The last page of the first deed of concession made by M. de Maisonneuve
to Pierre Gadoys. The deed itself is completely written in the
handwriting of the governor himself. Under the signature of Paul de
Chomedey is the acceptance of the concession by Pierre Gadoys before
the notary, Jean de St. Pierre. This is at once the first deed of
concession and the first notarial act registered in Montreal, January
4, 1648.]
Finally the king ordered that it would be necessary for two at least
of the councillors to deliberate with the governor. The salary of the
governor general was reduced to 10,000 _livres_, the sixty tons of
freight to twelve, and his garrison to twelve men, and it was ruled
that the local governors of Montreal and Three Rivers should each
receive 3,000 _livres_, six tons of freight and six soldiers.
The 19,000 _livres_ over should be partially employed in raising a
"camp volant," or flying squadron drawn from men of existing garrisons
if there should be sufficient so disposable, or if not, it should be
raised as soon as possible. In the summer this flying squadron should
guard all the passages by land and water under the command of some
capable officer to be appointed by the governor, and in the winter it
should be distributed in the garrisons to sally forth thence to beat
the bush and to rove around.
The rest of the 19,000 _livres_ should be employed in purchasing arms
and ammunition. Besides this flying squadron the king allowed a company
formed by the settlers at their own expense to act as the necessary
escort to the Hurons or the missionaries. For the support of this,
trading was allowed on these journeys on the condition of bringing the
skins to the government stores at Quebec and sold at the price fixed by
the Quebec council.
These changes were not received with favour by the old party and
d'Ailleboust was made to realize this on his way back. However, he
came to Quebec as governor general on August 20th and was received
with "generous magnanimity" by Montmagny, who left on September 23d.
Madame d'Ailleboust and her sister, Phillipine de Boulogne, joined the
governor at Quebec. There was grief at Montreal in losing them, but
this was tempered by its pride in furnishing the governor general from
its midst.
A few words are needed in further explanation of the "camp volant"
above alluded to.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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