promptly, joyfully, and in fine style,” as the account says which has reached us.

After some time of rejoicing, two of them were sent back to their own country, and the three others were retained as hostages. Their commission embraced three articles, distinguished by three little sticks that were put into their hands. The purport of the first was, that they were sent home to describe to the chief men of their Nation how they had been captured and delivered. The second said [136] that they must come back again, at the beginning of the following Summer. The third was a petition that they should rescue from the hands of a Nation called Sokoueki, friends and neighbors of theirs, some of the petitioners' kinsfolk, who had been two years in captivity; and that they should bring them to Sillery, if they desired to form an alliance with the peoples who commonly resort thither. The sight of these captives would, it was urged, soften the looks of those who had not regarded them favorably; and they would serve to tie the knot of the old-time friendship that had once been maintained between them. These simple souls, finding themselves declared innocent, demanded no reparation for the injuries done them. They did not complain of the blows inflicted, or of the fire that had been applied [137] to their bodies. They did not urge the restitution of nails torn out, or of fingers cut off. All these preliminaries are accounted as nothing; provided life is not taken, the rest passes for a little sport. Even women, they say, would endure as much without a murmur.

They departed in the beginning of December of the year 1652, and made their appearance on the

du mois de May, de l'an passé 1653. Si tost qu'ils apperceurent la demeure des François, & des Sauuages de Sillery, ils firent resonner leurs tambours, en signe de paix, & de réjouyssance. Ils amenoient deux vieillards, des plus considerables de leur pays, chargez de presens, qui estoient comme les ordres, & les commissions, [138] qui leur auoient esté données. Les Algonquins accourans sur les riues du grãd fleuue, & ne voyans point les captifs, qu'ils auoient deman. dez, furent d'abord mécontens: mais ces Ambaffadeurs fçachans bien, qu'ils manquoient au point le plus important, rendirent de si fortes raisons de leur procedé: qu'ils calmerent les espris des mécontens. Peut-estre que ces captifs estoient morts. Les memoires, & les lettres que i'ay receuës, n'en disent rien.

Les esprits estans appaisez. Ces nouueaux hostes furent appellez au conseil, le lendemain de leur arriuée. L'assemblée se tint en vne sale de nostre petite maison, où nous receuons, & où nous instruisons les sauuages. On commença par l'exhibition des presens, qu'on estendit' sur vne corde, qui trauersoit [139] toute la sale. Ce n'estoient que des coliers de porcelaine fort larges, des bracelets, des pendans d'oreilles: & des calumets, ou petunoirs. Chacun ayant pris sa place: le plus ancien de ces Ambassadeurs, prit la parole, disant à toute l'assistance, qu'il venoit de déplier l'affection, & l'amitié de ceux de sa nation, figurée sur ces coliers; que leur coeur estoit tout ouuert, qu'il n'y auoit aucun ply, qu'on voyoit dans ses paroles, le fond de leurs ames. Et là-dessus, tirant vn autre grand collier, il l'estendit au milieu de la place, disant. Voila le chemin, qu'il faut great river at the close of the month of May of last year, 1653. As soon as they caught sight of the settlements of the French and the Savages of Sillery, they had their drums beaten, in sign of peace and rejoicing. They escorted two of the most influential elders of their country, laden with presents representing the orders and commissions [138] that had been given them. The Algonquins, hastening to the banks of the great river, and not seeing the captives. whom they had asked for, were displeased at first; but the Ambassadors, well aware of their negligence: in the most important point, gave such forcible reasons for their conduct as to appease all dissatisfaction. Perhaps those captives were dead; the memoirs and letters which I have received say nothing about it.

Displeasure being allayed, these new guests were summoned to the council on the day after their arrival. The assembly was held in a hall of our little house, where we receive and instruct the savages. It was opened by the exhibition of the presents, which were stretched upon a cord extending [139] quite across the hall. They consisted merely of porcelain collars of great size, of bracelets, and ear-rings; and of calumets, or tobacco-pipes. When each one had taken his place, the oldest of these Ambassadors began to speak, and said to all present that he came to manifest the affection and friendship of the people of his nation, as symbolized by these collars; that their hearts were entirely open, and there was not a single fold in them; and that in his words were seen their inmost thoughts. Thereupon, taking another large collar, he stretched it out in the , middle of the room, and said: “Behold the route that you must take to come and visit your friends.">

[129] CHAPITRE VI.

DE LA PAIX FAITE AUEC VNE NATION QUI HABITE DU COSTÉ DU SUD À L'EGARD DE QUEBEC.

L femble que Dieu ait voulu donner, vne paix vniuerfelle, à la Nouuelle France. Plaise à fa Bonté, de la rendre ftable, & folide. Neuf Algonquins, de la Residence de fainct Ioseph à Sillery, eftans allez, au mois de Nouembre, à la chaffe du Caftor, s'écarterent de quatre iournées, des riues du grand fleuue, du cofté du Sud-est, c'est à dire, entre l'Orient & le Midy. Comme ils marchoient, à la pointe du iour, dans ces grandes forefts: cherchans quelques lacs, ou quelques riuieres, où les Castors bastirent leurs maifons: [130] ils rencontrerent les pistes de quelques hommes. Ils crurent auffi-tost, que c'eftoient des Iroquois. Ils marchent fur leurs brifées, & fur leurs traces, quittans la chaffe des Caftors, pour chaffer aux hommes. Ils doubloient le pas, mais fans bruit, pour n'eftre découuerts. Enfin ils trouuerent, deuant que le Soleil parut, cinq hommes endormis, dans vne cabane paffagere, qu'ils auoient dreffée, à la façon des chaffeurs. Ils fe iettent auffi-toft fur leur proye. L'vn d'iceux voulãt vier de resistance, fut arrefté par vn coup de fufil, qu'vn Algonquin luy tira dans la cuiffe. En vn mot, ils fe virent dans les liens des hommes, quafi deuant que d'eftre deliurez des liens du fommeil.

Auffi-toft que nos gens eurent fait cette prise, ils

[129] CHAPTER VI.

OF THE PEACE MADE WITH A NATION DWELLING IN

A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION FROM QUEBEC.

T seems to have been God's will to give a universal

peace to New France; may it please his Good

ness to render it stable and lasting. Nine Algonquins of the Residence of saint Joseph at Sillery, going to hunt Beaver in the month of November, turned aside from the banks of the great river and went four days' journey toward the Southeast, that is, in a direction between the East and the South. While they were proceeding at daybreak through those vast forests, seeking some lakes or rivers where the Beavers built their houses, [130] they came upon the trail of some men. They immediately thought that these were Iroquois, and they followed close upon their heels, leaving the hunting of Beavers in order to hunt men. They quickened their pace, but noiselessly, in order not to be discovered. At length they found, before the Sun rose, five men asleep in a temporary cabin, which they had erected after the manner of hunters. They immediately pounced upon their prey, one of whom, wishing to use resistance, was quieted by a musket-shot delivered him in the thigh by an Algonquin. In a word, they saw

. themselves in the bonds of men, almost before they were delivered from the bonds of sleep.

As soon as our party had made this capture, they lost all thought [131] of Beavers, and brought their