We understood him not; he was much more tawny then they
with whome we weare. His armes & leggs weare turned outside; that was the
punishment inflicted uppon him. So they doe with them that they take, &
kill them with clubbs & doe often eat them. They doe not burne their
prisoners as those of the northern parts.
We weare informed of that nation that live in the other river. These weare
men of extraordinary height & biggnesse, that made us believe they had no
communication with them. They live onely uppon Corne & Citrulles,
[Footnote: Citrulles, pumpkins.] which are mighty bigg. They have fish in
plenty throughout the yeare. They have fruit as big as the heart of an
Oriniak, which grows on vast trees which in compasse are three armefull in
compasse. When they see litle men they are affraid & cry out, which makes
many come help them. Their arrows are not of stones as ours are, but of
fish boans & other boans that they worke greatly, as all other things.
Their dishes are made of wood. I having seene them, could not but admire
the curiosity of their worke. They have great calumetts of great stones,
red & greene. They make a store of tobacco. They have a kind of drink that
makes them mad for a whole day. This I have not seene, therefore you may
believe as you please.
When I came backe I found my brother sick, as I said before. God gave him
his health, more by his courage then by any good medicine, ffor our bodyes
are not like those of the wildmen. To our purpose; we came backe to our
carriage, whilst wee endeavoured to ayde our compagnions in their
extremity. The Iroquoits gott a great way before, not well satisfied to
have stayed for us, having lost 7 of their men; 2 of them weare not nimble
enough, ffor our bulletts & arrows made them stay for good & all. Seaven of
our men weare sick, they have ben like to be drowned, & the other two weare
wounded by the Iroquoits.
The next day we went on without any delay or encounter. I give you leave if
those of mont Royall weare not overjoyed to see us arrived where they
affirme us the pitifull conditions that the country was by the cruelty of
these cruell barbars, that perpetually killed & slaughtered to the very
gate of the ffrench fort. All this hindered not our goeing to the ffrench
att the 3 rivers after we refreshed ourselves 3 dayes, but like to pay
dearly for our bold attempt. 20 inhabitants came downe with us in a
shawlopp. As we doubled the point of the river of the meddows we weare sett
uppon by severall of the Iroquoits, but durst not come neare us, because of
two small brasse pieces that the shalop carryed.
