the Company of the North, they had
placed a vessel at Isle Percee to receive the furs brought back . . .
and convey them to Holland and Spain. . . . Joachims de Chalons, agent
of the Company of the North, sent a _bateau_ to Percee to defeat the
project. De la Chesnaye, summoned to appear before the intendant,
maintained that the company had no right to this trade, . . . that the
enterprise involved so many risks that he could not consent to divide
the profits, if he had any. The partners having been heard, M. de
Meulles orders that the boats from Hudson Bay be anchored at Quebec.

[13] Archives, October 25, 1683: M. de la Barre grants Benjamin Gillam
of Boston clearance for the ship _Le Garcon_, now in port at Quebec,
although he had no license from his Britannic Majesty permitting him to
enter Hudson Bay.

[14] Such foundationless accusations have been written against Radisson
by historians who ought to have known better, about these furs, that I
quote the final orders of the government on the subject: November 5,
1683, M. de la Barre forbids Chalons, agent of La Ferme du Canada,
confiscating the furs brought from Hudson Bay; November 8 M. de la
Chesnaye is to be paid for the furs seized.

CHAPTER VII

1684-1710

THE LAST VOYAGE OF RADISSON TO HUDSON BAY

France refuses to restore the Confiscated Furs and Radisson tries to
redeem his Fortune--Reengaged by England, he captures back Fort Nelson,
but comes to Want in his Old Age--his Character

Radisson was now near his fiftieth year. He had spent his entire life
exploring the wilds. He had saved New France from bankruptcy with
cargoes of furs that in four years amounted to half a million of modern
money. In ten years he had brought half a million dollars worth of
furs to the English company.[1] Yet he was a poor man, threatened with
the sponging-house by clamorous creditors and in the power of
avaricious statesmen, who used him as a tool for their own schemes. La
Chesnaye had saved his furs; but the half of the cargo that was the
share of Radisson and Groseillers had been seized at Quebec.[2] On
arriving in France, Groseillers presented a memorial of their wrong to
the court.[3] Probably because England and France were allied by
treaty at that time, the petition for redress was ignored. Groseillers
was now an old man. He left the struggle to Radisson and retired to
spend his days in quietness.[4] Radisson did not cease to press his
claim for