them a better Opinion of the Strength and Courage CHA P. of the French. For this Purpose he fent three hun- VII. dred and twelve Men to furprise them, under the Command of Mr. Beaucour, a young Gentleman. The Praying Indians of Montreal were of the Party. This Expedition being in the Winter, they were obliged to undergo cruel Fatigues, while they marched on the Snow with fnow Shoes, and carried all their Provifion on their Backs. Several of the French had' their Feet frozen, which obliged fifteen to return, with fome old Indians, that could not bear the Fatigue; and it was with much Difficulty that Beaucour could perfuade the reft to continue their March. After a March to a furprizing Distance, at that Season of the Year, they surprised eighty of the Five Nations, who notwithstanding made a brave Defence, and did not run before they left moft of their Men dead on the Spot. Three Women were made Prifoners, with whom the French immediately turned back to Montreal. Some ftragling Parties went towards Albany, but did no more Mifchief than killing two or three ftragling Perfons, and alarming the Country.

The Trade to Milimakinak being ftill intirely ftopt, by the Parties of the Five Nations invefting Cadarackui River, by which, and Cedarackui Lake, the Paffage in Canoes is made to the Western Indians, Captain la Noue, with a Command of the regular Troops, was ordered early in the Spring to guard the Traders through that Paffage; but when he reached the Falls de Calumette, he difcovered the Enemy, and returned fafter than he went.

La Neue had Orders a fecond Time to attempt this Paffage, and went as far as the River du Lievre (thirty Leagues from Montreal) without any ObAtruction; but there difcovering feveral Canoes of the Five Nations, he went back as faft as before.

The Quatogbies and the Bullbeads *

CHAP, having inVII. formed the French of another smaller River, which falls into Cadarackui River, and runs to the Northward of it, by which a Paffage might be made to the Lakes, it was refolved to attempt this Paffage, though it were much farther round, and more dangerous, there being many more rapid Falls in that River. Three Officers, with thirty Soldiers, were fent with the Traders for this Purpose, but a Party of the Five Nations meeting with them in the long Fall, before they reached this River, they were all killed or taken, except four that escaped back to Montreal.

A confiderable Party of the Five Nations, under the Command of Blackkettle, a famous Hero, continued a long Time on Cadarackui River, in hopes of meeting with other French Parties, in their Paffage towards Miffilimakinak; but finding that no At. tempts were made that Way, he refolved to make an Irruption into the Country round Montreal. The French fay he had fix hundred Men with him; but they usually increase the Number of their Enemies, in the Relation they give of these Tranfactions, ei ther to excufe their Fears, or to increafe their Glory.

Blackkettle overrun the Country (to ufe the French Expreffion) as a Torrent does the Low-lands, when it overflows its Banks, and there is no withstanding it. The Soldiers had Orders to stand upon the defenfive within their Forts. Mr. de Vaudreuil purfued this Party (after they had burnt and ravaged the whole Country) at the Head of four hundred Men; he overtook them and furprised them. The Five Nations fought defperately, though the fame Author, at this Place, makes them no more than two hundred Men. After they had loft twenty Men on the Spot, they broke through the French, and marched off. The French loft four Officers

The Bullbeads are faid to be cowardly People.

and

and many common Soldiers, and they took five Men, CHAP. nine Women, and five Children Prisoners.

The Five Nations in a few Days had however fome Revenge; a Captain having had Orders to guard the Veffels from Montreal to Quebeck, a Party of the Five Nations attacked him in his Return, as he paffed through the Islands in Lake St. Pierre. He himfelf was killed, and the whole Party intirely routed.

The French all this Summer were obliged to keep upon the defenfive within their Forts, while the Five Nations, in fmall Parties, ravaged the whole Country, fo that no Man ftirred the leaft Diftance from a Fort, but he was in danger of lofing his Scalp.

