THE Day of my Arrival at this Place, I sent Dispatches to all the commanding Officers in New-France, to meet me within ten Days at Montreal; I also imme­diately sent Expresses to all the commanding Officers at Missisippi, to muster with all Expedition, the Natives inlisted in His Most Christian Majesty's Service, to join our Troops from France, and proceed forthwith to Ohio, there to follow such Directions as from time to time they shall receive from us at Canada: And according to Time appointed, I met Mons. Du­verney at Montreal, with our other Officers; at which Interview, I received a most agreeable Account from them, in Favour of our Royal Master's Interest, which gives us a glorious Prospect of soon adding a Kingdom unto our dread Sovereign's Domini­ons; for by their Account from North to South, they have in­listed into his Majesty's Service Four or Five Thousand resolute young Natives among the several Tribes; and those have been for some Time disciplin'd, and well equipt with all Necessaries. They also inform me, that our Regulars from France, with the Natives included, at Missisippi, amount to near Two Thousand Four Hundred, who are to build many strong Forts at Ohio and Places adjacent, which in a little Time we expect will prove impregnable against any Force the English can raise in those Parts. The Cannon for said Forts is already dispatched.

Our Army at Canada, with our Regulars included, will amount to near Five Thousand, which we determine to divide into three main Bodies, one to be commanded by Count Mon­tery, [Page 4] the second by Mons. Boriel, and the third by Mons. Estrides. Count Montery to proceed to Crown-Point, and divide his Squadron into Parties on the Back of Albany. The second Division under Mons. Boriel, on the Back of Maryland and Pennsylvania; and the third under Mons. Estrides, on the Back of New-England; which are all to be divided into Parties, as the commanding Officers shall judge proper. We design only to send small Parties of Indians into their back Settlements, to bring us fresh Supplies of Provision, until we are properly fortified. Father Anthony, by an uncommon Assiduity and In­fluence, has gained over to our Interest, a Number of young Men of the Six Nations, who by the English are look'd upon as our Enemies; let that Suspicion remain, and they may keep the old Men and Women.

I must not omit to acquaint you, that our new Governor is more and more zealous and resolute to be a principal Instrument (with the united Assistance of the Houses of Bourbon) to subdue and extirpate Hereticks out of America. And such a glorious Acquisition, will add a Kingdom, which will prove superiour to Scotland and Ireland, and furnish Stores of every Kind for His Most Christian and Catholic Majesty's Navy, and Provisions and other Necessaries even to Profusion, for the supply of their Royal Majesty's Possessions in the West-Indies.

Our young Hero, the present Governor of Canada, did not take this Task upon him, of making a Conquest of that Part of North-America possess'd by the English, only from a Motive which makes him Ruler thereof, and because he has not a superiour Title, but his present Disposition animates him to be reveng'd on the English Heretics for the late Indignities offer'd his illustrious Person and Royal Predecessors; and is come into these Parts, invested with the Power and Authority of Church and State, and supported with Money and other Assistance, by His Most Christian and Catholic Majesties, and has likewise received the supreme Sanction and sovereign Benediction of his Holiness the Pope, to drive out of America pestilent Heretics, to make Room for good Catholics. I have also the Satisfaction of acquainting you, that the Regiments raised in the Switz Cantons some Time past, which our Governor brought over [Page 5] with him, are in high Spirits, zealous to assist as against the English, and conceive an infinite Satisfaction at our present Prospect of possessing those fruitful Lands now enjoy'd by the English.

I have lately had a Conference with M'Laish, an Irish Jesuit, of the Order of St. Patrick, a politic ingenious Man, who has been among the several Tribes, influencing and inlisting the Natives into His Most Christian Majesty's Service: He gives me a very succinct and satisfactory Account of the several Tribes of Natives near Canada, that upon any emergent Occasion, we may command what Numbers we shall have Occasion for. He gives me also a particular Relation of the several Provinces in­habited by the English on the Sea Coasts, and appears perfectly acquainted with their Manners and Customs. He informs me there are many of our hearty Friends among them, with whom he has settled a Correspondence by Letters, by the way of Cape-Breton, and from thence to Quebeck. The English (he says) are our good Friends; that the Measures we have concerted, could not be so effectually carried on, were it not that one hundred Sail of their Vessels yearly arrive at Cape-Breton, with Provision and other Necessaries from Philadelphia, New-York, Boston, Rhode-Island, &c. which, by a moderate Computation, have brought this Year 10,000 Barrels of Flour, 5000 Barrels of Pork and Beef, 1500 Tons of Bread, and of Butter, Cheese, Hogs, Neat Cattle, and Poultrey, even to Profusion; some of which is sent to our southern Plantations, and the King's Commissioners sup­ply the Magazines at Cape-Breton, and send large Quantities to our Army at Quebeck, which elevates the Spirits of our Soldiers. We have also a good Supply of Powder by the Way of Cape-Breton. M'Laish's Sentiments of the English bordering on the Sea-Coast is satisfactory; they having little or no Military Discipline among them, no Arms nor Ammunition, neither do they know properly how to use them, except those Oliverian Heretics who took our Cape-Breton; these cast a Damp on our Undertakings; they have the same Governor Shirley, who is an enterprizing, resolute Man; and when he, and the Puritan Ministers, say to the Inhabitants, Go, fight for your Religion and Country, they rush like Lions, and had rather die in Battle, than submit to the Dictates of our Holy Fathers, Jesuits, [Page 6] Friers, and Monks, and become Members of our Mother Church. They retain the most martial Spirit of any in North America, and have a Tincture of Oliver Cromwell's Blood re­maining, therefore for the present, we shall not erect any Forts bordering near them; should we attempt such a Thing, even with Ten Thousand Men, M'Laish is confident we should be prevented and all our Measures disconcerted, by the Vigilance of those New-England Heretics; for if they could take Cape-Breton (which we imagin'd to be impregnable) what can we suppose they could not effect, when their Indignation and Re­sentment provokes them to oppose our Encroachments on their Territories? And they are sensible, that when once we become their Masters, Fire and Gibbet will be their Portion, if they do not fall down and worship the Images we shall set up.

