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Village, in the depths of the woods,— thinking to surprise us when the heavy snows and intense cold should make us think of rest rather than of war. But God, who did not choose to make us a prey to those ravenous wolves, caused us to discover the traces of their spies, who had advanced to within a league from our Village. That put us on the defensive: we fortified our Bastions and Curtains, doubled our guards and sentinels, and, in short, [25] kept ourselves so carefully protected that the Enemy, whose numbers we did not know, finding no more game in the vicinity of the fort which they had constructed, were forced to disperse and go in search of provisions to their own country; but they did not remain there very long.

As soon as the river was free, we saw on all sides nothing but little bands of skirmishers trying to surprise some hunter or some Husbandman, and to draw into their am buscades those who should wish to save these. Our Savages, seeing themselves so hemmed in and so often harassed, took courage, choosing rather to die fighting than to be surprised, as occasionally happened to some Frenchman or to some of their own fellow-countrymen. They resolved to put a stop to the insolence [26] of these Trasos [boasters), who came to defy us almost at our very doors. God gave them his blessing; for, although they were few in number, they often gave chase to some rather large bands, and compelled them to abandon their arms, their boats, and their baggage, in order to seek safety in the woods.

On the ninth of May, a little Algonquin canoe, catching sight of an ambuscade concealed under shelter of the Islands of the three Rivers, took flight

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pour euiter le combat, mais pour mettre a terre en vn cap, où il y auoit des François retranchés, vne femme qui eftoit dans leur petit batteau, si tost quelle fut en affurance, ils tournent visage vers les ennemis, qui les pourfuiuoient, ils n'eftoient que trois [27] hommes dans cette petite gondole, & les Iroquois rempliffoient trois de leurs grands canots. Quand ces Iroquois virent la refolutio de nos trois guerriers qui tachoient de les aborder, ils furet fi furpris, & fi étonés, qu'ils se miret en fuitte: croyans que d'autres les pourroient pourfuiure puis qu'ils eftoient decouuerts.

Le treifiéme du mefme mois, Monfieur de Laufon Gouuerneur pour fa Maiefté dans tout le pays, venant vifiter noftre Bourgade: il arriua, qu'a mefme temps qu'on tiroit le canon par honneur, pour le faluer, que quattre ou cinq Laboureurs, qui tenoient le manche de leurs charuës, dans la campagne voysine, furent inueftis par vne trouppe d'Iroquois, qui en tuerent deux. Nos Sauuages les poursuiuirent, mais vn peu trop [28] tard: ils trouuerent feulement le bagage de ces voleurs, qu'ils auoient abandonné, pour courir plus legerement, & pour fe mettre plutoft hors des dangers d'estre attrapés.

Le vingt-huitiéme, ces Chasseurs ayans tué vn petit enfant François, quafi à la portée du fufil de nos habitations, le canonier, voiant qu'il ny auoit perfonne pour les pourfuiure, mit le feu à vne piece de canon, pour donner le signal: mais le canon creua, & rompit vne iambe à ce pauure homme, qui mourut peu de iours apres de fa bleffure.

Le trentiéme, cette mesme bande surprit vn ieune Huron, que quelques Laboureurs auoient mis en

as fast as its paddles could urge it,- not to avoid an engagement, but to put ashore, on a cape where some Frenchmen were intrenched, a woman who was in their little boat. As soon as she was in safety, they faced about toward the enemy that pursued them, although they were only three [27] men in that little gondola, while the Iroquois filled three of their large canoes. When these Iroquois saw the determination of our three warriors, who were trying to board them, they were so surprised and astounded that they took flight, thinking that others might pursue them, now that they were discovered.

On the thirteenth of the same month, Monsieur de Lauson, Governor for his Majesty of the whole country, came to visit our Village. At the same time that the cannon fired a salute in his honor, it happened that four or five Husbandmen, who were plowing in the neighboring field, were surrounded by a band of Iroquois, who killed two of them. Our Savages pursued them, but a little too [28] late, finding only the baggage of these robbers, which they had abandoned in order to run more freely and put themselves the sooner out of danger of being caught.

“On the twenty-eighth, these Hunters having killed a little French child, almost within gunshot of our settlement, the cannoneer, seeing that there was no one to pursue them, discharged a piece of artillery, in order to give the signal; but the cannon burst, and broke one of this poor man's legs; he died from his wound, a few days later.

On the thirtieth, this same band surprised a young Huron, whom some Husbandmen had posted as sentinel at the edge of the wood, while they

fentinelle, fur le bord du bois, pendant qu'ils trauailloient à la terre. Ils le menerent dans vn [29] fond, enuiron à demië lieuë de la Bourgade: où ils le firent affeoir, pour luy demander en quelle posture nous estions, & pour apprendre l'eftat de nos affaires. Ce bon garçon fat adroit, il leur parla en forte que ces brigands, ne croyans point qu'on les deût fuiure s'arrefterent vn peu trop long-temps en ce lieu pour leur bien, car nos Hurons furuenans, non feulement leur firent lacher leur proye, mais ils en prirent encor quelques-vns deux prisonniers, qu'ils ramenerent au fort. Ie ferois trop long, fi ie voulois rapporter toutes les attaques, les pourfuittes, & les prises qui fe font faites de part & d'autre és enuirons de cette Bourgade, venons au fiege qu'ils ont fait à leur mode.

Quoy que les Sauuages ne [30] plantent pas de sieges à la façon des Europeans, ils ne manquent pas neanmoins de conduitte dedans leurs guerres: en voicy vne preuue. Les Iroquois Anniehronnons, ayans deffein d'enleuer la Bourgade des trois Riuieres, plutoft par surprise, que par force, ils enuoyerent premierement, autant que ie peux conjecturer, quelques petites trouppes detachées de leur gros, à Montreal, & vers Quebec: afin d'occuper nos François, & leur ofter l'enuie, aux vns de defcendre aux trois Riuieres, & aux autres dy monter; & par ce moyen empescher le secours, qu'on auroit peu donner à la place qu'ils vouloyent prendre.

Cela fait, ils fe vinrent cacher iufques au nombre de cinq cent, dans vne ance fort voyfine du [31] Bourg des trois Riuieres: la pointe qui forme cette ance, les couuroit en forte, qu'on ne les pouuoit apperceuoir. La nuit venuë, ils fe diuiferent en trois bandes;

worked in the field. They led him to a [29] retired spot, about half a league from the Village, where they made him sit down, in order to question him on our situation and learn the state of our affairs. This good lad was adroit; and he talked with them in such wise that these brigands, not thinking they might be followed, tarried there a little too long for their own good; for our Hurons, coming upon them by surprise, not only made them release their prey, but

, also took some of them prisoners and carried these back to the fort. I would take too much time if I tried to relate all the attacks, pursuits, and captures that were made on both sides in the neighborhood of this Village. Let us come to the siege, which they carried on after their usual method.

Although the Savages do not [30] carry on sieges in the manner of the Europeans, yet they do not lack generalship in their wars, of which I will give an instance. The Anniehronnon Iroquois, purpos. ing to capture the Village of three Rivers by surprise rather than by force, sent in the first place, as far as I can infer, some small bands, detached from their main body, to Montreal and toward Quebec. This was in order to engage the attention of our Frenchmen and make them indisposed to go down - or up, as the case might be — to three Rivers; and by this means to cut off the aid that it might have been possible to render the place which they wished to capture.

“ That done, they came and hid themselves, to the number of five hundred, in a cove that is very near the [31] Village of three Rivers; they were covered by the point forming that cove, so that they could not be perceived. At nightfall, they divided

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