Ontario, and that two posts manned by one hundred picked soldiers should be established, one on the north, the other on the south shore of that lake.  These measures would ensure safe communication between the colony and the Outaouais country, keep the Iroquois aloof, and favour the opening of new roads to the south.  It was a broad and bold scheme.  But could it be executed over the head of M. de Courcelle?  Talon had foreseen this objection and had begged that the governor should be instructed to give support and assistance.  But once more the intendant was going beyond his authority.  Such an undertaking was clearly within the governor’s province.  Talon was told that he should lay his scheme before M. de Courcelle, so that the governor might attend to its execution.

This incident sheds light upon the relations that existed between Courcelle and Talon.  The former was valiant, energetic, and intelligent; but he felt that he was outshone by the latter’s promptness, celerity in design, superior activity, wider and keener penetration, and he could not conceal his displeasure.

After the great councils held at Quebec, the Senecas again assumed a somewhat disquieting attitude.  The governor, they said, had been too hard on them.  He had threatened to chastise them in their own country if they did not bring back their prisoners.  Perhaps his arm was not long enough to strike so far.  Evidently they had forgotten the expedition against the Mohawks five years ago.  They were convinced that distance and natural impediments, such as rapids and torrents, protected them from invasion in their remote country south of Lake Ontario.  Courcelle resolved to shake their confidence.  Early in the spring he went to Montreal and ordered the construction of a flat-boat.  In this he set out from Lachine (June 3, 1671) with Perrot, governor of Montreal, Captain de Laubia, Varennes, Le Moyne, La Valliere, Normanville, Abbe Dollier de Casson, and about fifty good men.  Thirteen canoes accompanied the flat-boat.  After considerable exertion, the governor and his party passed the rapids and continued up the St Lawrence; nine days later they entered Lake Ontario, to the amazement of a party of Iroquois whom they met there.  The governor gave these Indians a message for the Senecas and the other nations, stating that he wished to keep the peace, but that, if necessary, he could come and devastate their country.  The demonstration had the desired effect and there was no further talk of war.

It will be inferred from Talon’s proposals and schemes already mentioned that his thoughts were now occupied with the external affairs of the colony.  This indeed was to be the characteristic feature of his second administration.  When in Canada before he had concentrated his attention chiefly upon judicial and political organization, and had directed his efforts to promote colonization, agriculture, industry, and trade—­in a word, the internal economy of