XI. their receiving again Prisoners which had been taken CHA P. by the Five Nations, gave the Commandant fufficient Ground to fufpect what was doing. The Dionondadies at laft took seven Men of the Five Nations Prisoners, and carried them to Miffilimakinak. The French perceiving, by their Manner of bringing them in, that the Dionondadies intended to treat them with the Civility they had lately used to others, murdered two of them with their Knives as they stept afhore. On this the Dionondadies immediately took to their Arms, faved the other Five, and carried them fafe to their Caftle; and continuing in Arms, threatened Revenge for the Infult they had received. The French were forced in like Manner to ftand to their Arms, and as there are always many dif ferent Nations at Miffilimakinak trading, fome of which were inveterate Enemies of the Five Nations, they joined with the French. The Utawawas ftood neúter. This gave the Commandant Means of ending the Difpute by Compofition. He in the firft Place affured them, that the Chriftians abhorred all Manner of Cruelty, and then told them, that as the French fhared with the Dionondadies in all the Dangers and Loffes fuftained by the War, they ought in like Manner to partake with them in any, Advantage. The Dionondadies on this were perfuaded to deliver up one of the Prifoners. What I am about to relate, I think, gives Room to charge the French with a Piece of Policy, not only inconfiftent with the Chriftian Religion, but likewife with the Character of a polite People; and that all Confiderations from Religion, Honour, and Virtue, muft give Way to the prefent Exigencies of their Affairs. That an End might be put to the Beginnings of a Reconciliation between thefe People and the Five Nations, the French gave a publick Invitation to feaft on the Soup to be made on this Prifoner, and, in a more particular Manner, CHA P. Manner, invited the Utawawas to the EntertainXI. ment. The Prisoner being first made fast to a Stake, fo as to have Room to move round it, a Frenchman began the horrid Tragedy, by broiling the Flesh of the Prifoner's Legs, from his Toes to his Knees, with the red hot Barrel of a Gun; his Example was followed by an Utawawa, and they relieved one another as they grew tired. The Prifoner all this while continued his Death Song, till they clapt a red hot Frying-pan on his Buttocks, when he cried out, Fire is strong and too powerful; then all their Indians mocked him, as wanting Courage and Refolution. You, they faid, a Soldier and a Captain, as you fay, and afraid of Fire; you are not a Man. They continued their Torments for two Hours without ceafing. An Utawawa being defirous to outdo the French in their refined Cruelty, split a Furrow from the Prisoner's Shoulder to his Garter, and filling it with Gunpowder, fet Fire to it. This gave him exquifite Pain, and raised exceffive Laughter in his Tormenters. When they found his Throat fo much parched, that he was no longer able to gratify their Ears with his howling, they gave him Water, to enable him to continue their Pleasure longer. But at laft his Strength failing, an Utawawa flead off his Scalp, and threw burning hot Coals on his Scull. Then they untied him, and bid him run for his Life: He began to run, tumbling like a drunken Man; they fhut up the Way to the Eaft, and made him run Weftward, the Country, as they think, of departed (miferable) Souls. He had ftill Force left to throw Stones, till they put an End to his Mifery by knocking him on the Head with a Stone. After this every one cut a Slice from his Body, to conclude the Tragedy with a Feaft. It is doing no Injury, I think, to thefe Frenchmen, who thus glory in this horrid Cruelty, to afk them, whether they did did not likewife regale their revengeful Appetites CHA P. with a Share of this inhuman Feaft? Though I have had frequent Occafions to mention these barbarous inhuman Cruelties, transacted by the Indians, yet I have avoided to relate the particular Circumftances of them, because I believe few civilized Ears can bear the reading of them without Horror. But when they are perpetrated by Chriftians, and fo far gloried in, as to be recorded in their own Hiftory, I am willing to fhew it to my Countrymen in its proper Colours. This laft Piece of French Hiftory is taken from Hiftoire de l'Amerique Septentrionale, par Monfr. de la Poterie, publifhed at Paris with the Royal Licence, and recommended to the Publick by Monf. Fontenelle, Vol. ii. Page 298. Though this cruel Act had its defigned Effect, in breaking off this Method of negotiating between the Five Nations and Dionondadies, it did not prevent the Peace; and it had very near raised a Civil War with their own Indians, which was only prevented by the dextrous Conduct of the French Officers, who, in all kind of Artifice, have always been fuperior to the Indians. But let me obferve on this Occafion, that the avoiding any Misfortune, by any bafe or wicked Action, is commonly the Caufe of greater Mischiefs than what is thereby avoided; and of this numerous Examples may be given. XI. CHAP. CHAP. CHA P. XII. The Count de Frontenac attacks Onondaga in T HE Count de Frontenac having fecured Cadarackui Fort, which was called by his Name, as a Place of Arms and Provifions, and for a Retreat to the Men that fhould happen to be fick or wounded, refolved to make the Five Nations feel his Refentment of their refufing his Terms of Peace. For this Purpofe he affembled all the regular Troops of Canada, the Militia, the Owenagungas, the Quatoghies of Loretto, the Adirondacks, Sokokies, Nepiciriniens, the Praying Indians of the Five Nations, and a few Utawawas, at Montreal, in June 1696. The other western Indians near Maffilimakinak, by their late Correfpondence with the Five Nations, and the Diffatisfaction they had manifefted, were not trufted. The Manner of making War with the Indians in a Country wholly covered with Woods, muft be fo much different from the Methods used in Europe, that I believe the Reader will be pleased to have a particular Account of the Count de Frontenac's Conduct in this, who was an old experienced General, in the feventy fourth Year of his Age. It is to be obferved, that it is impoffible to pafs the vaft Forefts between the Countries of the Five Nations with Waggons, or other Carriages, or on Horfeback, or even on Foot, in the fummer Time, by Reafon of many impaffible thick Swamps and Moraffes. For this Reafon, the only Method of travelling travelling is in Bark Canoes, or very light Battoes, CHA P. along the Rivers, which may be easily carried on XII Men's Shoulders, where the Stream of the River becomes too rapid, and from one River to another; for which Purpose the shortest Paffes are always chofen, and are called, for this Reason, Carrying Places. The Count de Frontenac marched from la Chine, in the fouth End of the Island of Montreal, the fourth of July. He divided five hundred Indians fo, that the greatest Number of them fhould always be in the Van, which confifted of two Battalions of the regular Troops. They were followed by the Canoes which carried the Provifions. The Van was commanded by the Chevalier de Callieres, Goyernor of Montreal; he had with him two large Battoes, which carried two fmall Pieces of Cannon, fmall Mortars, Granadoes, and the Utenfils of the Artillery. The Count de Frontenac was at the Head of the main Body, accompanied by the Engineer and several Gentlemen Voluntiers. The Body confifted of four Battalions of the Militia, who, in War with Indians, were then more depended on than the regular Troops; thefe were commanded by Monfieur Ramfay, Governor of Trois Rivieres. The Rear, which confifted of two Battalions of regular Troops, and of the rest of the Indians, was under the Command of the Chevalier de Vaudreuil. All the Indians had French Officers fet over them. In this Order the Army marched, only those that were in the Van one Day, were in the Rear the next; and they always kept a Number of Indians on the Scout, to discover the Tracks of the Enemy, for fear of Ambuscades. And when they were obliged to carry the Canoes, and drag the large Battoes, feveral Parties were detached to cover the Men that worked. After |