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Virgin, who had delivered me at the beginning of her festival.

Three days thereafter, there was brought to the Village where I was news of the army that had gone to Three Rivers. For a considerable time I was in fear of death, not knowing whether the news was good or bad, and being well assured that I would be the object of their vengeance, in case it were bad.

“ But at length there came a Captain, who was commissioned to grant my life, and to conduct me back to Three Rivers. It happened, by a very special providence, that this man was a member of the family to which I had been given, and a brother of her who had adopted me as her brother. He lived in [72] another Village, whence he sent two Hurons to invite me to go and see him. These good people told the Iroquois marvels about me, assuring them that I was mourned by all the French, and that on my life and my return depended the lives of their fellow-countrymen who had been left as hostages at Three Rivers. These words caused me to receive as much consideration as I had before met with indignity. The Captain whom I have just mentioned was delighted to see me still alive; and he gave me an old hat, which was very acceptable to me, inasmuch as I had been going bareheaded for twelve days. He promised to conduct me to the Dutch, in order to have me clothed, and then to take me back to the country of the French.

Upon this Captain's report, they began to call assemblies (73] and hold councils, for the purpose of concluding peace with the French. Meanwhile, I was conducted to fort Orange, occupied by the Dutch, where I arrived on the twentieth of September.

arrester la paix auec les François. Pendant lesquels ie fus mené au fort d'Orange tenu par les Hollandois, où i'arriuay le vintiesme de Septembre. La premiere maison que ie rencontray, me receut trescharitablement: on m'y presenta dequoy difner, & entre autres chofes, i'y mangeay des pommes, dont ie n'auois point gousté depuis quinze ans, on m'y fit encor prefent d'vne chemife blanche, vn ieune homme, pris aux Trois Riuieres, par les Iroquois, & rachepté par les Hollandois, aufquels il feruoit d'interprete, me vint trouuer: & apres quelque entretien, me dit qu'il fe viendroit confeffer le lendemain qui eftoit Dimanche.

Vne bonne Dame Ecoffoife, qui s'est montrée, dans toutes rencontres, [74] tres-charitable aux François, & qui auoit fait tout fon pouuoir, pour rachepter le petit fils de Monfieur Petit, qui eft mort depuis parmy les Iroquois; me mena en fa maison, pour leuer l'appareil d'écorce, ou de racines que ces bonnes Iroquoises, dont i’ay parlé, auoient mis fur mon doit, & l'ayant veu encor bien malade m'enuoya au fort d'Orange, pour le faire penser par vn Chirurgien. Ie rencontray là le Gouuerneur de ce fort, à qui le Capitaine Iroquois, auoit prefenté vne lettre de Monfieur de Lauzon Gouuerneur pour le Roy fur le grand fleuue de faint Laurens en la nouuelle France. Cét homme me receut fort froidement, nonobstant que la lettre, qu'on luy auoit apportée, me recommandaft tres-auantageufement. Comme [75] la nuit s'approchoit, & que ie m'en allois coucher fur le plancher, fans lit, & fans foupper: vn Sauuage demanda permiffion au Gouuerneur, de me mener en vne maison qui luy eftoit amie. I'y fus cõduit, & i'y trouuay vn

The first family to whom I came received me with much charity: I was given a dinner and, among other things, I there ate some apples,-a fruit which I had not tasted for fifteen years; and I was also presented with a white shirt.

A young man who had been captured at Three Rivers by the Iroquois, and ransomed by the Dutch, whom he served as interpreter, came to find me, and, after some conversation, told me that he was coming to make his confession on the next day, which was Sunday.

“A good Scotch Lady, who has shown herself on all occasions [74] very charitable toward the French,and who had done all in her power to ransom Monsieur Petit's little son, who has since died among the Iroquois,? — conducted me to her house, to remove the dressing of bark or roots which those good Iroquois women, of whom I have spoken, had applied to my finger; and, when she saw that it was still very far from being healed, she sent me to fort Orange, to have it dressed by a Surgeon. There I met the Governor of that fort, to whom the Iroquois Captain had presented a letter from Monsieur de Lauzon, Governor for the King over the great river saint Lawrence in new France. This man received me very coldly, although the letter which had been brought to him commended me in the highest terms. As [75] night was approaching, and I was going away to lie down on the bare floor, without bed or supper, a Savage asked the Governor for leave to take me to a family who were friendly to him. I was conducted thither, and found there an old man who received me with much kindness. The Frenchman whom I mentioned above was living in that house; and he set his conscience in order during the

vieillard, qui me receut auec beaucoup de bienueillance. Le François, dont i'ay fait mention cy-deffus, demeuroit en cette maison: il mit ordre a fa conscience, pendant trois nuits, que ie demeuray auec luy chés cét honneste homme, dont ie voudrois pouuoir reconnoistre la courtoisie, par toutes fortes de feruices, tant il me traita honeftement, lors que i'eftois en vn estat le plus méprisable du monde. Ie ne pouuois pas manquer d'habits, cét honneste Gentilhomme m'en presenta vn fort honnefte; & à mefme temps, vn [76] bon Vualon, ne fçachant rien de cét office, alloit quefter par les maisons, pour trouuer dequoy m'habiller. On me dit encor, que cette bonne Dame Ecoffoife, me preparoit la mesme charité: mais ie les remerciay tous, & ie ne voulu iamais rien accepter, qu'vn capot, & des bas de chauffes à la Sauuage, auec des fouliers François, & vne couuerture, qui me deuoit feruir de lit à mon retour, cette Dame prit le foin de tout cela auec tant d'addresse, & tant d'affection, qu'elle n'épargna aucun ajustement, dont elle se peut auifer. Mes hoftes me presferent, de prendre des prouifions pour mon voyage: mais ie me contentay, de receuoir quelques pesches, d'vn Marchand de Bruxelles bon Catholique, que ie confeffay à mon depart. Il fallut leur promettre à [77] tous, que ie les retournerois voir, l'Esté prochain: tant ils me témoignoient d'amour & de bienueillance.

Sortant du quartier des Hollandois, ie fus conduy à la Bourgade de celuy qui m'auoit pris. L'allant vifiter, il me rendit mon Breuiaire. De là nous allâmes au Bourg, & à la cabane où i'auois efté adopté. Ie n'y fus que deux iours: car on me vint prendre

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three nights that I spent with him under the roof of that worthy man,- whose courtesy I wish I could acknowledge by any kind of service, so handsomely did he treat me when I was in the most despicable condition in the world. I could not lack coats, as this worthy Gentleman presented me a very decent one; and, at the same time, a [76] good Walloon, knowing nothing of this kindness, went to search through the houses, to find me the means of clothing myself. I was also told that that good Scotch Lady was preparing to do me the same charity; but I thanked them all, and would not accept anything but a hooded cloak, and some stockings of the Savage fashion, with some French shoes, and a blanket that was to serve me for bed on my return journey. That Lady took charge of all this, with so much skill and affection as to include every conceivable provision for my comfort. My hosts urged me to take some food for my journey; but I contented myself with some peaches from a Brussels Merchant, a good Catholic, whom I confessed at my departure. I had to prom

. ise them [77] all to come back and see them the next Summer, so much affection and kindness did they manifest toward me.

Leaving the Dutch settlement, I was conducted to the Village of the man who had captured me. Upon going to visit him, he returned to me my Breviary. Thence we proceeded to the Village and to the cabin where I had been adopted, where I remained only two days; for some one came to conduct me, together with my sister who had given me my life, to the largest of the Iroquois Villages, for the purpose of attending the councils and assemblies in which the question of peace was to be discussed.

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