The Consequence of these Expeditions were very dismal to the French, for they were forced to burn their two Barks, which they had on Cadarackui Lake, and to abandon their Fort there; they designed to have blown up their Works, when they left that Place; and for that End left a lighted Match where the Powder lay, but were in such a Fright, that they durst not stay to see what Effect it had. They went down Cadarackui River in seven Birch Canoes; and for greater Security, travelled in the Night. One of the Canoes, with all the Men in it, were lost, by their Precipitation, as they passed one of the Falls in that River. The Five Nations hearing the French had deserted Cadarackui Fort, fifty Indians went and took Possession of it, who found the Match the French had left, which had gone out, and twenty eight Barrels of Powder in the same Place, together with several other Stores.
The News of the Success the Five Nations had over the French soon spread itself among all the Indians, and put the French Affairs every where into the greatest Disorder.
The Utawawas had always shewn an Inclination to the English, and they therefore immediately sent openly four Sachems, with three Prisoners of the Senekas, which they had, to assure them, that they would for ever renounce all Friendship with the French, and promised to restore the rest of the Prisoners. They also included seven Nations, that lived near Missilimakinak, in this Peace.
This put the French Commandant there under the greatest Difficulty to maintain his Post; but there was no Choice, he must stand his Ground, for the Five Nations had cut off all Hopes of retiring.
The Nepairinians and Kikabous, of all their numerous Allies, only remained firm to the French; every one of the others endeavoured to gain the Friendship of the Five Nations; and would certainly have done it, by murdering all the French among them, had not the Sieur Perot, with wonderful Sagacity and eminent Hazard to his own Person, diverted them.
Canada was now in a most miserable Condition, for while the greatest Number of their Men had been employed in the Expedition against the Five Nations, and in trading among the far Nations, and making new Discoveries and Settlements, Tillage and Husbandry had been neglected; and they lost several Thousands of their Inhabitants, by the continual Incursions of small Parties, so that none durst hazard themselves out of fortified Places; indeed, it is hard to conceive what Distress the French were then under, for tho' they were every where almost starving, they could not plant nor sow, or go from one Village to another for Relief, but with imminent Danger of having their Scalps carried away by the sculking Indians; at last the whole Country being laid waste, Famine began to rage, and was like to have put a miserable End to that Colony.
If the Indians had understood the Method of attacking Forts, nothing could have preserved the French from an entire Destruction at this Time; for whoever considers the State of the Indian Affairs during this Period, how the Five Nations were divided in their Sentiments and Measures; that the Onondagas, Cayugas, and Oneydoes, under the Influence of the French Jesuites, were diverted from prosecuting the War against Canada, by the Jesuites cunningly spiriting up those three Nations against the Virginia Indians, and persuading them to send out their Parties that Way: That the Senekas had a War at the same Time upon their Hands with three numerous Indian Nations, the Utawawas, Chicktaghicks, and Twihtwies; and that the Measures the English observed all King James's Reign, gave the Indians rather Grounds of Jealousy than Assistance: I say, whoever considers all these Things, and what the Five Nations did actually perform, under all these Disadvantages against the French, will hardly doubt, that the Five Nations by themselves were at that Time an Overmatch for the French of Canada.