the English.
Guillaume de Caen valued each skin at twelve pounds ten shillings, and
Burlamachi had written from Metz to representatives of the English
company, that he had been compelled to accept de Caen's estimates, as
under the terms of an Act of Private Council, he was bound to make them
good. The king had promised to reimburse de Caen for his losses by the
payment of the sum of fourteen thousand three hundred and thirty
pounds, of which eight thousand two hundred and seventy pounds were for
his peltry and goods, and six thousand and sixty pounds for the vessels
which had been captured. David Kirke strongly opposed the payment of
this sum on the ground that it was excessive, but the king through his
councillors ordered the payment to be made.

Having determined to seize the peltry brought to London from Quebec, the
Kirke associates blew off the padlock which had been fixed to the
storehouse door by an order of justice. Some time after, when Guillaume
de Caen visited the store, accompanied by a member of the company and a
constable, he discovered that only three hundred beaver skins and four
hundred elk skins remained. Complaint was lodged with the king, who
ordered Kirke to return the skins which were missing within three days,
on pain of imprisonment or the confiscation of his property. None of the
associates of Kirke appear to have obtained the sympathy of the public
in that affair.

The English company had suffered a great loss over the transaction, and
the king thought that it would be just to grant them some compensation.
He therefore appointed two commissioners, Sir Isaac Wake and Burlamachi,
to look after the interests of the English company. Their mission was to
make an agreement with Guillaume de Caen, who represented the French
company. After the exchange of a long correspondence, the king of
France agreed to pay to David Kirke the sum of twenty thousand pounds,
on the condition that he should restore the fort of Quebec, the contents
of the storehouse, the vessel belonging to Emery de Caen, and the peltry
seized in Canada.

David Kirke was much dissatisfied with the agreement, which he believed
was due to the action of Sir Isaac Wake, to whom he wrote, accusing him
of not having followed the instructions of the English company. His
letter concluded with these words: "I understand that the conduct of
this affair has been absolutely irregular, as it is evident that you
have only resorted to the French te