was, indeed, more intent on
making progress than on telling what he was doing until he could give
definite statements. He was running into debt, he failed to receive
promotions. Yet his zeal for his project never slackened, persuaded as
he was that sooner or later his labours would be crowned with success
and recompense.

At the time when he was most eager in the good work, envy won the day,
and he saw the posts he had established and his own work pass into
other hands. While he was thus checked in his operations, the reward
of a plentiful harvest of beaver skins [which he had made possible]
went {99} to another rather than himself. Yet [in spite of this
profitable trade the good work slackened]; the posts, instead of
multiplying, fell into decay, and no progress was made in exploration;
it was this, indeed, which grieved him the most.

Meanwhile the Marquis de la Galissoniere arrived in the country [to act
as governor]. In the hubbub of contradictory opinions that prevailed,
he came to the conclusion that the man who had pursued such discoveries
at his own charge and expense, without any cost to the king, and who
had gone into debt to establish useful posts, merited better fortune.
Apart from advancing the project of discovery, practical services had
been rendered. There was [the marquis reported] a large increase of
beaver in the colony, and four or five posts had been well-established,
and defended by forts as good as could be made in countries so distant;
a multitude of savages had been turned into subjects of the king; some
of them, in a party which I commanded, showed an example to our own
domiciled savages by striking at the Anniers Indians, who are devoted
to England. Progress [the marquis concluded] could be hastened and
rendered {100} more efficacious only by allowing the work to remain in
the same hands.

Thus it was that the Marquis de la Galissoniere was good enough to
explain his position. No doubt he expressed himself to the court to a
similar effect, for in the following year, that is to say last year, my
father was honoured with the Cross of St Louis, and was invited to
continue with his sons the work which he had begun. He made
arrangements with great earnestness for starting on his expedition; he
spared nothing that might make for success; he had already bought and
prepared all the goods to be used in trade; he inspired me and my
brothers with his own ardour. Then in the month of December