the-giant-killer are but little more incredible. And even though Father Charlevoix was familiar with them, yet he deemed them as fiction, it will be imagined, from his not relating them in his minute history. The name of Peiskaret was, for sundry years previous to 1646, terrible to the enemies of the Adirondaks. This nation, when Canada was settled by the French, in 1603, resided about 300 miles to the westward of Three Rivers. How long they had been at war with the Iroquois at this time, is not mentioned, but it was continued until the death of Peiskaret in 1646, though with interruption and various success; but with this chief perished all opposition, and the Adirondaks figured no more as a nation.

As we have put the reader upon his guard, about receiving the huge stories about Peiskaret, with too much confidence, it will be expected at our hands, perhaps, that we give a sample of them, as it may be said, "possibly they are true." We might have done this without thus premising, as others have done, upon the authority of Colden, (an author of small value, comparatively speaking.) His relation proceeds:

"An Indian named Piskaret was at this time* one of the captains of greatest fame among the Adirondacks; this bold man, with four other captains, set out for Trois Rivières in one canoe, each of them being provided with three muskets, which they loaded with two bullets apiece, joined with a small chain ten inches long. They met with five canoes in Sorel River, each having 10 men of the Five Nations on board. Piskaret and his captains, as soon as those of the Five Nations drew near, pretended to give themselves up for lost, and sung their death song, then suddenly fired upon the canoes, which they repeated with the arms that lay ready loaded, and tore those birch vessels betwixt wind and water. The men of the Five Nations were so surprised, that they tumbled out of their canoes, and gave Piskaret and his companions the opportunity of knocking as many of them on the head as they pleased, and saving the others, to feed their revenge, which they did by burning them alive with the most cruel torments. This, however, was so far from glutting Piskaret's revenge, that it seemed rather to give a keener edge to it; for he soon after undertook another enterprise, in which none of his countrymen durst accompany him. He was well acquainted with the country of the Five Nations, and set out about the time the snow began to nelt, with the precaution of putting the hinder part of his snow-shoes forward, that if any should happen upon his footsteps, they might think he was gone the contrary way; and for further security, went along the ridges and high grounds, where the snow was melted, that his track might be often lost. When he came near one of the villages of the Five Nations, he hid himself till night, and then entered a cabin, while every body was fast asleep, murdered the whole family, and carried their scalps into his lurking place. The next day the people of the village searched for the murderer in vain. The following night he murdered all he found in another cabin. The inhabitants next day searched likewise in vain for the murderer: but the third night a watch was kept in every house. Piskaret, in the night, bundled up the scalps he had taken the two former nights, to carry, as the proof of his victory, and then stole privately from house to house, till at last he found an Indian nodding, who was upon the watch in one of the houses; he knocked this man on the head; but as this alarmed the rest, he was forced immediately to fly.

*He mentions no particular time, but that of the settlement of Canada, in 1603; but some time during the war of which we have spoken must be understood.

The author of Indian Tales has copied this closely, but gives no credit. Tales, ii. 36, &c.

He was, however, under no great concern from the pursuit, being more swift of foot than any Indian then living. He let his pursuers come near him from time to time, and then would dart from them. This he did with design to tire them out, with the hopes of overtaking him. As it began to grow dark, he hid himself, and his pursuers stopped to rest. They not being apprehensive of any danger from a single man, soon fell asleep; and the bold Piskaret observing this, knocked them all on the head, and carried away their scalps with the rest. Such stories as these," continues Colden, “are told among the Indians, as extraordinary instances of the courage and conduct of their captains."

Before this, as we apprehend, though related afterwards by this author, were the great expeditions of the Iroquois against the Adirondaks. The French took part with the latter from the beginning, and when Champlain visited the country, he joined a party of them, and went against the Iroquois, and, with the aid of his firearms, overcame them in a battle near Lake Corlar, which was henceforth called Lake Champlain. Two hundred Iroquois were in this fight, and the French kept themselves concealed, until it began, then rushed forward, and immediately put the Iroquois to flight. This was the first time they had seen the effects of guns. This affair was in 1611.

Finally, the Iroquois, having grown conscious of their strength, felt confident that, if they could prevent the French from assisting them, they could withstand them. Therefore, they pretended to be well affected towards their religion, and requested that missionaries should be sent among them. This was done without delay. Their real object was soon apparent; for they treated the Jesuit missionaries only as hostages, and this was the means of making them stand neutral while they carried on their war with the Adirondaks and Quatoghies or Hurons, whom they soon after defeated "in a dreadful battle fought within two leagues of Quebeck."

