as captives with them spoke with such esteem that the hearts of many among them were already Christian before they themselves had become Christians.

The designs of Heaven are no less adorable than they are hidden. This Captain-upon whom, after God, our hopes were resting-was snatched from us in an instant. These Ambassadors had gone, for sport, to hunt the Beaver between three Rivers and Quebec, while awaiting the end of the winter to set out on their return journey. A band of Agnieronnon Iroquois, [5] who came at the same time to hunt men, chanced upon their tracks, and, surprising that Captain in a lonely place, without approaching him closely enough to recognize him, killed him with a gunshot which pierced his heart.

After this blow, which was sufficient to cause war between those two Iroquois Nations, they both retained the confidence which they had in us; for they knew that our hearts were open to all the tribes of these countries, and they regarded our French as a neutral Nation and our settlement as a place of safety. In fact, a band of Algonquin warriors happening to be at three Rivers at the same time as the Agnieronnon, their mortal enemy, they conversed peaceably with each other, joyfully regaled themselves together, and, to behold them, one would have thought that they were friends. It is not a bad omen when the Wolf and the Lamb dwell under the same roof. When the Lion and the Sheep feed together, it is a sign that JESUS CHRIST wishes to be their Shepherd.

[6] CHAPITRE II.

DESSEIN DES IROQUOIS AGNIERONNONS SUR LA COLONIE DES HURONS DANS L'ISLE D'ORLEANS.

L

E vingt-cinquiéme iour du mois d'Auril 1656. deux Iroquois Agnieronnons, s'eftant coulez par les bois au deffous de Quebec, en vn lieu où la chaffe des oyfeaux de riuiere eft en abondance; deux Hurons qui y aborderent en vn canot, y furent falüez chacun d'vn coup de fuzil: l'vn tomba roide fur la place; l'autre, quoy que bleffé griefuement, eut toutesfois affez de courage & de force pour pouffer fon canot en l'eau, & fe fauuer heureufement.

Vingt Hurons s'embarquerent promptement à cette nouuelle, pour couper chemin en quelque lieu, aux meurtriers, qui auoient pris la fuitte par terre. A plus de vingt lieties de là, ayant [7] apperceu quelques piftes fur le riuage de noftre grande Riuiere, ils atteigniret leur proye; mais comme ces deux fugitifs ne marchoient qu'efloignez l'vn de l'autre, il n'y en eut qu'vn de pris, qui eftant mené à l'Isle d'Orleans, y fut condamné à la mort & au feu, qu'il auoit fans doute bien merité.

Nous auions fait auec douceur tout ce qui fe pouuoit, afin qu'on luy accordaft la vie & que l'on peuft fe feruir de luy, pour deftourner vne troupe de trois cens Iroquois Agnieronnons, dont nous fçauions que la Colonie Hurone de l'Isle d'Orleans eftoit menacée: mais les efprits eftoient trop efchauffez dans le

[6] CHAPTER II.

DESIGN OF THE AGNIERONNON IROQUOIS AGAINST THE HURON COLONY ON THE ISLAND OF ORLEANS.

O

N the twenty-fifth day of the month of April, 1656, two Agnieronnon Iroquois slipped through the woods below Quebec, at a place where there is an abundance of water-fowl; two Hurons landed from a canoe, and were each received with a gunshot. One fell dead on the spot; the other, though severely wounded, had nevertheless sufficient courage and strength to push his canoe into the water, and was fortunate enough to escape.

On hearing news of this, twenty Hurons embarked at once, to cut off at some place the murderers, who had fled by land. At a distance of over twenty leagues from there, [7] they found some tracks on the bank of our great River, and overtook their prey; but, as these two fugitives had separated from each other, only one was captured. He was taken to the Island of Orleans, where he was condemned to death and to the fire, which doubtless he richly deserved.

We did, by gentle means, all that could be done to have his life spared, in order that he might be made use of to turn away a band of three hundred Agnieronnon Iroquois, by whom we knew that the Huron Colony on the Island of Orleans was threatened. But their minds were too hot with resentment at a crime which they had so recently seen committed before their very eyes, and for which the father and

reffentiment d'vn crime qu'ils auoiēt vû tout fraifchement deuant leurs yeux, & dont le pere & la mere du defunt demandoient inftamment iuftice. C'eftoit les plus riches de tout le bourg Huron, & qui pleuroient leur fils vnique, qui eftoit vn ieune homme plein de belles qualitez, destiné à la charge de Capitaine, & qui auoit depuis deux ans donné la vie à cinq Agnieronnons, qu'il auoit fait prisonniers de guerre.

[8] Le mefme iour qu'on brufloit ce captif Iroquois, heureux dans fon mal-heur, en ce qu'il receut le Baptefme, & qu'il mourut Chreftien: Quelques François des trois Riuieres rencontrerent à dix ou douze lieuës de là ces trois cents Agnieronnons, qui venoient fondre fur les Hurons. Ces guerriers traiterent doucement nos François, ils leur firent part de leur chaffe, & en les congediant leur firent vn prefent de Pourcelaine, afin qu'on ne donnast point des trois Riuieres aduis à Quebec de leur marche.

Le lendemain trois de leurs Capitaines vinrent eux-mefmes aux trois Riuieres, fçauoir où on defiroit qu'ils campaffent, & protefter de la continuation de la Paix auec nous.

Pour les arrefter en chemin par les voyes de douceur, le Gouuerneur des trois Riuieres leur fit trois beaux presens, les coniurant de retourner en leur pays, puis qu'ayants la paix auec nous, & les Hurons eftants auffi nos alliez, nous deuions efpargner le fang & la vie des vns & des autres.

[9] Les Iroquois refpondirent par huict presens de Pourcelaine, dont les quatre plus remarquables furent ceux-cy.

Leur Chef faifant paroiftre vn grand collier de

mother of the deceased urgently demanded justice. They were the wealthiest people of all the Huron village, and were weeping at the loss of their only son, who was a young man, full of good qualities, destined for the office of Captain; within two years he had spared the lives of five Agnieronnons, whom he had made prisoners of war.

[8] On the same day, while they were burning that Iroquois prisoner,-who was fortunate in his misfortune, inasmuch as he received Baptism and died a Christian,- some Frenchmen from three Rivers met, at a distance of ten or twelve leagues from there, the three hundred Agnieronnons who were coming to fall upon the Hurons. Those warriors treated our French kindly; they gave them some of their game, and on parting they presented them with some Porcelain beads, in order that information of their expedition might not be sent from three Rivers to Quebec.

On the following day, three of their Captains came themselves to three Rivers, to learn where it was desired that they should camp, and to protest that they wished to continue the Peace with us.

In order to check them on the way by gentle means, the Governor of three Rivers gave them three fine presents, begging them to return to their own country, because, as they were at peace with us, and as the Hurons were likewise our allies, we must spare the blood and the lives of both.

[9] The Iroquois replied with eight presents of Porcelain beads, the four most remarkable of which were as follows.

Their Chief showed a great collar of Porcelain beads, and said: "Here is an iron chain, larger