Winter to vifit Yonnendio, (the Name they give to the Governor of Canada ;) thefe Vifits are always made with much Shew. Under this Pretence they gathered together 1000 or 1200 Men. Their out Scouts met with Piskaret near Nicolet River, and ftill pretending a friendly Visit to the Governor of Canada, as their only Design, he told them, that the Adirondacks were divided into two Bodies, one of which hunted on the North Side of St. Laurence River at Wabmake, three Leagues above Trois Rivieres, and the other at Nicolet. As foon as they had gained this Information, they killed him, and returned with his Head to the Army. The Five Nations divided likewise into two Bodies; they furprized the Adirondacks in both Places, and in both cut them in Pieces.

Thus the most warlike and polite Nation of all the Indians in North America, was almoft intirely destroyed by a People they at first despised, and by a War which their Pride and Injustice brought upon them ; and we here fee, that all the Advantages of Numbers, Courage and Weapons, is not equal to good Discipline in an Army.

A very few Adirondacks only now remain in fome Villages near Quebeck, who ftill waste away and decay, by their drinking ftrong Waters, though when the French first fettled at Quebeck, 1500 fighting Men of them lived between that Place and Sillerie, which are only a League diftant, befides those that lived at Saquenay, Trois Rivieres, and fome other Places. And fince this decifive Battle, the Adirondacks have never been confidered. as of any Confequence, either in Peace or War.

The Quatoghies and Utawawas now foon beganto be in Want of the European Commodities, which had made them confiderable among their new Friends. In order therefore to supply themselves anew, they returned to Trade at Quebeck; and by

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this Means the Place of their Retreat was discovered to the Five Nations; and they not having their Revenge fatiated, while the Quatoghies had a Being, foon convinced them, that no Extent of Country could fet Bounds to that Paffion, when it rages in the Hearts of the Five Nations, for they foon after attack'd them in their new Settlement. The Quatoghies had the good Fortune to discover the Five Nations Time enough to make their Escape, and fled to the Putewatemies, who lived a Day's Journey further, where they, and all the Neighbouring Nations, fecured themfelves in a large Fort. The Five Nations followed, but, being in Want of Provifion, they could not attempt a Siege, and therefore propofed a Treaty with the Putewatemies, which was accepted. The Putewatemies acknowledged the Five Nations as Masters of all the Nations round them, applauded their Valour, and promised them their Friendship, and to fupply them with Provifions; they would not, however, trust themselves out of their Fort, but fent out a Supply; and even this they did, only with Design to do that by Treachery, which they durft not attempt by Force; for the Provifions were poifoned. The Treachery was difcovered however to the Five Nations, by an old Quatoghie, who had a Son Pri*foner among them; his Affection for his Son overcoming even his Hatred to his Country's Enemies. This Treachery highly enraged the Five Nations against the Putewatemies, and the neighbouring People; but Famine obliging them to retire at this Time, they divided their Armies into Parties, the better to provide for their Subfiftence, by Hunting; one of these Parties in their Chace fell in with a Village of the Chicktaghicks (called by the French Hinois) and furprized the old Men, Women and Children, when the young Men were abroad Hunting; but the young Men, upon their Return, gathering

thering together all the rest of the Villages, purfued this Party of the Five Nations, and recovered the Prisoners.

This was the firft Time that the Five Nations had been seen in thofe Parts, but their Name was become fo terrible, that the Chicktaghicks, notwithstanding this Advantage, left their Country, and fled to the Nations that lived weftward, till the General Peace was fettled by the French, and not till on that Occafion returned to their own Country.

СНА Р. II.

The Wars and Treaties of Peace of the Indians of the Five Nations with the French, from 1665 to 1683, and their Affairs with New-York in that Time.

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N June 1665, Monfieur De Trafi, appointed Vice-Roy of America by the French King, arrived at Quebeck, after he had vifited the French Islands in the Weft-Indies, and brought with him four Companies of Foot; and in September of the fame Year, Mr.Cour fel arrived Governour-General of Canada; he brought with him a Regiment and feveral Families, with all Things neceffary for establishing of a Colony. Their Force being now thus confiderably augmented, the French Governour refolved to chastise the Infolence of the Five Nations; and for that Purpose, in the Winter, fent out a Party against the Mohawks, but these by the Cold, and their not knowing the Ufe of Snow Shoes, fuffered very much, without doing any Thing against the Enemy.

This Party, however, fell in with * Skenectady, a fmall Town which Corlear a (confiderable Man € 4 among *The French call this Town Corlear, from the Perfon's Nanie who first fettled there. It is fituate on the Mohawks River fixteen Miles from Albany.

among the Dutch) had then newly fettled. When they appeared near Skenectady, they were almost dead with Cold and Hunger; and the Indians, who were then in that Village, had entirely deftroyed them, if Corlear (in Compaffion to his FellowChriftians) had not contrived their Escape. He had a mighty Influence over the Indians; and it is from him, and in Remembrance of his Merit, that all Governors of New-York are called Corlear by the Indians to this Day, though he himself was never Governor. He perfuaded the Indians, that this was a fmall Party of the French Army come to amuse them, that the great Body was gone directly towards their Caftles, and that it was neceffary for them immediately to go in Defence of their Wives and Children. This they believed, and readily obeyed; and as foon as the Indians were gone, he fent to the French, and fupplied them with Provifions and other Neceffaries to carry them back. The French Governour, in order to reward fo fignal a Service, invited Corlear to Canada; but as he went through the great Lake, which lies to the Northward of Albany, his Canoe was overfet, and he was drowned; and from this Accident that Lake has ever fince been called Corlear's Lake, by the People of New-York. There is a Rock in this Lake, on which the Waves dash and fly up to a great Height; when the Wind blows hard, the Indians believe, that an old Indian lives under this Rock, who has the Power of the Winds; and therefore, as they pafs it in their Voyages over, they always throw a Pipe, or fome other small Prefent to this old Indian, and pray a favourable Wind. The English that pafs with them fometimes laugh at them, but they are fure to be told of Corlear's Death. Your great Countryman Corlear (fay they) as he paffed by this Rock, jested at our Fathers making Prefents to this old Indian, and ́

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in Derifion turned up his Backfide, but this Affront coft him his Life.

In the following Spring, the Vice-Roy and the Governor of Canada, with twenty-eight Companies of Foot, and all the Militia of the Colony, marched into the Country of the Mohawks, with a Defign to deftroy this Nation, which by their Wars not only prevented their Commerce with the Western Indians, but likewife often put their Colony in Danger. It certainly was a bold Attempt, to march above 700 Miles from Quebeck through vaft unknown Forefts. The Mohawks, however, on their Approach, Men, Women and Children, retired into the Woods, and all that the French were able to do, was to burn fome Villages, and to murder fome old Sachems that (like the old Roman Senators) chofe rather to die than to defert their Houses.

The French were fo conceited before, of their Superiority over the Indians in their Skill of War, and their Weapons, that they thought they could not escape, but the little Honour or Advantage they got by this Expedition, leffened their Vanity, and made them defirous of Peace; and the Five Nations remaining fearful of the French fire Arms, it was without much Difficulty concluded in the Year 1667.

The Five Nations, however, being naturally very enterprizing and haughty, one of their Parties fome Time after met with fome French in their hunting, and quarrelled with them. The Indians had the Advantage, they killed feveral of the French, and carried one Prifoner into their own Country. Monfieur de Coursel sent on this to threaten the Five Nations with War, if they did not deliver up thefe Murderers; and the Five Nations, to fhew their publick Difpleafure at this Breach of Peace, fent Agariata, the Captain of the Company that did

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the