866        ILLINOIS HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
Je ne puis en meme tems excuser la negligence du Sr Marain, qui sachant les ordres donnes a l'avance a Mr de Maccarty par Messieurs Duquesne et Bigotte pour faire partir le dit convoy le ler de 7bre n'a pas donne le moindre avis a ce commandant des illinois de l'impossibilite ou il se trouvoit de proffiter de cet ap-provisionnement. Rien ne le justiffie selon moy de n'avoir pas depesche a vis sur avis pour prevenir de sa position puisque le deffaut d'eau qui la empesche de poursuivre sa Routte rendoit les prairies et les chemins pratiquables pour tous expres quil auroit du depescher tous les quinze jours pour instruire de sa marche et de sa situation, et de toute 1 impossibilite ou il se trouvoit de recevoir les vivres prepares. Voila des fautes selon moy peu pardonnables tres prejudiciables aux interests du Roy, qui ont epuises les illinois et facilite la desertion de la part des soldats qui ont ete deposer cette cache, enfin d autres inconveniens que Ton auroit prevus par des avis certains qui auroient mis Mr de Maccarty dans le cas de diriger ses opperations avec surete
[Translation]
I cannot at the same time excuse the negligence of the Sieur Marin, who, knowing the orders given in advance to M. de Macarty by Messieurs Duquesne and Bigot to send off the said convoy the first of September, did not give the least information to that commandant at the Illinois of the impossibility in which he was of profiting by this supply. Nothing justifies him according to me for not having dispatched one message after another to indicate his position since the lack of water which prevented him from continuing his march rendered the prairies and the trails practicable for any express; he might have dispatched one every two weeks to give information of his march and of his situation and of the entire impossibility in which he found himself of receiving the provisions prepared for him. Here according to my mind are faults not to be pardoned and very prejudicial to the interests of the king which have exhausted the Illinois and facilitated desertion on the part of the soldiers who went to make that cache as well as other inconveniences which would have been forestalled by exact information which would have enabled M. de Macarty to direct his operations with assurance.