Fur Trade and Fisheries wy

extent of his grant and within the space of six years, “at least two settlements each of forty families of Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman French, or a single one of eighty families, of maintaining a sufficient number of good and virtuous ecclesiastics for hold- ing divine service, aiding the said families, and labor- ing for the conversion of the Indians.” Out of respect for Denys’ experience and merit, the Company fur- ther agreed to nominate him to the King as Governor within this domain for an uninterrupted period of nine years; but, in default of either the payment of the 15,000 livres or the fulfilment of the conditions of settlement, the Company was to have a free hand to dispose of the territories concerned without liabil- ity to any claim from Denys for compensation.

By Letters Patent of January 30, 1654, Denys was confirmed in his grant and in the title of Gover- nor and Lieutenant General of the territory from Cap de Canceaux to Cap de Rosiers. As these letters patent illustrate both the motives and the prodigal- ity of the Royal favor and the general attitude of the century toward colonial expansion they are given in

full as follows:

Louis, by the grace of God, King of France and of Navarre; To all present and to come. Being well in- formed and assured of the laudable and praiseworthy affection, care, and industry of the Sieur Nicolas Denys, Esquire, who was formerly appointed and con- stituted by the Company of New France Governor in all the extent of the Great Bay of Saint-Laurens and islands adjacent, beginning with the Cap de Canceaux