Here We Weare To Make
Our Provissions To Passe The Lake Some 14 Dayes.
In the said tearme wee
dryed up above a million of sturgeons.
[Footnote: He no doubt meant to say,
above "un mille," or "above a thousand."] The women followed us close;
after our abode there two dayes they overtooke us. We had severall fals
allarums, which putt us in severall troubles. They woundred to have found
an Oryanck dead uppon the place, with a boullet in his body. There thousand
lyes weare forged. Therefore we goe from thence, but before we come to the
Longpoint whereof we spoak before, the wildmen called it okinotoname, we
perceive smoake. We goe to discover what it was, and by ill looke we found
it was a Iroquoits boat of seaven men, who doubtlesse stayed that winter in
the lake of the hurrons, and came there to discover somewhat. I cannot say
that they weare the first that came there. God graunt that they may be the
last. As they saw us, away they, as swift as their heels could drive. They
left their boat and all. They to the woods, and weare pursued, but in
vaine, ffor they weare gone before three houres. The pursuers came backe;
the one brings a gun, the one a hattchett, the other a kettle, and so
forth. The councell was called, where it was decreed to go backe and shooke
off to goe downe to the ffrench till the next yeare. This vexed us sore to
see such a fleete and such an opportunity come to nothing, foreseeing that
such an other may be not in tenne years. We weare to persuade them to the
contrary, but checked soundly, saying we weare worse then Ennemyes by
perswading them to goe and be slained. In this we must lett theire feare
passe over, and we back to the river of the sturgeons, where we found our
wives, very buissie in killing those creatures that comes there to
multiplie. We dayly heare some newe reporte. All every where ennemy by
fancy.
We in the meane time buissie ourselves in the good of our country, which
will recompence us badly ffor such toyle and labour. Twelve dayes are
passed, in which time we gained some hopes of faire words. We called a
councell before the company was disbanded, where we represented, if they
weare discouvers, they had not vallued the losse of their kettle, knowing
well they weare to gett another where their army layed, and if there should
be an army it should appeare and we in such an number, they could be well
afraid and turne backe. Our reasons weare hard and put in execution. The
next day we embarqued, saving the Christinos, that weare afraid of a sight
of a boat made of another stuff then theirs, that they went back as we came
where the Iroquoits' boat was. Our words proved true and so proceeded in
our way.
Being come nigh the Sault, we found a place where 2 of these men sweated, &
for want of covers buried themselves in the sand by the watter side to
keepe their bodyes from the flyes called maringoines, which otherwise had
killed them with their stings.
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