Roma at Three Rivers 83

tures, equipment, food—from wheat, peas and beasts— fishermen engaged on a 36 months basis; which has joined to the fishery the easy cultivation of good fertile land, a trade of the colony to the extent of 80,000 livres of which 50% to 60% is clear profit, and commerce with Canada and the West Indies without employing new men, at an expense that is negligible; which, in short, has an establishment, in a magnificent harbor well situ- ated to procure most of the things necessary for fishing, trading in furs, and commerce! With this example be- fore them they would be foolish to embark on any colo- nial enterprise; but when they are positively informed by witnesses of weight of the real advantages of the enterprise and that the Company sent supplies the first year only; that it suffered reverses from accident to its vessels on the sea, that on refusing to follow up the business, it missed the two following years a very favor- able opportunity to recoup its losses fully, that it was pleased to pardon two captains of the ships, 30 to 40,000 livres which their criminal behavior cost them; that it allowed itself to be imposed on in an extraor- dinary manner, by calumniators to the prejudice of all its interests, that it jumped to conclusions without proof, examination or reflection on a great many things of which the error stares it in the face; that it sacrificed in a pet a vessel of 100 tons, eight years old, a fine sailer that had new sails, and needed only repairs to the extent of £800 for the small sum of £2156, and that it thought to find consolation and profit in abandoning an expert establishment and enterprise by charging gra- tuitously its director with all blame, in considering it with the colony a hole for money by means of a table of expenses which it presented and which includes not only the vessels and effects in hand but more than 50,000 to