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deliberations, they tell him that his voice has an all-powerful effect on them; and, to convince him of it by deeds more than by words, they utter a yell in the camp which disbands all the troops,- that is to say, it is a signal for the small bands, which usually consist of ten or twelve men, to scatter. Some go

one way, to hunt for moose; others go in another direction, to hunt for beaver; some, to the number of three or four, pretend to go on a hostile raid, to strike a blow in some isolated spot. The majority, they say, return to their country.

This news caused joy in Quebec, and gave some assurance to the Hurons on the Island of Orleans; [13] it did not, however, dispel all their fears. They still felt some distrust of the treacherous spirit of the Agnieronnon; would to God that it had been greater. See the tenth Chapter.

CHAPITRE III.

LES HURONS de l'isle d'ORLEANS ATTAQUEZ PAR LES IROQUOIS AGNIERONNONS.

L

E 18. de May 1656. ces perfides s'eftans cachés dans les bois, à dix ou douze lieuës au deffus

de Quebec, où ils voyoient fans eftre veus, laifferent paffer vne efcoüade de François & de Sauuages, qui montoient au païs des Onnontoeronnons. Mais les mains leur demangeans, & leur accoustumance au maffacre les follicitant, ils fe iettent fur quelques canots qui faifoient l'arriere-garde: Ils bleffent, ils prennent, ils pillent, ils mal-traitent ceux qui les conduifent. Mais enfin les Onontoeronnons & les François les menançants, ces traitres firent femblant de s'eftre mépris, [14] comme nous verrons au Chapitre fuiuant, ils rendirent les prifonniers; mais à condition qu'ils pourfuiuroient tous leurs route, fans que pas vn fust obligé de descendre à Quebec.

Mais

Cette tempefte eftoit effuyée, nos Gens estant passez outre fur le grand Fleuue de Sainct Laurens. la nuict du dix-neuf au vingtiéme du mefme mois de May, ces mal-heureux couuerts des tenebres de cette nuict tres-obfcure, defcendirent fans bruit, passant deuant Quebec fans eftre apperceuz. Ils aborderent auant le iour au deffous de la bourgade Huronne, & ayant caché leurs canots dans le bois, ils fe répandirent de tous coftez aux auenues des terres, que l'on enfemençoit pour lors de bled d'Inde.

CHAPTER III.

THE HURONS ON THE ISLAND OF ORLEANS ATTACKED BY THE AGNIERONNON IROQUOIS.

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N the 18th of May, 1656, those perfidious foes concealed themselves in the woods, ten or twelve leagues above Quebec, where they They allowed a band of French and Savages to pass, who were on their way to the country of the Onnontoeronnons. But their hands itched, and, their habituation to massacre goading them on, they fell upon some canoes that formed the rear-guard; they wounded, they captured, they pillaged, they ill-treated those who were in the canoes. But, finally, when the Onontoeronnons and the French began to threaten them, those treacherous assailants pretended that they had made a mistake. [14] As we shall see in the following Chapter, they gave up their prisoners, but on the condition that they should continue their journey, and that not a single one of them should be allowed to go down to Quebec.

could see without being seen.

When this storm had passed, our People pursued their voyage along the great River Saint Lawrence. But, on the night of the nineteenth to the twentieth of the same month of May, those wretches, under cover of that very dark night, descended the river noiselessly, and passed before Quebec without being perceived. They landed, before daylight, below the Huron village; and, after hiding their canoes in the

Le matin tous les Chreftiens Hurons ayant affifté à la Meffe, felon leur couftume, & par bon-heur la plufpart s'eftant confeffez, vne partie fortit pour le trauail. Les ennemis qui eftoient en embuscade, fe ietterent fur eux, en maffacrerent quelques-vns fur la place, & en emmenerent quelques autres captifs, le [15] refte fe fauuant dans noftre Maison ceinte d'vne paliffade de bonne deffence, fortifiée pour de femblables occafions.

Apres cette deffaite les ennemis fe retirerent fur le Midy. Ils auoient enuiron quarante canots, qui parurent fur noftre grand fleuue, prenant la mesme route pour leur retour, qu'ils auoient prife la nuict pour faire ce mal-heureux coup. Noftre perte a esté de foixante & onze perfonnes, auec vn grand nombre de ieunes femmes, qui eftoient la fleur de cette Colonie.

Les François de l'Ile d'Orleans qui furent rencontrez par ces Barbares, ne furent point faits captifs, les Iroquois difant qu'ils auoient la Paix auec nous. Ce qui n'empefcha pas qu'ils ne pillaffent quelques maifons abandonnées, dont ils ont fait depuis leurs excufes, condamnans d'vne part l'infolence de leur ieuneffe, qui par toute la terre eft difficile à retenir dans la chaleur de la victoire, & accufans d'autre part ceux de nos François qui auoient quitté leurs maifons; ayant pris, difoient-ils, l'efpouuante [16] mal à propos. Il eft vray que les Iroquois ont refpecté les lieux qu'ils ont trouué habitez mefmes par de fimples femmes, s'y comportant auec toute la douceur poffible.

Ce mal-heur arriua vn Samedy, le vingtiefme iour de May, fi toutefois les maux de cette vie font des

woods, they scattered in all directions, stationing themselves at the approaches to the fields that were then being sown with Indian corn.

In the morning, all the Christian Hurons attended Mass according to their custom, and, happily, most of them confessed themselves. A party issued forth to work; the enemies in ambush fell upon them, massacred some on the spot, and carried off others as prisoners. The [15] remainder took refuge in our House, which is surrounded by a palisade, easily defended, and fortified for such emergencies.

After this defeat, the enemies withdrew toward the South. They had about forty canoes which appeared on our great river, taking, on their return, the same route that they had followed during the night to strike that unfortunate blow. Our loss consisted of seventy-one persons, including a large number of young women who were the flower of that Colony.

The French on the Island of Orleans, who were encountered by those Barbarians, were not made prisoners; for the Iroquois said that they were at Peace with us. This did not prevent them from pillaging some abandoned houses, for which they have since offered excuses, condemning on the one hand the insolence of their young men, who throughout the earth are difficult to restrain when heated by victory; and, on the other hand, accusing those of our French who had abandoned their houses, because, they said, they had taken fright [16] unnecessarily. It is true that the Iroquois respected the places which they found inhabited, even by women alone, and behaved there with all possible gentleness.

This misfortune happened on Saturday, the twentieth day of May,- if, indeed, the ills of this life be

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