La Salle and the discovery of the great West - North Central ...

;1684.] BEAUJEU AND LA SALLE. 855war except with savages, and who has no rank, whileI have been captain of a ship thirteen years, and haveserved thirty by sea and land.Besides, Monseigneur,he has told me that in case of his death you havedirected that the Sieur de Tonty shall succeed him.This, indeed, is very hard; for, though I am notacquainted with that country,I should be very dull,if, being on the spot, I did not know at the end of amonth as much of it as they do.I beg, Monseigneur,that I may at least share the command with themand that, as regards war, nothing may be done withoutmy knowledge and concurrence, — for, as totheir commerce, I neither intend nor desire to knowanything about it."Seignelay answered by a rebuff, and told him tomake no trouble about the command. This increasedhis irritation, and he wrote: "In my last letter,Monseigneur, I represented to you the hardship ofcompelling me to obey M. de la Salle, who has norank, and never commanded anybody but school-boysand I begged you at least to divide the commandbetween us. I now, Monseigneur, take the libertyto say that I will obey without repugnance, if youorder me to do so, having reflected that there can beno competition between the said Sieur de la Salleand me."Thus far, he has not told me his plan; and hechanges his mind every moment. He is a man sosuspicious, and so afraid that one will penetrate hissecrets, that I dare not ask him anything. He sayb