This expedition turned out so much to their advantage, "the Five Nations gave out, that they intended next winter* to visit the_governor of Canada; these visits are always made with much show. Under this pretence they gathered together 1000 or 1200 men. Their outscouts met with Piskaret near Nicolet River, and still pretending a friendly visit to the governor of Canada, as their only design, he told them, that the Adirondacks were divided into two bodies, one of which hunted on the north side of St. Lawrence River at Wabmake, three leagues above Trois Rivières, and the other at Nicolet. As soon as they had gained this information, they killed him, and returned with his head to the army. The Five Nations divided likewise into two bodies; they surprised the Adirondacks, in both places, and in both cut them in pieces."

This account is more circumstantial than that given by Charlevoix, but, as we have seen, would have been without any value, but for his chronology. He states that, by their previous conduct, the Mohawks had reason to expect, that all the neighboring nations would join to oppose them, and that they sent out parties to observe what was passing among them; that one of these scouts met Peiskaret alone, but dared not attack him; being persuaded he would kill at least half of them, as he had often done before. They therefore accosted him as a friend, while some came up behind him, and stabbed him to the heart.

But for the French, the Iroquoist had now been complete masters of

* No one can tell when next winter was, that is, what year it was in, by any connection in Colden's text; he is so exceedingly loose with regard to dates; but according to Charlevoix it was in 1646.

↑ We should long ago have laid the following note on this name in the way of the reader:-"Le nom d'Iroquois est purement François, et a été formé du terme Hiro,

all the northern and western regions; and some have observed, that had they known the weakness of those white neighbors, at the time they overcame the Algonquins, near Quebec, they might easily have cleared the country of them also.

ou Hero, qui signifie, J'ai dit: et par lequel ces sauvages finissent tous leurs discours, comme les Latins faisoient autrefois par leur Dixi; et de Koué, qui est un cri, tantôt de tristesse lorsqu'on le prononce en traînant, et tantôt de joye, quand on le prononce plus court. Leur nom propre est Agonnonsionni, (see p. 2, b. v.) qui veut dire Faiseurs de Cabannes; parce qui'ls les bâtissent beaucoup plus solides, que la plûpart des autres Sauvages." Charlevoix, i. 270-1, sub anno 1646

This note contains exceedingly valuable facts, as will be seen by comparing them with those in Loskiel, Heckewelder, &c. See also note * p. 49, b. iii. of this.

FINIS.

PERKINS'S

ANTIQUARIAN BOOKSTORE, 56 CORNHILL, FORMERLY MARKET STREET,

BOSTON,

The first and only one of the kind in the United States, has been established three years, and, by the unsparing pains of its conductor, has become an extensive Depository of Ancient and Modern Science and Literature. Its

main objects are briefly as follow:

I. To collect, and keep constantly for sale, all kinds of valuable New and Second-hand Books, and to afford them much below the common retail prices.

II. To make it especially a depository of Second-hand Classical and School Books, where students and others may exchange such works as they have no further use for, for new ones, or others second-hand, such as they may want.

III. That thereby Books used in Colleges, Academies, and Common Schools, may always be had, (and often as good as new,) for about half the original cost.

IV. To keep an assortment of the most suitable works for gentlemen's libraries, also for all public libraries, upon the same reasonable terms.

V. And, in particular, to collect works of every description relating to the history of the United States of America, general and particular ;—such, for example, as

Salem-Portland-Portsmouth-Worcester Co.-Watertown-Quincy-Concordand of various other towns in N. England;-Philadelphia-Wyoming-Long-Island -Tryon Co.-&c. &c.

Among the Voyages and Travels of those whose works are valuable, are,

N. American, Edinburgh and Quarterly Reviews-Encyclopedias-Webster, Johnson and Walker, Worcester and Bailey's Dictionaries-Quarto, Octavo, School, Pearl and Diamond and Polyglot Bibles-Josephus, Rollin, Hume, Gibbon and Clarendon's Histories-Johnson, Byron, Smollett, Sterne, Goldsmith, Cowper, Young and Milton's Works-Scott's Bible-Calmet's Dictionary of the Bible-Cruden's ConcordanceAiken, Hazlitt and Southey's British Poets-Lawrence's Lectures-Nicholson's Operative Mechanic-Neal's History of the Puritans-Jefferson's_Works-Ferguson's Rome Gillies' Greece-Godman's Natural History-Fielding, Pope, Scott, Moore, Shakspeare, Plutarch, Bunyan and Addison's Works.

Also Writing and Letter Paper-Albums-A great variety of Novels Works on Mathematics, Medicine, Law, Theology, Agriculture, &c. &c. Many of the above in quantities.

In general, any books on hand will 12 EXCHANGED for others.--All old Tracts, Pamphlets, or Books, relating to the history of this country, wili be received in payment of others, or CASH given for them, if valuable. Bostav Jan. 1834.