He
Fed As Long As He Could On Grappes, And At Last Became So Weake That He Was
Not Able Any Further, Untill Those Ffrench Found Him.
After awhile, being
come to himselfe, he tends downe the three rivers, where being arrived the
governor emprisons him.
He stayed not there long. The inhabitants seeing
that the ennemy, the hunger, and all other miseries tormented this poore
man, and that it was by a divine providence he was alive, they would not
have souffred such inhumanity, but gott him out.
Three dayes after wee found the tracks of seaven boats, and fire yett
burning. We found out by their characters they weare no ennemys, but
imagined that they weare Octanaks that went up into their countrey, which
made us make hast to overtake them. We tooke no rest till we overtooke
them. They came from Mount royall and weare gone to the great river and
gone by the great river. So that we weare now 14 boats together, which
weare to goe the same way to the height of the upper lake.
The day following wee weare sett uppon by a Company of Iroquoits that
fortified themselves in the passage, where they waited of Octanack, for
they knewed of their going downe. Our wildmen, seeing that there was no way
to avoid them, resolved to be together, being the best way for them to make
a quick Expedition, ffor the season of the yeare pressed us to make
expedition. We resolved to give a combat. We prepared ourselves with
targetts. Now the businesse was to make a discovery. I doubt not but the
ennemy was much surprised to see us so in number. The councell was held and
resolution taken. I and a wildman weare appointed to goe and see their
fort. I offered myselfe with a free will, to lett them see how willing I
was to defend them; that is the onely way to gaine the hearts of those
wildmen. We saw that their fort was environed with great rocks that there
was no way to mine it, because there weare no trees neere it. The mine was
nothing else but to cutt the nearest tree, and so by his fall make a
bracke, and so goe and give an assault. Their fort was nothing but trees
one against another in a round or square without sides.
The ennemy seeing us come neere, shott att us, but in vaine, ffor we have
fforewarned ourselves before we came there. It was a pleasur to see our
wildmen with their guns and arrows, which agreed not together.
Neverthelesse we told them when they received a breake their guns would be
to no purpose; therefore to putt them by and make use of their bows and
arrows. The Iroquoits saw themselves putt to it, and the evident danger
that they weare in, but to late except they would runne away. Yett our
wildmen weare better wild footemen then they. These weare ffrenchmen that
should give them good directions to overthrow them, resolved to speake for
peace, and throw necklaces of porcelaine over the stakes of their fort. Our
wildmen weare dazelled att such guifts, because that the porcelaine is very
rare and costly in their countrey, and then seeing themselves flattered
with faire words, to which they gave eare. We trust them by force to putt
their first designe in Execution, but feared their lives and loved the
porcelaine, seeing they had it without danger of any life. They weare
persuaded to stay till the next day, because now it was almost night. The
Iroquoits make their escape. This occasion lost, our consolation was that
we had that passage free, but vexed for having lost that opportunity, &
contrarywise weare contented of our side, for doubtlesse some of us had ben
killed in the bataill.
The day following we embarqued ourselves quietly, being uppon our guard for
feare of any surprize, ffor that ennemy's danger scarcely begane, who with
his furour made himselfe so redoubted, having ben there up and downe to
make a new slaughter. This morning, in assurance enough; in the afternoone
the two boats that had orders to land some 200 paces from the landing
place, one tooke onely a small bundle very light, tends to the other side
of the carriage, imagining there to make the kettle boyle, having killed 2
staggs two houres agoe, and was scarce halfe way when he meets the
Iroquoits, without doubt for that same businesse. I think both weare much
surprized. The Iroquoits had a bundle of Castor that he left behind without
much adoe. Our wild men did the same; they both runne away to their
partners to give them notice. By chance my brother meets them in the way.
The wild men seeing that they all weare frightned and out of breath, they
asked the matter, and was told, nadonnee, and so soone said, he letts
fall his bundle that he had uppon his back into a bush, and comes backe
where he finds all the wildmen dispaired. He desired me to encourage them,
which I performed with all earnestnesse. We runned to the height of the
carriage. As we weare agoing they tooke their armes with all speed. In the
way we found the bundle of castors that the ennemy had left. By this means
we found out that they weare in a fright as wee, and that they came from
the warrs of the upper country, which we told the wildmen, so encouraged
them to gaine the watter side to discover their forces, where wee no sooner
came but 2 boats weare landed & charged their guns, either to defend
themselves or to sett uppon us. We prevented this affair by our diligence,
and shott att them with our bows & arrows, as with our gunns.
They finding such an assault immediately forsooke the place. They would
have gone into their boats, but we gave them not so much time. They threwed
themselves into the river to gaine the other side.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 56 of 115
Words from 55990 to 56999
of 117345
