I. this, their young Warriors became fierce and info-CH A P lent, and would not be kept under any Difcipline or Subjection to their Captains; but, upon all Occafions, rafhly attacked the Enemy, who were obliged to keep themselves upon the defenfive; and to make up what they wanted in Force, by Stratagems, and a fkilful Management of the War. The young Men of the Five Nations foon perceived the Advantages they gained by this Conduct, and every Day grew more fubmiffive to their Captains, and diligent in executing any Enterprize. The Five Nations fent out fmall Parties only, who meeting with great Numbers of the Adiron dacks, retired before them with feeming Terror, while the Adirondacks pursued them with Fury, and without Thought, till they were cunningly drawn into Ambufcades, where moft of their Men were killed or taken Prifoners, with little or no Lofs to the Five Nations. The Adirondacks, by this Means, wafted away, and their boldest Soldiers were almost intirely deftroy'd, while the Number of the Five Nations were increased, by the Addition of the Prisoners, which they took from the Satanas. The wifeft and beft Soldiers of the Adirondacks, when it was too late, now at length difcovered, that they must learn the Art of War from thofe Enemies that they at first defpifed; and now five of their Captains endeavoured to perform by themselves fingly, with Art and by Stratagem, what they could 1 not do by Force at the Head of their Armies; they had however no longer any Hopes of conquering, = their Thoughts were only fet on Revenge. It is not improper to obferve here, once for all, that in writing the Hiftory of Indians, it is often neceffary to give an Account of the Enterprizes of fingle Perfons, otherwife the Indian Genius can never be known, or their Manner of making War underftood. An Indian named Pifkaret was at this Time " * CHAP. Time one of the Captains of greatest Fame among I. the Adirondacks: This bold Man, with four other Captains, fet out for Trois-Rivieres in one Canoe, each of them being provided with three Mufquets, which they loaded with two Bullets apiece, joined with a fmall Chain ten Inches long; they met with five Canoes in Sorel River, each having ten Men of the Five Nations on Board. Pifkaret and his Captains, as foon as thofe of the Five Nations drew near, pretended to give themfelves up for loft, and fung their Death Song, then fuddenly fired upon the Canoes, which they repeated with the Arms that lay ready loaded, and tore thofe Birch Veffels betwixt Wind and Water. The Men of the Five Nations were fo furprized, that they tumbled out of their Canoes, and gave Pifkaret and his Companions the Opportunity of knocking as many of them on the Head as they pleased, and faving the others, to feed their Revenge, which they did, by burning them alive with the most cruel Torments. This however was fo far from glutting Pifkaret's Revenge, that it feemed rather to give a keener Edge to it; for he foon after undertook another Enterprize, in which none of his Countrymen durft accompany him: He was well acquainted with the Country of the Five Nations, and fet out about the Time the Snow began to melt, with the Precaution of putting the hinder Part of his Snow Shoes forward, that if any fhould 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 loft; 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 faft afleep, mur *It is a Cuftom among the Indian Prisoners of War, when led to Death, to fing an Account of their own Exploits; and this they are hardy enough to continue even in the midst of Tor tures. dered " I..1 dered the whole Family, and carried their Scalps in- CHA P.) to his lurking Place. The next day the People of the Village fearched for the Murderer in vain. The following Night he murdered all he found in another. Cabin. The Inhabitants next Day fearched likewife in vain for the Murderer; but the third Night a Watch was kept in every Houfe. Pifkaret in the Night bundled up the Scalps he had taken the two former Nights, to carry, as the Proof of his Victory, and then ftole privately from Houfe to Houfe, till at laft he found an Indian nodding, who was upon the Watch in one of the Houfes; he knockt this Man on the Head; but as this alarmed the rest, he was forced immediately to fly. He was however under no great Concern from the Purfuit, being more fwift of Foot than any Indian then living. He let his Purfuers come near him from Time to Time, and then would dart from them. This he did with Defign to tire them out with the Hopes of overtaking Him. As it began to grow dark, he hid himself, and his Purfuers ftop'd to