em. In a fierce fight lasting four hours, he sinks the
strongest, compels the second to surrender, while the third flees under
full sail. Fort Bourbon surrendered almost at once, and Hudson Bay was
captured.

After the peace d'Iberville explored the mouths of the Mississippi,
erected several forts, founded the city of Mobile, and became the first
governor of Louisiana. When the war began again, the king gave him a
fleet of sixteen vessels to oppose the English in the Indies. He died of
an attack of fever in 1706.

During this time, the Iroquois were as dangerous to the French by their
inroads and devastations as the Abenaquis were to the English colonies;
accordingly Frontenac wished to subdue them. In the summer of 1696,
braving the fatigue and privations so hard to bear for a man of his age,
Frontenac set out from Ile Perrot with more than two thousand men, and
landed at the mouth of the Oswego River. He found at Onondaga only the
smoking remains of the village to which the savages had themselves set
fire, and the corpses of two Frenchmen who had died in torture. He
marched next against the Oneidas; all had fled at his approach, and he
had to be satisfied with laying waste their country. There remained
three of the Five Nations to punish, but winter was coming on and
Frontenac did not wish to proceed further into the midst of invisible
enemies, so he returned to Quebec.

The following year it was learned that the Treaty of Ryswick had just
been concluded between France and England. France kept Hudson Bay, but
Louis XIV pledged himself to recognize William III as King of England.
The Count de Frontenac had not the good fortune of crowning his
brilliant career by a treaty with the savages; he died on November 28th,
1698, at the age of seventy-eight years. In reaching this age without
exceeding it, he presented a new point of resemblance to his model,
Louis the Great, according to whom he always endeavoured to shape his
conduct, and who was destined to die at the age of seventy-seven.

[Note.--The incident of the flag mentioned above on page 230 is
treated at greater length in Dr. Le Sueur's _Frontenac_, pp. 295-8,
in the "Makers of Canada" series. He takes a somewhat different
view of the event.--Ed.]

CHAPTER XVII

THE LABOURS OF OLD AGE

The peace lasted only four years. M. de Callieres, who succeeded Count
de Frontenac, was able, thanks to his prudence and the devotion of the
miss