214

COUNT FRONTENAc’s EXPEDITION AGAINST THE ONONDAGAS.

that their fort and cabins would not, either, be spared, having every thing ready for their reception.

He found in the village but 25 @ 40 persons, almost all having fled at the sight of the detach-ment, but the most influential chiefs had remained. M. de Vaudreuil consented that two or threemen should follow these fugitives to try to bring them back.

On entering this village a young French woman was found a prisoner, just arrived from the Mo-hawk. She reported that that Nation and the English to the number of 300, were preparing toattack us. A Mohawk who had deserted from the Sault last year, the same who had given informa,tion of the proposed attack against his Nation, was captured roving around the village. He said hecame there intending to surrender himself to us, which it was pretended to believe. An eye waskept on him, notwithstanding. He confirmed the report of the young French woman.

Another savage, also of the same Nation, but who had been captured with a party of our peopleof the Sault, where he resided, assured M. de Vaudreuil that the English and Mohawks had indeedset out to come; that many of the former had moved out from Orange, but that they had contentedthemselves with remaining outside some hours in line, and had returned ; that the consternation waspretty general among the one and the other.

This last intelligence caused M. de Vaudreuil’s detachment as much regret as the first had giventhem joy. It was received with a thousand yells of satisfaction, particularly by the Abenaki’s whosaid they had need neither of knives nor hatchets to beat the English ; that it was idle to wastepowder on such a set.

M. de Vaudreuil resolved to await them in the wood without shutting himself up in the fort. Heleft on the 9^ between nine and ten o’clock in the morning after having seen it burned and the cornentirely cut. He camped the same night about two leagues from Onnontagufo The celerity of hismovements cannot be too much praised, since he occupied only three days in going, coming andexecuting all he had to do, although from one village to the other was fourteen good leagues in thewoods with continual mountains and a multitude of rivers and large streams to be crossed. He wastherefore not expected so soon, and M. le Comte was agreeably surprized to see him return in soshort a time with 35 Oneidas, among whom were as we have said, the principal Chiefs of the nation,and four of our French , prisoners.

But we are accustomed in Canada to see him perform so many gallant actions, and he has the_King’s service so much at heart that those acquainted with him will not be surprized at this, how-ever extraordinary it be.

The Mohawk deserter was burnt before the departure of the army who camped that same daymidway from the fort where the batteaux were left ; some savages having remained behind in thehope of finding more plunder received the fire of a small party ; three of them were killed withoutthe enemy daring to advance near enough to take their scalps.

The fort was reached on the 10 th and destroyed. The army encamped on the 11 th below thePortage, and on the 12 th at 10 o’clock in the morning at the mouth of the river, on Lake Frontenac.It was time to quit that river, and if the waters had been as low as they ordinarily are in the monthof August a portion of the batteaux should have been, of necessity, abandoned. A very violentgale from the West retained the army until the 14 th and though it was not altogether calm, tenleagues were made that day under sail, though we did not leave until noon.

The navigation is pretty dangerous for canoes and batteaux; the waves extraordinarily high, andthe landing very difficult, there being numerous shoals in some places and in others headlands againstwhich the sea breaks at a stupendous height. We camped in a river where the wind was less violent,and arrived next day, the 15 th , at Fort Frontenac.

On the 16 th , the militia and soldiers were occupied in conveying fire-wood to the fort and in cuttingand transporting what was necessary for the requisite planks and boards. The masons who had been