“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 paffé 1653. Si toft qu'ils apperceurent la demeure des François, & des Sauuages de Sillery, ils firent refonner leurs tambours, en figne de paix, & de réjouyffance. Ils amenoient deux vieillards, des plus confiderables de leur pays, chargez de prefens, qui estoient comme les ordres, & les commiffions, [138] qui leur auoient esté données. Les Algonquins accourans fur les riues du grãd fleuue, & ne voyans point les captifs, qu'ils auoient demandez, furent d'abord mécontens: mais ces Ambaffadeurs fçachans bien, qu'ils manquoient au point le plus important, rendirent de fi fortes raifons de leur procedé: qu'ils calmerent les efpris des mécontens. Peut-eftre que ces captifs eftoient morts. Les memoires, & les lettres que i'ay receuës, n'en disent rien.

Les efprits eftans appaisez. Ces nouueaux hostes furent appellez au confeil, le lendemain de leur arriuée. L'affemblée se tint en vne fale de noftre petite maison, où nous receuons, & où nous inftruisons les fauuages. On commença par l'exhibition des prefens, qu'on eftendit sur vne corde, qui trauersoit [139] toute la fale. Ce n'eftoient que des coliers de porcelaine fort larges, des bracelets, des pendans d'oreilles: & des calumets, ou petunoirs. Chacun ayant pris fa place: le plus ancien de ces Ambassadeurs, prit la parole, difant à toute l'affistance, qu'il venoit de déplier l'affection, & l'amitié de ceux de sa nation, figurée fur ces coliers; que leur cœur eftoit tout ouuert, qu'il n'y auoit aucun ply, qu'on voyoit dans fes paroles, le fond de leurs ames. Et là-deffus, tirant vn autre grand collier, il l'eftendit au milieu de la place, difant. 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.'”.

tenir, pour venir visiter vos amis. Ce colier eftoit compofé de porcelaine blanche, & violette, en forte qu'il y auoit figures, que ce bon homme expliquoit à fa mode. Voila, difoit-il, les lacs, [140] voila les riuieres, voila les montagnes, & les vallées, qu'il faut paffer; voila les portages, & les cheutes d'eau. Remarquez tout; afin, que dans les vifites, que nous nous rendrons les vns aux autres, perfonne ne s'égare. Les chemins feront maintenant faciles: on ne craindra plus les embufcades. Tous ceux qu'on rencontrera, feront autant d'amis.

Cela fait, il fe leue, & s'approchant des prefens estendus, comme i'ay desia dit, il en donna l'explication, comme on feroit d'vn enigme, touchant les perfonnages du tableau, les vns apres les autres. Voila, faifoit-il, monftrant le premier prefent, le liure, ou le papier, où font peints les ordres, & les commiffions, que i'ay receuës de mon pays, & les affaires que i'ay à vous communiquer. [141] Quiconque méprisera, ce que porte cette peinture, ou cét écrit, merite qu'on luy caffe la tefte.

Touchant le fecond prefent, qui faifoit vne grande ceinture de porcelaine. Allons mes freres, leuezvous, & ceignez-vous de cette ceinture, & allons de compagnie à la chaffe de l'Elan, & du Castor.

Le troifiéme, eftoit composé de quelques bastons de porcelaine, qu'ils portent à leurs oreilles, fi prodigieusement percées, qu'on y passe aisément vn gros bafton de cire d'Espagne. Voila, s'écria-il, pour percer vos oreilles: afin que nous puiffions nous parler les vns les autres, comme font les amis, & que nous affiftions aux confeils les vns des autres.

This collar was composed of white and violet-colored porcelain, so arranged as to form figures, which this worthy man explained after his own fashion. “ There," said he,“ are the lakes, [140] there the rivers, there the mountains and valleys that must be passed; and there are the portages and waterfalls. Note everything, to the end that, in the visits that we shall pay one another, no one may get lost. The roads will be easy now, and no more ambuscades will be feared. All persons who are met will be so many friends."

That done, he arose; and, approaching the presents as they hung there, in the manner I have already described, he gave an explanation of them, as one would of an enigma, regarding the personages of the picture, one after the other. “There," said he, pointing to the first present, “is the book, or the

“ paper, wherein are painted the orders and commissions that I have received from my country, and the matters that I have to communicate to you. [141] Whoever shall lightly esteem the purport of this painting or writing, deserves to have his head broken."

Concerning the second present, composed of a large belt of porcelain, he said: “ Come, brothers, arise and gird yourselves with this belt; and let us go together to hunt the Elk and the Beaver."

The third was composed of some sticks of porcelain, worn by them in their ears, which are pierced with such very large holes as easily to receive a great stick of Spanish wax. “ Those," he exclaimed, “are for piercing your ears, in order that we may speak to one another as friends are wont to do, and that we may take part in one another's councils."