V

DE la barre’s expedition to hungry bay.

85

FROM THE SAME TO THE SAME.

July 13. 1684.

My Lord—I have the honor to write to you by Father Millet who passes here in retiring fromamong the Iroquois who cannot be persuaded that you have determined on waging war against them,not having demanded any satisfaction of them for the merchandize of the Frenchmen whom theSenecas plundered. To turn away the scourge of war and the miseries which must follow it, espe-cially among the French who will find themselves attacked by all the Iroquois if any hostile act iscommitted against the Senecas, I have strongly urged the Onnontagues to give you satisfaction ac-cording to the instructions which the Christian Iroquois , your deputies here, had. To-morrow agreat number of Senecas are expected with several Cayugas and the Ambassadors from the two LowerNations to talk about business.

The Senecas consequent on the declaration you made to them that you would proceed to theircountry, have concealed their old grain, prepared a distant retreat in the wooden fort for the securityof their old men, women and children, and conveyed whatever they have of value out of their vil-lages. The Warriors in great number have heard this news with much joy; they are determined tofight, not in their forts for they have none, and will not shut themselves up any where, but undercover, behind trees, and in the grass where they will try to do you considerable injury, if you wantw ar. The Onnontagues—men of business—wish to arrange matters, especially having lost nothingof theirs, except only some goods. Must the father and children, they ask, cut each others throatsfor clothes 1 The children must satisfy the father to whom they owe honor and respect.

Further, I, last year, guarantied by two Wampum belts—one to the Senecas and the other here—that if the Iroquois army met the French who were towards Illinois , and any acts of hostility shouldfollow on one side or the other, they would mutually arrange the difficulty without it leading to anyconsequences, and this is what we are endeavoring to persuade the Senecas to do. Father Millet, towhom I communicated all, and who has just passed, will tell you every thing and how apropos itwould be that M. le Moine should come here to fetch those Chiefs and Warriors who will most will-ingly meet you under the safe conduct which you will give them through M. le Moine (who cancome here in all surety and without any fear) to be conducted to your rendezvous near Seneca or tothe Fort, in order to settle matters in a friendly manner.

The Iroquois say they will not commit any act of hostility against you, unless you commenceeither by attacking the Senecas or by refusing all satisfaction, for they remark, it is painful to cometo blows with their Father. They all say that their mode of warfare will be disastrous to you, butthat the respect they entertain towards you, and which we insinuate among them, withholds themuntil they are forced, they add, to wage a sorrowful war, despite themselves, against you. Theywish, first of all, they say, to avoid the reproach of not having kept their word which they gave. Itold M. le Moine of the above.

My brother expects to leave with your deputies to carry to you the result of the Iroquois Diet,where the Onnontague who assumes to be a moderator, pretends to force the Senecas to disavow whattwo of their captains caused their warriors to do, and to quieten again your mind; that is,they say,by some satisfaction which may afford you an honorable pretext to pay a friendly visit to Kaniata-rontagouat [now, Irondequot Bay] and not to appear there as an enemy.

I forgot to inform you that the Iroquois say they have accepted the satisfaction they received fort e eat l o t leir captain, Hannhenhax, killed by the Kiskakous, and that it would seem verystrange to t lem t at you should refuse the satisfaction they wish to induce the Senecas to give youfor the pillaged merchandize which, in their estimation is next to nothing compared with that im-