"I had as lief be beset by
goblins as by the Iroquois.
The one are about as invisible as the other.
Our people on the Richelieu and at Montreal are kept in a closer
confinement than ever were monks or nuns in our smallest convents in
France."] saving that he had nimble limbs to escape their fury; being
departed, all three well armed, and unanimiously rather die then abandon
one another, notwithstanding these resolutions weare but young mens
deboasting; being then in a very litle assurance and lesse security.
At an offspring of a village of three Rivers we consult together that two
should go the watter side, the other in a wood hardby to warne us, for to
advertise us if he accidentaly should light [upon] or suspect any Barbars
in ambush, we also retreat ourselves to him if we should discover any thing
uppon the River. Having comed to the first river, which was a mile distant
from our dwellings, wee mett a man who mett a man who kept cattell, and
asked him if he had knowne any appearance of Ennemy, and likewise demanded
which way he would advise us to gett better fortune, and what part he spied
more danger; he guiding us the best way he could, prohibiting us by no
means not to render ourselves att the skirts of the mountains; ffor, said
he, I discovered oftentimes a multitude of people which rose up as it weare
of a sudaine from of the Earth, and that doubtless there weare some enemys
that way; which sayings made us looke to ourselves and charge two of our
fowling peeces with great shot the one, and the other with small. Priming
our pistols, we went where our fancy first lead us, being impossible for us
to avoid the destinies of the heavens; no sooner tourned our backs, but my
nose fell ableeding without any provocation in the least. Certainly it was
a warning for me of a beginning of a yeare and a half of hazards and of
miseryes that weare to befall mee. We did shoot sometime and killed some
Duks, which made one of my fellow travellers go no further. I seeing him
taking such a resolution, I proferred some words that did not like him,
giving him the character of a timourous, childish humor; so this did
nothing prevaile with him, to the Contrary that had with him quite another
isue then what I hoped for; ffor offending him with my words he prevailed
so much with the others that he persuaded them to doe the same. I lett them
goe, laughing them to scorne, beseeching them to helpe me to my fowles, and
that I would tell them the discovery of my designes, hoping to kill meat to
make us meate att my retourne.
I went my way along the wood some times by the side of the river, where I
finde something to shute att, though no considerable quantitie, which made
me goe a league off and more, so I could not go in all further then
St. Peeter's, which is nine mile from the plantation by reason of the river
Ovamasis, which hindered me the pasage.
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