I left when Monsieur de Saint-Pierre complained of my
action and alleged that this start of mine before him injured him to
the amount of more than ten thousand francs. He also accused me,
without the slightest reserve, of having loaded my canoe beyond the
permission accorded me.

The accusation was considered and my canoe was pursued; had I been
overtaken {103} at once, Monsieur de Saint-Pierre would have been
promptly reassured. He overtook me at Michilimackinac, and if I can
believe what he said, he now saw that he had been in the wrong in
acting as he did, and was vexed with himself for not having taken me
and my brothers with him. He expressed much regret to me and paid me
many compliments. It may be that this is his usual mode of acting; but
it is difficult for me to recognize in it either good faith or humanity.

Monsieur de Saint-Pierre might have obtained all that he has obtained;
he might have made sure of his interests and have gained surprising
advantages; and have taken [as he desired] some relative with him while
not shutting us out entirely. Monsieur de Saint-Pierre is an officer
of merit, and I am only the more to be pitied to find him thus turned
against me. Yet in spite of the favourable impressions he has created
on different occasions, he will find it difficult to show that in this
matter he kept the main interest [that of discovery] in view, and that
he conformed to the intentions of the court and respected the kindly
disposition with which the Marquis de la Galissoniere honours us.
Before {104} such a wrong could be done to us, he must have injured us
seriously in the opinion of Monsieur de la Jonquiere, who himself is
always disposed to be kind.

None the less am I ruined. My returns for this year were only half
collected, and a thousand subsequent difficulties make the disaster
complete; with credit gone in relation both to my father and to myself,
I am in debt for over twenty thousand francs; I remain without funds
and without patrimony. Moreover, I am a simple ensign of the second
grade; my elder brother has only the same rank as myself, while my
younger brother is only a junior cadet.

Such is the net result of all that my father, my brothers, and I have
done. The one who was murdered some years ago was not the most
unfortunate of us. His blood does not count in our behalf. Unless
Monsieur de Saint-Pierre becomes imbued with better sentiments and
communicates them to the Marquis