reft. They not being apprehenfive of any Danger from a fingle Man, foon fell afleep, and the bold Pifkaret obferving this, knock'd them all on the Head, and carried away their Scalps with the reft. Such Stories as thefe are told among the Indians, as extraordinary Inftances of the Courage and Conduct of their Captains. The Indians will often travel thus three or four Hundred Miles fingly, or two or three in Company, and lurk about their Enemy's Borders for feveral Weeks, in Hopes to revenge the Death of a near Relation or dear Friend. Indeed they give themfelves fo very much ། up to Revenge, that this Paffion feems to gnaw their Souls, and gives them no Reft till they fatisfy it. It is this Delight in Revenge, that makes all barbarous Nations cruel; and the curbing fuch Paffions is one of the happy Effects of being civilized. The I. CHAP The Five Nations are fo much delighted with Stratagems in War, that no Superiority of their Forces ever make them neglect them. They amufed the Adirondacks and their Allies the Quatogbies (called by the French Hurons) by fending to the French, and defiring Peace. The French defired them to receive fome Priefts among them, in Hopes that those prudent Fathers would, by fome Art, reconcile them to their Intereft, and engage their Affections. The Five Nations readily accepted the Offer, and fome Jefuits went along with them: But after they had the Jefuits in their Power, they used them only as Hoftages, and thereby obliged the French to ftand neuter, while they prepared to attack the Adirondacks and Quatoghies, and they defeated the Quatoghies in a dreadful Battle fought within two Leagues of Quebeck. The French own, That if the Five Nations had known their Weaknefs at that Time, they might have eafily deftroyed the whole Colony. This Defeat, in Sight of the French Settlements, ftruck Terror into all their Allies, who were at that Time very numerous, because of the Trade with the French, which furnished them with many the most useful Conveniencies; for before that Time the Indians had no Iron Tool among them. The Nipeceriniens, who then lived on the Banks of St. Laurence River, fled upon this to the Northward, believing that the extreme Coldnefs of the Climate, and a barren Soil, would be the fecureft Defence against the Ambition of the Five Nations. The Remainder of the Quatogbies fled with the Utawawas Southweftward; and for the greater Security, fettled in an Ifland, which being further than the Name of the Five Nations had then reached, they trusted to the Distance of the Place, and the Advantage of its Situation. Their laft Expedition having fucceeded fo well, the Five Nations gave out, that they intended next Winter Winter to vifit Yonnendio, (the Name they give to CHA P. the Governor of Canada;) thefe Vifits are always I. made with much Shew. Under this Pretence they gathered together 1000 or 1200 Men. Their out Scouts met with Pifkaret near Niccolet River, and = ftill pretending a friendly Vifit to the Governor of • Canada, as their only Defign, he told them, that the Adirondacks were divided into two Bodies, one of which hunted on the North Side of St. Laurence River at Wabmake, three Leagues above Trois Rivieres, and the other at Nicolet. As foon as they had gained this Information, they killed him, and returned with I his Head to the Army. The Five Nations divided likewise into two Bodies; they furprized the Adirondacks in both Places, and in both cut them in pieces. Thus the moft warlike and polite Nation of all the Indians in North America, was almoft intirely deftroyed by a People they at firft defpifed, and by a War which their Pride and Injuftice brought upon them; and we here fee, that all the Advantages of Numbers, Courage and Weapons, is not equal to good difcipline in an Army. A very few Adirondacks only now remain in fome Villages near Quebeck, who ftill wafte away and decay, by their drinking ftrong Waters, tho' when = the French firft fettled at Quebeck, 1500 fighting Men of them lived between that Place and Sillerie, which 5 are only a League diftant, befides thofe that lived at Saquenay, Trois Rivieres, and fome other Places. And fince this decifive Battle, the Adirondacks have never been confidered as of any Confequence, either in Peace or War. The Quatogbies and Atawawas now foon began to be in Want of the European Commodities, which had made them confiderable among their new Friends. In order therefore to fupply themselves anew, they returned to Trade at Quebeck; and by this Means the Place of their Retreat was discovered to the five Nations; and they not having their Re venge |