country, where everything was prepared for our reception in their fashion. Fruit was brought to us from all sides; there was nothing but feasting; and for ten days all the game and fish of the village were [50] used in regaling the French. All the families vied with one another as to which one should have us. Some time afterward, another squad of French in fine attire marched in, with the drum beating. Never were seen so many bright faces; it seemed as if the hearts of the Savages were leaping out of their eyes; and I do not think that it is possible, without having seen it, to conceive the manifestations of affection and cordiality with which they greeted us. If, after all that, they betray and massacre us, I will accuse them, not of dissimulation, but of frivolity and inconstancy, which in a short time can change the affection and confidence of those Barbarians into fear, hatred, and treachery. Add to this, that the Demons seek every opportunity to bring about our destruction; and that, if men persecute the Jesuits in many places, those wretched spirits, against whom they wage war everywhere, will not spare them.

On the evening of our arrival, the envoys from some nations came to pay us their respects, and to manifest the esteem in which the Onnontagheronnons held Achiendasé,- [51] that is the name of the Father superior. By means of a present, they expressed their wish that his Mat should be the place for holding councils and meetings,- that is, the Palace where all the affairs of the country should be discussed. The Onnontagheronnons also gave us their presents with great civility.

The Annieronnons, unable to avoid complying

loy commune du païs firent à la verité leurs presents: mais eftant piqués au jeu & ne pouuant supporter noftre alliance auec ces peuples, ils firent vne harangue plaine de rifées & de railleries contre les François, & fe voulant excufer de ce qu'ayant receu des prefens à Quebec pour toutes les nations Iroquoifes, ils ne les auoient pas diftribués, ils dirent que les François eftoient affez ftupides pour donner des chofes qui ne fe pouuoient partager, & qu'ainsi ils auoient efté contraints de donner tous ces prefens à leur nation.

Le Pere fuperieur repliqua à leurs impoftures d'vne maniere fi preffante qu'ils fe repentirent bientoft de leurs fauffes accufations. Il leur dit que la memoire ne manquoit iamais aux François qui [52] auoient la plume en main, & que fi leur esprit s'oublioit de quelques chofes, leur papier les leur fuggeroit au befoin. Il raconta en fuitte tout ce qui s'eftoit paffé au Confeil des François & des Iroquois Annieronnons, fit vn denombrement de tous les coliers de porcelaines, de toutes les arquebuses, de tous les capots, & en vn mot de tous les presents qui auoient efté faits par le grand Capitaine des François. Nomma les nations & les perfonnes mefme de confideration à qui chaque prefent auoit esté destiné. Puis demanda au braue Annieronnon fi ces chofes ne pouuoient pas eftre données feparément. Il s'enquesta des deputés des nations, fi du moins la memoire de ces prefens auoit efté portée iufques en leur païs, puis que l'Annierõnon confeffoit les auoir retenus. Ce pauure homme qui croioit que nous ne faifions que begaier en leur langue, comme les Europeans qui ont commerce auec eux, fut fi furpris entendant

with the common law of the country, did, indeed, give their presents. But, as they wished to attain their end in spite of every obstacle, and could not bear to see our alliance with those tribes, they delivered a harangue full of jests and raillery against the French. To excuse themselves for not having distributed the presents which they had received at Quebec for all the Iroquois nations, they said that the French were stupid enough to give them things which could not be divided, and that thus they had been obliged to give all those presents to their own. nation.

The Father superior replied to their impostures in so emphatic a manner that they soon repented of their false accusations. He told them that memory never failed the French, who [52] had their pens in their hands; and that if their minds forgot anything, their paper reminded them of it when necessary. He then related all that had happened at the Council between the French and the Annieronnon Iroquois; he enumerated all the collars of porcelain beads, all the arquebuses, all the coats, in a word, all the presents that had been given by the great Captain of the French; he mentioned the nations, and even the persons of rank, for whom each present had been designed. Then he asked the worthy Annieronnon whether such things could not be given separately. He inquired of the envoys from the nations whether at least the remembrance of these presents had been brought to their country, since the Annieronnon admitted that he had retained them. The poor man, who thought that we could only stammer in their language, like the Europeans who trade with them, was so surprised when he heard the Father, that he

le Pere, qu'il rechercha depuis tous les moyens de fe mettre bien dans son esprit.

Apres cette affemblée nous emploiafmes [53] quelques iours à vifiter & à gagner les diuerfes nations qui estoient à Onnontaghé, & qui tous les iours y abordoient pour fe trouuer à la decifion de deux grandes affaires, & au grand confeil de guerre qui se tient ordinairement en cette bourgade.

Les deputés de Sonnontoüan & d'Oïogouan estant arriués, nous les allâmes falüer. Les premiers faisant paroiftre leur deüil pour la mort de l'vn de leurs Capitaines nommé Ahiarantouan tué par les Annieronnons au quartier des Trois-Riuieres rempliffoient l'air de chanfons lugubres. Nous leur filmes vn present pour foulager leur douleur: mais quand il fallut refpondre, l'Oiogouanronnon prit la parolle & dit que la playe que les Sonnontoueronnons auoient receuë, auoit changé leur ioye en larmes, & leurs voix en foûpirs & en chanfons de deüil.

Toutes les nations eftant affemblées il fallut deuant que de tenir confeil, expier le Bourg à caufe de la mort d'vn Capitaine arriué la nuict precedente, lequel par grand bon-heur pour luy, auoit [54] receu le fainct Baptefme deux iours auparauant, apres vne bonne & faincte inftruction. Cette expiation fe fit par deux prefens, dont l'vn feruit pour effuier les larmes de l'Onnontagheronnon, & pour luy rendre la parolle que cette mort luy auoit rauie, l'autre pour nettoier le fang qui pourroit eftre tombé du corps mort fur la Natte du Confeil, L'Onnontagheronnon refpondit par deux autres prefens. L'vn pour donner parolle qu'on alloit couurir ce corps, & l'autre pour affeurer que le Confeil en fuitte feroit ouuert.

afterward sought every means to ingratiate himself with him.

After that meeting, we employed ourselves [53] for some days in visiting and winning over the various nations that were at Onnontaghé; they were arriving there daily, in order to be present at the decision of two weighty matters, and at the great council of war which is usually held in that village. When the envoys from Sonnontouan and Oiogouan arrived, we went to greet them. The former, mourning the death of one of their Captains named Ahiarantouan, who had been killed by the Annieronnons in the vicinity of Three Rivers, filled the air with their lugubrious chants. We gave them a present to allay their grief; but, when the time came to reply, the Oiogouanronnon spoke, and said that the wound received by the Sonnontoueronnons had changed their joy to tears, and their voices to sighs and mournful songs.

When all the nations had assembled, it was necessary, before the council was held, to propitiate the Village on account of the death of a Captain, which had taken place during the previous night. Most fortunately for him, he had [54] received holy Baptism two days before, after good and holy instruction. This propitiation was made by means of two presents, one of which served to wipe away the tears of the Onnontagheronnon, and to restore his speech, of which death had deprived him; the other was to clean away the blood that might have fallen from the dead body upon the Council Mat. The Onnontagheronnon replied with two other presents; one was to promise that the body should be buried, and the other to state that the Council would afterward be opened.