The Count de Frontenac was pierced to the Heart, when he found that he could not revenge these terrible Incurfions of the Five Nations; and his Anguish made him guilty of fuch a Piece of monstrous Cruelty, in-burning a Prifoner alive after the Indian Manner, as though I have frequently mentioned to have been done by the Indians, yet I forbore. giving the Particulars of fuch barbarous Acts, fufpecting it might be too offenfive to Chriftian Ears, even in the History of Savages. Here however I think it useful to give a circumftantial Account of this horrid Act, to fhew on one Hand, what Courage and Refolution, Virtue, the Love of Glory, and the Love of one's Country can inftill into Mens Minds, even where the Knowledge of true Religion is wanting; and on the other Hand, how far a falfe Policy, under a corrupt Religion, can debase even great Minds.

The Count de Frontenac, I fay, condemned two Prisoners of the Five Nations to be burnt publickly alive. The Intendant's Lady intreated him to moderate the Sentence, and the Jefuits, it is faid, used their Endeavours for the fame Purpose. But the Count de Frontenac faid, there is a Neceffity of

VH.

CHA P. making fuch an Example, to frighten the Five NaVII. tions from approaching the Plantations, fince the In

dulgence, that had hitherto been fhewn, had incouraged them to advance with the greatest Boldnefs to the very Gates of their Towns; while they thought they run no other Rifque, but of being made Prisoners, where they live better than at Home. He added, that the Five Nations having burnt fo many French, juftified this Method of making Reprizals. But with Submiffion to the Politenefs of the French Nation, may I not afk, whether every (or any) horrid Action of a barbarous Enemy, can juftify a civilized Nation in doing the like?

When the Governor could not be moved, the Jefuits went to the Prison, to inftruct the Prifoners in the Myfteries of our Holy Religion, viz. of the Trinity, the Incarnation of our Saviour, the Joys of Paradise, and the Punishments of Hell, to fit their Souls for Heaven by Baptifm, while their Bodies were condemned to Torments. But the Indians, after they had heard their Sentence, refused to hear the Jefuits speak, and began to prepare for Death in their own Country Manner, by finging their Death Song.

Some charitable Perfon threw a Knife into the Prifon, with which one of them dispatched himself: The other was carried out to the Place of Execution by the Chriftian Indians of Loretto, to which he walked, feemingly, with as much Indifference as ever Martyr did to the Stake. While they were torturing him, he continued finging, that he was a Warrior brave and without Fear; that the most cruel Death could not shake his Courage; that the moft cruel Torment fhould not draw an indecent Expreflion from him; that his Comrade was a Coward, a Scandal to the Five Nations, who had killed himself for fear of Pain; that he had the Comfort to reflect, that he had made many Frenchmen tuffer as he did now. He fully verified his Words, for the most violent Torment could not

force

force the leaft Complaint from him, though his Executioners tried their utmost Skill to do it. They firft broiled his Feet between two red hot Stones; then they put his Fingers into red hot Pipes, and though he had his Arms at Liberty, he would not pull his Fingers out; they cut his Joints, and taking hold of the Sinews, twisted them round fmall Bars of Iron. All this while he kept finging and recounting his own brave Actions against the French. At laft they flead his Scalp from his Skull, and poured fcalding hot Sand upon it; at which Time the Intendant's Lady obtained Leave of the Governor to have the Coup-de-grace given, and I believe the thereby likewife obtained a Favour to every Reader, in delivering him from a further continuance of this Account of French Cruelty.

Notwithstanding this Cruelty, which the French Governor manifefted towards the Five Nations, and thereby his Hatred of them, he found Peace with them fo neceffary to Canada, that he ftill pursued it by all the Means in his Power. For this Purpose the Praying Indians (who, as I obferved before, are Mohawks, and have always kept a Correfpondence with their own Nation) were employed to bring it about, and to endeavour a Ceffation of Arms, that the Governor might have an Opportunity of fhewing what kind Things he had in his Heart towards the Five Nations, but without Success.

CHAP. VIII.

The Five Nations treat with Captain Ingoldsby.

TH

HE Governor of New-York, Colonel Slaugh. CHA P. ter's Death, foon after his Arrival, was very VIII. prejudicial to the Affairs of New-York; for Captain Ingoldfly, who had no other Commiffion but that of Captain of one of the Independent Companies of

Foot,