We
Desired Them To Keepe Good Watch And Sentry, And If We Weare Not Surprized
We Should Come Safe And Sound Without Hurt To The Ffrench.
The Iroquoite
seeing us goe on our way, made as if they would leave us.
We made 3 carriages that day, where the ennemy could doe us mischief if
they had ben there. The cunning knaves followed us neverthelesse pritty
close. We left 5 boats behind that weare not loaden. We did so to see what
invention our enemy could invent, knowing very well that his mind was to
surprize us. It is enough that we are warned that they follow us. Att last
we perceived that he was before us, which putt us in some feare; but seeing
us resolut, did what he could to augment his number. But we weare mighty
vigilent & sent some to make a discovery att every carriage through the
woods. We weare told that they weare in an ambush, & there builded a fort
below the long Sault, where we weare to passe. Our wildmen said doubtlesse
they have gott an other company of their nation, so that some minded to
throw their castors away & returne home. We told them that we weare almost
att the gates of the ffrench habitation, & bid [them] therefore have
courage, & that our lives weare in as great danger as theirs, & if we weare
taken we should never escape because they knewed us, & I because I runned
away from their country having slained some of their brethren, & my brother
that long since was the man that furnished their enemy with arms.
They att last weare persuaded, & landed within a mile of the landing place,
& sent 300 men before armed. We made them great bucklers that the shot
could not pearce in some places. They weare to be carryed if there had ben
occasion for it. Being come neere the torrent, we finding the Iroquoits
lying in ambush, who began to shoot. The rest of our company went about
cutting of trees & making a fort, whilst some brought the boats; which
being come, we left as few means possible might bee. The rest helped to
carry wood. We had about 200 men that weare gallant souldiers. The most
weare hurrons, Pasnoestigons, & Amickkoick frequented the ffrench for a
time. The rest weare skillfull in their bows & arrows. The Iroquoits
perceiving our device, resolved to fight by forceing them to lett us passe
with our arms. They did not know best what to doe, being not so munished
nor so many men above a hundred and fifty. They forsooke the place &
retired into the fort, which was underneath the rapide. We in the meane
while have slained 5 of theirs, & not one of ours hurted, which encouraged
our wildmen. We bid them still to have good courage, that we should have
the victory. Wee went & made another fort neere theirs, where 2 of our men
weare wounded but lightly.
It is a horrid thing to heare [of] the enormity of outcryes of those
different nations.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 101 of 223
Words from 51866 to 52373
of 117345