Our Design is to get Footing in the Western Provinces. Lord Baltimore was one of our Mother Church, and a good Friend to King James; and in Maryland and Virginia, and those Parts, there are many true Catholics that will not fight their Brethren. M'Laish acquaints me, the Inhabitants of Pennsylvania are a meek peaceable People, who will neither furnish Money, Arms, nor Ammunition, that if you take their Coat, they will give you their Cloak also: These we shall indulge with many Privileges, for their not opposing our Mea­sures, and quietly surrendering their Lands, and submitting to the godly Admonitions of our holy Fathers.

M'Laish likewise acquaints me, that from New-York West ward, the Inhabitants are not such Bigots to Religion, there­fore may more easily be prevail'd on to be of our holy Re­ligion. The rich Traders in those Parts, are not concern'd at our erecting Forts near them, from a View of private Gain in the Fur Trade. And M'Laish says, the English might have demolished Crown-Point, but many in Albany and New-York have receiv'd considerable Advantages by our Fur Trade, by which, we have also been benefitted, in receiving Ammuniti­on, &c. in Exchange.

There is now a Dispute between our Grand Monarch and the English, relating to the Boundary Line in the North, and [Page 7] what are call'd the Neutral Islands, in South-America; but his most Christian Majesty is determin'd to decide the Controversy very soon. He is now peopling the Neutral Islands, and what Cannon will be requisite to fortify the same, is already at Martineco. From Canada and Missisippi we are to have a suf­ficient Number, of regular Troops to join the Natives, so soon as we are prepar'd to receive them, and those to be dispers'd on the Back of the English, between Crown-Point and Ohio. Our Officers are directed to send proper Persons into the English Provinces, to make a more perfect Discovery of their Strength and Weakness: Those are to deceive the English [which French Policy has frequently done!] by amusing them, with being Deserters.

Our Grand Monarque's Will and Pleasure is, that we im­mediately build strong Forts between Crown-Point and Ohio, suf­ficient to secure Fifty Thousand Men, and so situated, that upon any extraordinary Occasion, they may immediately unite and oppose the English, if they should attempt to oppose us, but, at present, they appear unconcern'd and secure: However, their Numbers cannot terrify us, when they have no Discipline or Union. Had they as many as Mexico, before the Conquest, could boast of, our Regulars, headed by our Hero, the present Governor, would destroy as many Thousands as Cortes did of the Mexicans.

I must, with secret Pleasure to ourselves, tell you, Sir, that we are pitying, not envying, the English who are peopling Nova-Scotia: in thus fatiguing themselves in clearing Land, and ex­pending considerable Sums in building, &c. as his most Christi­an Majesty's Pleasure is, to prepare a large Squadron to deprive them of their Labour and Possessions: Then will they cry out, Who would have imagined this would have befallen us, when no more Disturbance has been at Home? When this is effected, the Eng­lish may undertake by Remonstrances, to complain of a Viola­tion and Infringement of Treaties.—

I need not inform you, Sir, of our well concerted Plan, which is, to keep New-England, South-Carolina and Georgia fully en­gag'd to defend their own Territories, in order to prevent [Page 8] their assisting the intervening Provinces, which will fall an easy Prey, as their Ports will be block'd up by our Ships, and those of his Catholic-Majesty's, who have also a sufficient Number to divert the English Squadrons, and keep them at Home; at which Time, with our numerous Indian Allies, we shall enter the English Provinces of New-York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, &c. Our Indian Allies Eastward, are to attack the Eastward Settlements; and his Catholic Majesty to transport a Number of Regulars from the Havanna, who are to attack Georgia and South-Carolina, which will be added to his other Dominions of New-Spain; and his most Christian Majesty to possess all the Land from South-Carolina to Newfoundland.

I need not caution you, Sir, to conceal the Contents of this Letter, which you must be sensible should remain an en­tire Secret, lest the English should discover the Measures we have concerted: And while they are amusing themselves with idle Disputes and Debates, and one Province contending, and promoting Jealousies, and raising groundless Suspicions of each other, without making any Preparations for Defence, let u unite as one Body, as loyal Subjects and good Catholics, then shall we accomplish our glorious Undertaking, and sing Te Deum, and celebrate Mass in those Places which have been long defil'd by the Breath of Heretics.