Voyages of Peter Esprit Radisson | Page 6

Nicolls, Sir Robert Carr, Colonel George Cartwright,
and Samuel Mavericke. Sir Robert Carr wished the two Frenchmen to
go with him to New York, but Colonel George Cartwright, erroneously
called by Radisson in his manuscript "Cartaret," prevailed upon them to
embark with him from Nantucket, August 1, 1665. On this voyage
Cartwright carried with him "all the original papers of the transactions
of the Royal Commissioners, together with the maps of the several
colonies." They had also as a fellow passenger George Carr,
presumably the brother of Sir Robert, and probably the acting secretary
to the Commission. Colonel Richard Nicolls, writing to Secretary Lord
Arlington, July 31, 1665, Says, "He supposes Col. Geo. Cartwright is
now at sea." George Carr, also writing to Lord Arlington, December 14,
1665, tells him that "he sends the transactions of the Commissioners in
New England briefly set down, each colony by itself. The papers by
which all this and much more might have been demonstrated were lost

in obeying His Majesty's command by keeping company with Captain
Pierce, who was laden with masts; for otherwise in probability we
might have been in England ten days before we met the Dutch 'Caper,'
who after two hours' fight stripped and landed us in Spain. Hearing also
some Frenchmen discourse in New England of a passage from the West
Sea to the South Sea, and of a great trade of beaver in that passage, and
afterwards meeting with sufficient proof of the truth of what they had
said, and knowing what great endeavours have been made for the
finding out of a North Western passage, he thought them the best
present he could possibly make His Majesty, and persuaded them to
come to England. Begs His Lordship to procure some consideration for
his loss, suffering, and service." Colonel Cartwright, upon his capture
at Sea by the Dutch "Caper," threw all his despatches and papers
overboard.
No doubt the captain of the Dutch vessel carefully scrutinized the
papers of Radisson and his brother-in-law, and, it may be, carried off
some of them; for there is evidence in one part at least of the former's
narration of his travels, of some confusion, as the writer has transposed
the date of one important and well-known event in Canadian history. It
is evident that the writer was busy on his voyage preparing his narrative
of travels for presentation to the King. Towards the conclusion of his
manuscript he says: "We are now in the passage, and he that brought us,
which was one of the Commissioners called Collonell George Cartaret,
was taken by the Hollanders, and wee arrived in England in a very bad
time for the plague and the warrs. Being at Oxford, wee went to Sir
George Cartaret, who spoke to His Majesty, who gave good hopes that
wee should have a shipp ready for the next Spring, and that the King
did allow us forty shillings a week for our maintenance, and wee had
chambers in the town by his order, where wee stayed three months.
Afterwards the King came to London and sent us to Windsor, where
wee stayed the rest of the winter."
Charles II., with his Court, came to open Parliament and the Courts of
Law at Oxford, September 25, 1665, and left for Hampton Court to
reside, January 27, 1666. Radisson and Des Groseilliers must have
arrived there about the 25th of October. DeWitt, the Dutch statesman,
and Grand Pensionary of the States of Holland from 1652, becoming
informed by the captain of the Dutch "Caper" of the errand of Radisson

and his companion into England, despatched an emissary to that
country in 1666 to endeavor to entice them out of the English into the
service of the Dutch. Sir John Colleton first brought the matter before
the notice of Lord Arlington in a letter of November 12th. The agent of
DeWitt was one Elie Godefroy Touret, a native of Picardy, France, and
an acquaintance of Groseilliers. Touret had lived over ten years in the
service of the Rhinegrave at Maestricht. Thinking it might possibly aid
him in his design, he endeavored to pass himself off in London as
Groseilliers' nephew. One Monsieur Delheure deposed that Groseilliers
"always held Touret in suspicion for calling himself his nephew, and
for being in England without employment, not being a person who
could live on his income, and had therefore avoided his company as
dangerous to the State. Has heard Touret say that if his uncle
Groseilliers were in service of the States of Holland, he would be more
considered than here, where his merits are not recognised, and that if
his discovery were under the protection of Holland, all would go better
with him."
On the 21st of November a warrant was issued to the Keeper of the