in the interior. This lake is twenty leagues wide; its length about forty.

31st. St. Ignatius' day. The rain and storm force us to seek for lost roads. We cross long islands, carrying our bagage, provisions and canoe on our shoulders. The road seems long to a poor weary man.

On the first day of the month of August, some Iroquois fishermen having perceived us from a distance, get together to receive

One of them runs towards us, advancing a half a league to communicate the earliest news and the state of the country. It is a Huron prisoner, and a good Christian, whom I formerly in-. structed during a winter that I passed among the savages. This poor lad could not believe that it was he whom he never hoped to see again. We disembarked at a little village of fishermen. They crowd as to who shall carry our bagage. But alas! they are apparently only Huron squaws, and for the most part Christian women, formerly rich and at their ease, whom captivity has reduced to servitude. They requested me to pray to God, and I had the consolation to confess there at my leisure Hostagehtak, our antient host of the Petun Nation. His sentiments and devotion drew tears from my eyes; he is the fruit of the labors of Father Charles Garnier, that holy missionary whose death has been so precious before God.

The second day of August. We walked about twelve to fif teen leagues in the woods. We camp where the day closes.

The 3d. At noon we find ourselves on the bank of a river, one hundred or one hundred and twenty paces wide, beyond which there was a hamlet of fishermen. An Iroquois whom I at one time had treated kindly at Montreal, put me across in his canoe, and through respect carried me on his shoulders, being unwilling to suffer me to wet my feet. Every one received me with joy, and these poor people enriched me from their poverty. I was conducted to another village a league distant, where there was a young man of consideration who made a feast for me because I bore his father's name, Ondessonk. The Chiefs came to harangue us, the one after the other. I baptized little skeletons who

awaited, perhaps, only this drop of the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

4th. They ask me why we are dressed in black? and I take occasion to speak to them of our mysteries with great attention. They bring me a little moribund whom I call Dominick. The time is passed when they used to hide the little innocents from us. They took me for a great Medicine-man, having no other remedy for the sick but a pinch of sugar. We pursued our route -in the middle of which we found our dinner waiting for us. The nephew of the first Chief of the country, who is to lodge me in his cabin, is deputed by his uncle to escort us, bringing us every delicacy that the season could afford, especially new corn bread, and ears (of corn) which we had roasted at the fire. We slept again that day by the beautiful light of the stars.

5th. We had to make four leagues before arriving at the principal Onondaga village. There is nothing but comers and goers on the road who come to salute me. One treats me as brother; another as uncle-never did I have such a number of relations. A quarter of a league from the village I began a harangue, which gained me much credit. I named all the Chiefs, the families and persons of note in a drawling voice and with the tone of a chief. I told them that Peace walked along with me; that I drove War afar off among the distant nations, and that Joy accompanied me. Two Chiefs made their speech to me on my arrival, but with a gladness and cheerfulness of countenance which I never had seen among savages. Men, women and children, all were respectful and friendly.

At night I called the principal men together to make them two presents. The first to wipe their faces, so that they may regard me with a kindly eye, and that I may never see a trace of sorrow on their foreheads. The second to clear out the little gall which they still might have in their hearts. After several other discourses they retired to consult together, and finally they responded to my presents by two other presents richer than mine.

6th. I was called to divers quarters to administer my medicine to weakly and hectic little things. I baptized some of them.

I confessed some of our old Huron Christians, and found God every where, and that He pleased to work himself in hearts. where faith reigns. He builds himself a temple there, where he is adored in spirit and truth. Be He blessed for ever.

At night our host draws me aside and tells me very affectionately that he always loved us, that finally his heart was satisfied, seeing all the tribes of his nation demanded nothing but peace : that the Seneca had recently come to exhort them to manage this matter well for peace, and that with that view he had made splendid presents: that the Cayuga had brought three belts for that purpose, and that the Oneida was glad to be rid of such a bad affair through his means, and that he desired nothing but peace that the Mohawk would, no doubt, follow the others, and thus I might take courage, since I bore with me the happiness of the whole land.

