But Yett They Made No Signe Att The Present, But
Lett Them Goe Without Trouble For Feare The Rest Would Doe The Same, & So
Be Deprived Of The Conspiracy Layde For The Death Of Their Compagnions.
To
that purpose knowing the place where they weare to land, which was in an
island in the midle of the river, a league long & a quarter broade, they
resolved to murder them in the said place, which was promptly executed in
this maner following:
-
They embarqued both hurron men and women in their boats, and among them
made up som 20 that embarked themselves in 2 of their boats, in a posture
as if they should goe to the warrs, & went before the breake of day. We
weare but 7 frenchmen, & they put us 7 [in] several boats. I find meselfe
with 3 Iroquoits & one Hurron man. Coming within sight of the Isle where
they weare to play their game, one of the Iroquoits in the same boate as I
landed, takes his gunne & charges it. The hurron and I saw this, but
neither dreamed of the tragedy that was att hand. After goes into the
woode, & the Iroquois that governed the boat takes up a hattchett & knocks
downe the poore hurron, that never thought to be so ended, and the other
that charged his musket in the wood shoots him and fell downe uppon my
heels. My feet soone swims in the miserable hurron's bloode. He did quiver
as if he had an ague, and was wounded with great many wounds, that still
they doubled. Both Iroquoits came to me and bid [me have] courage, ffor
they would not hurt me; but [as] for him that was killed, he was a dogg,
good for nothing. The small knowledge that I have had of their speech made
of a better hope; but one that could not have understood them would have
ben certainly in a great terror. This murder could not be committed so but
that the rest of the boats should heare it, and therefore in that very time
we heard sad moans and cryes horidly by hurron women. They threwed the
corps immediately into the water and went the other side of the river into
the abovesaid isle. Being landed together, the poore women went in a flock
like sheep that sees the wolves ready to devour them. There were 8 hurron
men that tooke theire armes. The Iroquoits not hindering them in the least,
but contrarily the Captayne of the Iroquoits appeared to defend their
cause, giving sharp apprehensions to those that held up armes, and so farr
that he did beat those that offered to hurt them.
In this example you may perceive the dissimulation & vengence of this
cursed people. So that the Company, reassured in some respects, the
affrighted company, made them goe up to the toppe of the hill and there
errect cottages some 40 paces from them; during the while I walked on the
side where they weare hard at work and firmly believed that the poore
hurron was killed by the Iroquoit out of malice, so much trust I putt in
the traiterous words. As I was directly coming where the hurrons weare,
what should I see? A band of Iroquoits all daubed, rushing out of a wood
all painted, which is the signe of warre. I thought they weare those that I
have seene in [the] morning before, as effectually they weare. I came to
the place where weare all those poore victims. There was the good ffather
comforting the poore innocent women. The chief of them satt by a valliant
huron who all his life time killed many Iroquoits, and by his vallour
acquired the name of great Captayne att home and abroad. The Iroquoit spake
to him, as the ffather told us, and as I myself have heard. "Brother,
cheare up," says he, "and assure yourselfe you shall not be killed by
doggs; thou art both man and captayne, as I myselfe am, and will die in thy
defence." And as the afforesaid crew shewed such a horrid noise, of a
sudaine the captayne tooke hold of the chaine that was about him, thou
shalt not be killed by another hand then by mine. Att that instant the
cruell Iroquoits fell upon those hurrons, as many wolves, with hattchetts,
swords, and daggers, & killed as many [as] there weare, save onely one man.
That hurron captayne seeing himselfe so basly betrayed, he tooke hold of
his hattchett that hunged downe his side, and strook downe a Iroquoit; but
the infinit deale tooke his courage and life away. This that was saved was
an old man, who in his time had ben att the defeat and taking of severall
Iroquoits. He in authority by his means saved some. This news brought to
them and his name as benefactor, which deed then saved his life. Heere you
see a good example, that it is decent to be good to his Ennemy.
After this was done & their corps throwne into the watter, the women weare
brought together. I admired att them, seeing them in such a deepe silence,
looking on the ground with their coverletts uppon their heads, not a sigh
heard, where a litle before they made such a lamentable noise for the losse
of their companyion that was killed in my boate. Some 2 howers all was
pacified & the kettle almost ready for [to] goe to worke. In this very
moment there calls a councell. The ffather was called as a statsman to that
councell, where he hears their wild reasons; that what they had done was in
reveng of their deare comrades that weare drowned in coming for them, and
also to certifie the ffrench of their good will. So done, the meate was
dressed, we weare invited. The ffather comes to take his dish, and finds us
all 5 in armes, resolving to die valiently, thinking the councell was
called to conclud our death as the Hurron's. The 6th was not able to menage
armes, being a litle boy.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 31 of 115
Words from 30668 to 31684
of 117345
