Narrative of Le Moyne

tinued influence with the King Outina that the commodities referred to were sent into the fort. In return, five or six arquebusiers were sent to him, to be employed in one direction or another, as the occasions or necessities of himself or Outina might require. But, in brief, his operations resulted in Outina’s making peace with some enemies of his near the mountains. With reference to this matter, he wrote to M. de Laudonniere to send some one to take his place, as he had various important affairs to communicate touching the king’s service, and the honor and advantage of all.

Upon this, M. de Laudonniere at once sent out a person to take the place of La Roche Ferriire; who returned to the fort reporting that he had certain information that all the gold and silver which had been sent to it came from the Apalatcy Mountains, and that the Indians from whom he obtained it knew of no other place to get it, since they had got all they had had so far in warring with three chiefs, named Potanou, Onatheaqua, and Oustaca, who had been preventing the great chief Outina from taking possession of these mountains. Moreover, La Roche Fcrriere brought with him a piece of rock mined in those mountains, containing a sufficiently good display of gold and brass. He therefore requested permission of M. de Laudonniere to undertake the long journey by which he hoped he could reach these three chiefs, and examine the state of things about them. Having accordingly received permission, he set out.

La Roche Ferriere having gone, the thirty who got up the demonstration or supplicatory paper above referred to threw every thing into disorder in the fort, of which they determined to take possession in order to effect a change in the conduct of affairs. As the best mode of proceeding, they chose as leaders one M. de Fourneaux, a great hypocrite, and excessively avaricious ; one Stephen of Genoa, an Italian ; and a third named La Croix : and of the soldiers a captain named Seignore, a Gascon. They then brought over to their way of thinking all the military officers except three : namely, M. d’Ottigny, the second in command ; M. d’Arlac, the ensign, a Swiss gentleman ; and Capt. La Caille. The rest of the soldiers they so effectually prevailed with, that sixty-six of them, being the best veteran men, joined them. They tried also to corrupt me, through some of my intimate friends, by showing me the list of names of those who had joined, and threatening terrible things against those who should not do the same. I, however, requested them not to trouble me further, as I was against them in this matter. M. de Laudonniere knew that some conspiracy was forming, but he did not know by whom. Some things also had come to the knowledge of M. d’Ottigny, but very obscurely.

On the evening of the night during which the conspirators had decided to put their plan into execution, I was informed by a Norman gentleman named De Pompierre that they had resolved that night to cut the throat of Capt. La Caille, whose lodging and mine were the same ; and that, if I valued my life, I had better be out of the way. As, however, the time was too short to allow me to make the necessary arrangements, I went home, and told La Caille what I had heard. He at once fled by a rear door, and hid himself in the woods ; while I thought it best to recommend myself to the protection of God, and to await the event.

At midnight Fourneaux, the chief of the conspirators, armed with his cuirass, and carrying an arquebuse in his hand, and having twenty arquebusiers along with him, went to M. de Laudonniire’s house, which he commanded to be opened ; and, going straight to his bedside, put his weapon to his throat, and, assailing him with the vilest insults, seized the keys of the armory and storehouse, took away all his weapons, and, having put fetters on his feet, ordered him to be confined as a prisoner on the ship which lay in the river opposite the fort, under a guard of two soldiers. At the same