curtailment of their rights. Champlain appeased them, and assured them
that they would be allowed freedom of trading at least until the arrival
of Guillaume de Caën, the extent of whose authority was not yet known.

Caumont, the chief clerk, declared that he was satisfied with this
arrangement, but nevertheless the situation was difficult. If the king
had given the order to confiscate the merchandise, then Dumay, whose
visit to Canada was for the purpose of fur trading, would become the
king of commerce in New France, and therefore he had nothing to lose in
awaiting de Caën's arrival. He proceeded at once to Tadousac, but
instead of meeting de Caën, he found that Pont-Gravé had arrived as the
representative of the old company, and that he had with him seventy-five
men and some clerks.

Champlain was much distressed on receiving these tidings, for he foresaw
a conflict which would possibly entail bloodshed. The clerks also were
despondent. In order to avoid a quarrel, Champlain deemed it advisable
to protect his men, and he therefore installed his brother-in-law,
Eustache Boullé, and Captain Dumay with sixteen men, in the small fort
which he had erected at Cape Diamond during the preceding year.
Champlain defended himself within the habitation, where he quartered all
the men he could dispose of. If the clerks were inclined to fight he
would defend his position, but he hoped that these precautionary
measures would prove the means of preventing bloodshed.

On May 7th, 1621, three of the clerks of Guillaume de Caën left Tadousac
and took up their quarters near the habitation. Father Le Baillif and
Jean Baptiste Guers asked them to produce their papers. They declared
that they had authority to trade from the old Company of Rouen, which
still existed through articles agreed to by the Duke of Montmorency, and