cruel death five years ago, and a small book of devotion which was used by the late Father Charles Garnier whom they also killed four years ago. Observing the custom of convoked the Council, I The 13th. Came the leave taking. friends on similar occasions, having made them two presents to console them. And with this view I first planted in the name of Achiendassé (which is the appellation of the General Superior of all our Society's Missions in these countries) the first post on which to begin a cabin. This is like laying the first stone in France of a house one intends to build. My second present was to throw down the first bark that is to cover the cabin. This evidence of affection satisfied them, and three of their Chiefs thanked me publicly in speeches which one could not be persuaded issued from the lips of men called savages. Nevertheless they seek me every where to give me my parting feast, all the men and women of consideration being invited in my name into our cabin, according to the custom of the country, in order to do honor to my departure. We part in good company. After the public cry of the Chief, every one vies to carry our little baggage. About half a league from there we found a group of old men, all Chiefs of the Council, who waited to bid me Adieu hoping for my return for which they ardently testified their wishes. 16th. We arrive at the entrance of a small lake in a large. half dried basin; we taste the water of a spring that they durst not drink, saying that there is a Demon in it which renders it fætid; having tasted it I found it was a fountain of Salt water; and in fact we made Salt from it as natural as that from the sea; of which we carried a sample to Quebec. This lake abounds in fish-in salmon trout and other fish. 17th. We enter their river, and at a quarter of a league meet at the left the Seneca river, which increases this; it leads, they say, to Cayuga (Onioen) and to Seneca in two sunsets. At three leagues of a fine road from there, we leave the River Oneida (Oneiout) which appears to us very deep. Finally a good league lower down we meet a rapid which gives the name to a village of fishermen. I found there some of our Christians and some Huron Christian women whom I had not yet seen. 19th. We proceed on our journey on the same river which is of a fine width and deep throughout, except some shoals where we must get into the water and draw the canoe lest the rocks break it. 20. We arrive at the Great Lake, Ontario, called the Lake of the Iroquois. 21. This lake is in a fury in consequence of the violence of the winds after a storm of rain. 22. Coasting quietly the shores of this Great Lake, my sailors kill with a shot from a gun, a large stag: my companion and I content ourselves looking at them broiling their stakes, it being Saturday, a day of abstinence for us. 23. We arrive at the place which is fixed on for our house and a French settlement. Beautiful prairies, good fishing; a resort of all Nations. There I found new Christians who confessed themselves and furnished me with devotion in their sentiments of piety. 24 and 25. Being windbound, one of our canoes foundered on the 26, our sailors having embarked before the tempest had abated, and we thought we should have perished-finally we cast ourselves on an island where we dried ourselves at our leisure. 27. In the evening a little lull afforded us time to regain the main land. 28 and 29. The chase stops our sailors who are in the best possible humor; for flesh is the paradise of the man of flesh. 30 and last of August. The rain and wind seriously inconvenience poor travellers, who having worked all day are badly provided for at night. 1 day of Sept. I never saw so many deer, but we had no inclination to hunt. My companion killed three as if against his will. What a pity! for we left all the venison there, reserving the hides and some of the most delicate morsels. 24 of the month. Travelling through vast prairies, we saw in divers quarters immense herds of wild bulls and cows; their horns resemble in some respect the antlers of the stag. 3d and 4th. Our game does not leave us; it seems that veni son and game follow us every where. plunge into the water as if to meet us. of amusement, by blows of an axe. Droves of twenty cows Some are killed, for sake 5. In one day we travel over the road which took us two long days ascending the rapids and breakers. 6. Our Sault St. Louis frightens my folks. They land me four leagues above the settlement of Montreal, and God gave me sufficient strength to arrive before noon, and to celebrate mass, of which I was deprived during my whole voyage. 