink claret or brandy. It is clear that Dongan fretted under the
restrictions which were imposed upon him by the friendship between
England and France. He would have welcomed an order to support his
arguments by force. Denonville, on his side, with like feelings, could
not give up the claim to suzerainty over the land of the Iroquois.

The domain of the Five Nations was not the only part of America where
French and English clashed. The presence of the English in Hudson Bay
excited deep resentment at {106} Quebec and Montreal. Here Denonville
ventured to break the peace as Dongan had not dared to do. With
Denonville's consent and approval, a band of Canadians left Montreal in
the spring of 1686, fell upon three of the English posts--Fort Hayes,
Fort Rupert, Fort Albany--and with some bloodshed