THE EAKLY HISTORY OF MILITIA

their déprédations. The Five Nations mustexed about eight or nine hundred warriors at the most. It would hâve been an easy matter to send five hiindred men into their coimtry and destroy the evil at its root. The legend of the heroic days of Canada would not hâve existed in onr annads, and the colony conld boast of a fair development after thirty years of existence.

In 1647, M. de Montmagny, Governor-General, proposed the formation of a fl3ring campi of fif ty men to patrol Lake 'St. Peter .during the fur trade season ; this scheme was carxied into action by M. d'Ailleboust in 1649-51 and then abandoned. The latter year the settlers were enroLled into militia squads in Québec and Three Rivers. Montréal formed a similar organization in 1663.

The King had not yet contributed any share of the expenses conceming either the defence or the gênerai administration of the col'ony. The fur traders after 1647 were slightly taxed for the maintenance of the flying camp above mentioned. Montréal lived entirely upon charity f rom a few individuals in l'rance. The sixteen men who went to the Long Sault on the Ottawa with Dollard des Ormeaux (1660) and were killed there during the famous siège iso often celebrated in prose and verse, belonged to a contingent sent from France by means of a subscription. They composed at that time the whole of the garriison of Montréal.

The actual settlers, the toilers of the soil, were no soldiers. They had come hère to make a living under the protection of the military and the law. The fur merchants -did not offer to enlist them and carry arms for the benefit of their trade, but they induced the yoaing men to become coureurs de bois and paid them wages for that service, which Boon proved detrimental to the welfare of the colony.