7. I proceed and descend to Three Rivers where my sailors desire to go. We arrived at Quebec on the eleventh day of the month of September of this year, 1654. JOURNAL OF WHAT OCCURRED BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND SAVAGES. [Relation, &c. 1657 and 1658.] The word Onnota, which signifies, in the Iroquois tongue, a Mountain, has given the name to the village called Onnontaé, or as others call it, Onnontagué, because it is on a mountain; and the people who inhabit it consequently style themselves Onnontae-ronnons, or Onnontagué-ronnons. These people have for a long time and earnestly demanded that some priests of our 1655. Society be sent to their country. Finally, Father Joseph Chaumont and Father Claude Dablon were granted to them, in the year 1655. They embarked on the 19th Sept., and arrived at Onnontagué the 5th November of the same year 1655. These two good fathers finding themselves listened to 1656. with approval and kindness, Father Dablon left Onnonta gué on the second day of March of the following year 1656, to look for help at Quebec, where he arrived in the begin ning of April, and departed thence on the 17th May, in company with three Fathers and two brothers of the Society, and a good num ber of Frenchmen, who all proceeded towards this new country, where they arrived on the 11th day of July of the same year, 1656. In the year 1657, the harvest appearing plentiful in all 1657. the villages of the upper Iroquois, the common people listening to the words of the gospel with simplicity and the Chiefs with a well disguised dissimulation, Father Paul Ragueneau, Father François Du Peron, some Frenchmen and several Hurons, departed from Montreal the 26th July, to aid their brethren and compatriots. On the 3d day of the month of August of the same year 1657, the perfidy of the Iroquois began to develop itself by the massacre which they made of the poor Hurons whom they brought into their country, after thousands of protestations of kindness and thousands of oaths, in their style, that they should treat them as brothers. And had not a number of Iroquois remained among the French, near Quebec, to endeavor to bring with them the rest of the Hurons, who distrusting these traitors, would not embark with the others, the Fathers and the Frenchmen who ascended with them would have then been destroyed; and all those who remained on the banks of Lake Ganantaa, near to Onnontagué, would shortly after have shared the same fate. But the fear that the French would wreak vengeance on their countrymen, staid their design,of which our fathers had had secret intelligence immediately on their arrival in the country. Even a captain who was acquainted with the secret of the Chiefs, having taken some liking to the preachings of the Gospel, and finding himself very sick, demandcd Baptism; having received it with sufficient instruction, he discovered the evil designs of his countrymen to those who attended him, and went a short time afterwards to Heaven. * The 9th of the month of September. Our fathers at Onnonta gué sent two canoes to Quebec with intelligence of the massacre of the poor Huron Christians, treacherously put to death by these barbarians, as we remarked above, 3 August of the year 1657. * * The 7th of the month of November. Two Mohawks departed: from Quebec, and took a third at Three Rivers. A number of letters from divers quarters were given to them for Father Le Moine, part of which were to be sent to our Fathers and our French of Onnontagué thro' the medium of the Mohawks, who often go to that country.. * It is true that the Mohawks faithfully delivered the letters to Ondessonk, because they feared evil for their people detained by the French. But for the letters addressed to our French at Onnontagué, the Mohawk who was the bearer thereof, threw them. in the river, or gave them, probably, to the chiefs of the country. But these good fellows, who wished to rid themselves of the preachers of the gospel and of those who assisted them, threw them into the fire. The Onnontagué sent by onsieur de Maisonneuve did still worse for he told the chiefs of the nation, that the French were leagued principally with the Algonquins to make war on them, and that they had killed his comrade. It was an Algonquin killed him on his way to war as we have remarked on the 3d November. Nothing more was necessary to excite these furious men, who had already concluded on the death of some and the captivity of others. They were desirous, however, to act in concert with the Mohawks, who could, no more than the others, reconcile themselves to the detention of their people, believing it very unjust. Our poor French were, meanwhile, much astonished at receiving no certain news either from Quebec, Three Rivers, or Montreal. These barbarians had entirely cut off all communication, so that Mons". de Dailleboust's orders were not delivered to Mons. Du Puis, who commanded the soldiers, nor a letter to any of the French whomsoever. |