about two days later. Then follow biographical sketches of these two Fathers, with eulogies upon their apostolic labors and saintly characters. Chabanel's missionary life presents an especially pathetic aspect, since though full of zeal and spiritual aspiration - he could not learn the Indian language; and, moreover, was filled with disgust and aversion at the natives, their customs, and mode of life, and at the hardships imposed by his duties to them. Yet he would not relinquish these, and even bound himself by a vow, to "remain there until death, that he might die upon the Cross." Certain infidels in the mission of St. Mathias, where Chabanel was stationed, had during his absence formed a conspiracy against the missionaries, and had profaned and plundered one of the Jesuit chapels. There is good evidence that Chabanel was murdered by an apostate Huron, probably as a result of that conspiracy. Some of the Huron fugitives have made a new settlement, on the shore of Lake Huron, and a missionary is sent to spend the winter with them; this constitutes the mission of St. Charles. Some welcome the Father gladly; others accuse the Faith of bringing ruin upon them. These last "must be humiliated, before they can be saved; this is accomplished by famine, the fishery being this year a failure. Thereupon, they flocked to him like sheep, and entreated for Holy Baptism." At the end of winter, many of these sufferers betake themselves to the new Jesuit post on St. Joseph Island. Another mission is carried on, among the Algonkin tribes along Lake Huron, the Fathers sharing the wretched nomadic life of those people. *lingrais divostaisi Land tou Ragueneau describes the renewed incursions of the Iroquois in the spring of this year (1650), which complete the ruin of the wretched Hurons. Their country is thoroughly devastated; the scattered bands who still remain are ruthlessly butchered by an enemy "more cruel than cruelty itself;" and despair reigns in the hearts of the few survivors. Many of those who had taken refuge on St. Joseph Island are driven by hunger to the mainland, to search for food, and are destroyed by the Iroquois. The Christian Indians who remain on the island see but one hope for their lives; they entreat the Jesuits to convey them to the French settlements on the St. Lawrence, and there form a Huron colony under French protection. This proposal is accepted, and the remnant of the tribe, some three hundred in number, make their way to Quebec,- always in danger, while on this fifty days' journey, from ferocious Iroquois rangers. Ragueneau graphically portrays the devastation which these enemies have wrought, not only in Huronia, but along Lake Nipissing and the Ottawa River,- reducing a populous region, full of promise, to a wilderness. At last (July 28) this sad company arrive at Quebec. All possible aid is furnished to them there, but this new charge is too great for the means of the little colony, and much suffering occurs among the fugitives; several hundred more of these are expected before long, from the upper country. The Iroquois are now constantly harassing the French settlers, wherever they can find them away from the protection of the forts; and it is desirable that measures be at once taken to break their power. Some Christian Indians from Sillery, and some of the Hurons, go in the spring to attack the Iroquois; but, through the treachery of one of their own number, suffer a severe defeat. Some of their warriors are burned to death by the Iroquois, but they suffer as Christians, even to the latest breath. The Sillery church has thus suffered greatly, having lost many of its chief native Christians, and numerous instances of their faith are recorded. This year, it has been impossible to send a missionary to the Attikamègues, although they desire one; but their goodness and innocence being great, they do not need so much spiritual support as do most other tribes. 66 Then follows an account of the Holy Cross mission at Tadoussac. The most conspicuous feature in this work is the burning zeal manifested by the Christian Savages and their Captains for the extension of Christ's Kingdom, and the banishment of vice from their Churches." Various instances of this are related, especially in their attempts to restrain drunkenness. The Tadoussac Christians invite the people of neighboring tribes (of whom they had formerly been jealous) to come and dwell near them, that they also may receive Christian instruction; and they even invite the missionaries to go with them upon their trading expeditions inland,— upon which they had hitherto refused to take any Frenchmen. Accordingly, Druillettes goes to a distant tribe (probably one which De Quen had visited before), wherein are some Christians, whom he consoles and instructs, administering to them the sacraments. MADISON, WIS., November, 1898. R. G. T. LXXII LXXIII MISCELLANEOUS DOCUMENTS, 1650 LXXII.- Epistola P. Pauli Ragueneau ad R. P. Vincentium Jesu; ex Domo Sanctæ Mariæ in Insula Sancti LXXIII. Journal des PP. Jésuites, en l'année 1650 SOURCES: Doc. LXXII. is from Rochemonteix's Jésuites et la Nouvelle-France, t. ii., pp. 466-469. Doc. LXXIII. we obtain from the original MS. in the library of Laval University, Quebec. Epistola P. Pauli Ragueneau ad R. P. Generalem Vincentium Caraffam. N OSTER ADMODum ReverenDE IN CHRISTO Pater, Superiore anno, nihil literarum accepimus ex Europa; imo ne Quebeco quidem responsum ad nos ullum est allatum, ad eas literas, quas scripseram, fusas satis, de rerum nostrarum statu. Ut ante cæperat, ita nunc etiam pergit manus Domini nos tangere. Nec quærimur tamen, nec dicimus: miseremini mei, saltem vos amici mei; quia potius lætamur, et gaudemus semper, quia et nostro, omnium quotquot hîc sumus, et ecclesiæ nostræ bono, eveniunt mala, quibus permittit Deus nos probari, et quibus sane nos coronet potius, quam affligat. Intellexit Paternitas vestra, posterioribus meis literis de pretiosâ morte, aut potius martyrio Patrum nostrorum; Patris Antonii Daniel, Patris Joannis de Brebeuf, et Patris Gabrielis Lallement; quos barbari Iroquæi, Ecclesiæ huic nascenti eripuerant crudeliter, cum grege christiano pastorem etiam mactantes, unumquemque omnibus suis invigilantem. Sub finem exeuntis ejusdem anni 1649, duo alii Patres simili morte perfuncti sunt, in statione sua: Pater Carolus Garnier, vir apostolicus, vereque natus |