36

FIRST SETTLEMENT AT ONONDAGA,

secret of the Chiefs, having taken some liking to the preachings of the Gospel, and finding himselfvery sick, demanded Baptism ; having received it with sufficient instruction, he discovered the evildesigns of his countrymen to those who attended him, and went a short time afterwards to Heaven.*#*#*##*#

The 9‘i> of the month of September. Our fathers at Onnontague sent two canoes to Quebec withintelligence of the massacre of the poor Huron Christians, treacherously put to death by these bar-barians, as we remarked above, 3 August of the year 1657.

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The 7 th 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 Onnontagu6

thro’ the medium of the Mohawks , who often go to that country.

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It is true that the Mohawks faithfully delivered the letters to Ondessonk, because they feared evilfor their people detained by the French. But for the letters addressed to our French at Onnontague,the Mohawk who was the bearer thereof, threw them in the river, or gave them, probably, to thechiefs of the country. But these good fellows, who wished to rid themselves of the preachers ofthe gospel and of those who assisted them, threw them into the fire.

The Onnontague sent by Monsieur de Maisonneuve did still worse : for he told the chiefs of thenation, that the French were leagued principally with the Algonquins to make war on them, andthat they had killed his comrade. It was an Algonquin killed him on his way to war as we haveremarked on the 3 d November. Nothing more was necessary to excite these furious men, who hadalready 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 tothe detention of their people, believing it very unjust.

Our poor French were, meanwhile, much astonished at receiving no certain news either fromQuebec, Three Rivers, or Montreal . These barbarians had entirely cut off all communication, sothat Mons r . de Dailleboust’s orders were not delivered to Mons r . Du Puis, who commanded the sol-diers, nor a letter to any of the French whomsoever.

OF THE RETURN OF OUR FATHERS AND OF OUR FRENCHMEN FROM THE COUNTRY

OF THE ONNONTAGUES.

[ From the Same. ]

Though it be true that the Iroquois are subtle, adroit and great cheats, I nevertheless cannot per-suade myself that they possess so much intelligence, so much tact, and that they are such great pol-iticians as to have had recourse to the ruses and intrigues imputed to them to destroy the French ,the Hurons, the Algonquins , and their allies.

They urged for many years with incredible persistence ; with evidences of especial affection andeven with threats of rupture and war, if their friendship were despised and their demand rejected;they insisted, I say, and solicited that a goodly number of French should accompany them into theircountry, the one to instruct, the others to protect them against their enemies, as a token of peaceand alliance with them.