7th. A good Christian named Terese, a Huron captive, wishing to pour out her soul to me away from noise and in silence, invited me to visit her in a field cabin where she lived. My God! What sweet consolation to witness so much faith in savage hearts, in captivity, and without other assistance than that of heaven. God raises up Apostles every where. This good Christian woman had with her a young captive of the neutral nation (de la Nation Nextre), whom she loved as her own daughter. She had so well instructed her in the mysteries of the faith, and in sentiments of piety, in the prayers they made in this holy solitude, that I was much surprised. Eh! sister, I asked, why did you not baptise her, since she has the faith like you, and she is Christian in her morals, and she wishes to die a Christian? Alas, brother, this happy captive replied, I did not think it was allowed me to baptise, except in danger of death. Baptise her now, yourself, since you consider her worthy, and give her my name. This was the first adult baptism at Onondago; we are indebted for it to the piety of a Huron.

GENERAL COUNCIL OF PEACE WITH THE FOUR IROQUOIS

NATIONS,

AND THE SUBSEQUENT RETURN OF FATHER SIMON LE MOINE FROM HIS VOYAGE.

[From the Same.]

On the 10th day of August, the deputies of the three neighbouring Nations having arrived, after the usual summons of the Chiefs that all should assemble in Ondessonk's cabin, I opened the proceedings (says the Father, continuing his Journal) by public prayer, which I said on my knees and in a loud voice, all in the Huron tongue. I invoked the Great Master of heaven and of earth to inspire us with what should be for his glory and our good; I cursed all the demons of hell who are spirits of division; I prayed the tutelar angels of the whole country to touch the hearts of those who heard me, when my words should strike their ear.

I greatly astonished them when they heard me naming all by nations, by tribes, by families and each particular individual of any note, and all by aid of my manuscript, which was a matter as wonderful as it was new. I told them I was the bearer of nineteen words to them.

The first: That it was Onnonthio, M. de Lauzon, Governor of New France, who spoke by my mouth, and then the Hurons and the Algonquins as well as the French, for all these three nations had Onnonthio for their Great Chief. A large belt of wampum, one hundred little tubes or pipes of red glass, the diamonds of the country, and a caribou's hide being passed: these three presents made but one word.

My second word was, to cut the bonds of the eight Seneca prisoners, taken by our allies and brought to Montreal, as already stated.

The third was, to break the bonds of the Mohegans also, captured about the same time.

The fourth; to thank those of Onontago for having brought our prisoner back.

The fifth present was, to thank the Senecas for having saved him from the scaffold.

The sixth for the Cayuga Iroquois, for having also contributed. The seventh, for the Oneidas for having broken the bonds which kept him a prisoner.

The 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th presents to be given to the four Iroquois Nations-a hatchet each-for the new war they were waging against the Cat Nation.

The twelfth present was to heal the head of the Seneca who had lost some of his people.

The thirteenth, to strengthen his palissades; to wit, that he may be in a state of defence against the enemy.

:

The fourteenth, to ornament his face for it is the custom of warriors here never to go to battle unless with the face painted, some black, some red, others with various other colors, each having herein as if particular liveries to which they cling even unto death.

The fifteenth to concentrate all their thoughts. I made three presents for this occasion; one wampum belt, little glass beads and an elk hide.

The sixteenth-I opened Annonchiasse's door to all the Nations; that is, they would be welcome among us.

The seventeenth. I exhorted them to become acquainted with the truths of our faith, and made three presents for this object. The eighteenth. I asked them not to prepare henceforward any ambushes for the Algonquin and Huron Nations, who would come to visit us in our French settlement. I made three presents for this purpose.

Finally, by the nineteenth present I wiped away the tears of all the young warriors for the death of their great Chief Annencraos, a short time prisoner with the Cat Nation.

At each present they heaved a powerful ejaculation from the bottom of the chest in testimony of their joy. I was full two hours making my whole speech, talking like a Chief, and walking about like an actor on a stage, as is their custom.