|
Jan. 9.
Barbados. |
2,092. Sir John Witham to Lords of Trade and Plantations. Forwarding minutes of the Council and Assembly. Signed, Jno. Witham. Holograph. 1 p. Endorsed. Recd. 18 March 1683–4. [Col. Papers, Vol. LXIV., No. 126.] |
| Jan. 3. |
2,093. Minutes of Council of St. Christopher's. Proposed by the Assembly that one negro man out of every sixty be set to work at the Sessions House. Concurred in by the Council; one member of Council and one of Assembly to see to the work. Proposed by the Council, that the same negroes be sent on to the forts when the Sessions house is finished. The Assembly dissented. The Assembly proposed that all representations should henceforward be exempt from military service. [Col. Papers, Vol. LV., No. 40.] |
| [Jan. 9.] |
2,094. Samuel Hanson to Lords of Trade and Plantations. A reply to the articles exhibited against him by Sir Richard Dutton. 11 pp. Endorsed. Read in Council, 9 Jan. '83–4. [Col. Papers, Vol. LXIV., No. 127.] |
| [Jan. 16/26]. |
2,095. Memorial of Lord Preston to the King of France, for satisfaction for the attack on the settléments of the Hudson's Bay Company, and for, justice on the offenders. Copy. 1 p. Endorsed. Sent by the packet of 16–26 January 1684. Read 9 Feb. 83–4. [Col. Papers, Vol. LXIV., No. 128.] |
| Jan. 20. |
2,096. Minutes of Council of St. Christopher's. Order for Captain William Willett, Treasurer, to see that all liabilities for the Sessions house be paid as soon as it is finished. Order, that all who went voluntarily on the late Indian expedition be excused their levy. Order for the chief officers in every district to take a list of the poor that cannot pay their levy therein; a member of Assembly to help each of them. [Col. Papers, Vol. LV., No. 40.] |
| Jan. 26. |
2,097. Sir James Hayes to Sir Leoline Jenkins. I have read Lord Preston's memorial (see No. 2,095), and would make these observations. First, Des Grosiliers and Radisson, the leaders of the outrage on our settlements[Illegible] in Hudson's Bay, left Canada because they were ill-treated by the Governor, and went to New England, where they offered their services for discovering the great beaver trade of Canada. They were sent off in a ship by some merchants of Boston, but returned without having accomplished anything, quarrelled with their employers in New England, and obtained an introduction to Prince Rupert, whose secretary I was. The Prince thereupon fitted out two vessels for Hudson's Bay, of which Des Grosiliers only made the voyage, and named Rupert's river, while Radisson's was driven back by the weather. This was in 1667–1668. The Company was then incorporated, and for seven years these two men were employed by it. Then the French in Canada grew jealous, and formed a league with some Indians to ruin us. The expedition was stopped by a quarrel
between French and Indians, which led to bloodshed; but a Jesuit, Father Albanel, and another Frenchman fled from the fray, came to our factory, and asked to be received as friends in distress. Governor Charles Bayley, however, had heard of Albanel's having pulled down the English Royal arms at Rupert's river before, and sent him to England. He was well and kindly treated, but ungratefully seduced Radisson and Des Grosiliers from the Company's service, and being refused, he and his companions organized this insolent expedition. To shew how dexterous the man is, he has since his return to France again entered into negotiations with the company, and encouraged Sir John Kirk (whose daughter he married) to revive his claims to Canada. I see that the French insinuate that they were at Hudson's Bay before us. Nothing could be further from the truth. We discovered it sixty years ago, and no other nation has traded there. Grosiliers himself was there in 1662, in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company. I send several journals of voyages to Hudson's Bay, and a map, for the use of Lord Preston. Signed, Ja. Hayes. 4 pp. Endorsed. [Col. Papers, Vol. LXIV., No. 129.] |
