My Father Was
A Great Captayne In Warrs, Having Ben Commander In All His Times, And
Distructed Many Villages Of Their Ennemy, Having Killed 19 Men With His
Owne Hands, Whereof He Was Marked [On] His Right Thigh For As Many [As] He
Killed.
He should have as many more, but that you must know that the
Commander has not amused himselfe to kille, but in the front of his army to
encourage his men.
If by chance he tooke any prisoners, he calles one of
his men and gives him the captives, saying that it's honour enough to
command the conquerors, and by his example shews to the yong men that he
has the power as much as the honour. He receaved 2 gunn shots and 7 arrows
shotts, and was runne through the shoulders with a lance. He was aged 3
score years old, he was talle, and of an excellent witt for a wild man.
When our baggage was ready, my father makes a feast to which he invites a
number of people, & declares that he was sorry he had resolved to go to
warre against an Ennemy which was in a cold country, which hindred him to
march sooner then he would, but willing to see his sonnes before him, and
that this banquett was made for his 2 sons' farewell. Then he tould that
his adopted son was ready to go with his owne son to be revenged of the
death of their brothers, and desired the Commander to have a care of us
both. This Commander loved us both, said that the one which [was] meselfe
should be with him to the end. If anything should oppose he would make me
fight him. I was not att home when he spoke those words, but my mother
toald me it att my retourne. I was a fishing by with my sisters & brother.
When wee came back wee found all ready, butt with a heart broken that our
mother and sisters lett us goe. Few days after I was invited to a military
banquett where was the Captayne, a yong gallant of 20 years old, with a
company of 8, and I made the 10th. We all did sing and made good cheare of
a fatt beare. We gave our things to slaves, we carried only our musquetts.
Our kindred brought us a great way. My sister could not forbeare crying,
yett tould me to be of a stout heart. We tooke att last [leave and] bid
them adieu. We tooke on our journey over great snowes for to come to the
great Lake before the Spring. We travelled 7 days through woods and
indifferent country, easie in some places and others difficult. The Rivers
weare frozen, which made us crosse with a great deale of ease.
Wee arrived the 7th day in a village called Nojottga [Footnote: Nojottga,
or Oneioutga, Oneida.], where we stayed 2 days. From thence came a young
man with us. We arrived into another village, Nontageya [Footnote:
Nontageya, Onontaguega, or Onondaga.], where we stayed foure days. Wee
had allways great preparations, and weare invited 9 or tenne times a day.
Our bellyes had not tyme to emptie themselves, because we feeded so much,
and that what was prepared for us weare severall sortes, Stagg, Indian
corne, thick flower, bears, and especially eels. We have not yett searched
our baggs wheare our provision was. In this place wee mended them. For my
part I found in myne 6 pounds of powder and more then 15 pounds of shott, 2
shirts, a capp, 8 pairs of shoes, and wherewith to make a paire of
breeches, and about 1000 graines of black and white porcelaine, and my
brother as many. Wee had new covers, one to our body, another hung downe
from our shoulders like a mantle. Every one [had] a small necklace of
porcelaine and a collar made with a thread of nettles to tye the Prisoners.
I had a gunne, a hattchett, and a dagger. That was all we had. Our slaves
brought the packs after us.
After we marched 3 dayes, we came to a village, Sonon-teeonon,[Footnote:
Sononteeonon, Tionnontonan, or Seneca.] there we layd a night. The next
day, after a small journey, we came to the last village of their
confederates. Heere they doe differ in their speech though of [our] nation.
It's called Oiongoiconon. [Footnote: Oiongoiconon is Cayuga.] Here we
stay 2 dayes, and sent away our slaves and carryed our bundles ourselves,
going allwayes through the woods. We found great plaines of 2 leagues and a
halfe journey without a tree. We saw there stagges, but would not goe out
of our way to kill them. We went through 3 villages of this nation neare
one another. They admired to see a frenchman accompanying wild men, which I
understood by their exclamations. I thought I grewed leane to take litle
voyage, but the way seemed tedious to all. The raquett alwayes with the
feet and sometimes with the hands, which seemed to me hard to indure, yett
have I not complained. Att the parting of the slaves, I made my bundle
light as the rest. We found snowes in few places, saving where the trees
made a shaddow, which hindred the snow to thaw, which made us carry the
raquetts with our feete, and sometimes with the hands.
After 10 days' march [we completed our journey] through a country covered
with water, and where also are mountaines and great plaines. In those
plaines wee kill'd stagges, and a great many Tourquies. Thence we came to a
great river of a mile wide which was not frozen, which made us stay there
10 or 12 dayes making skiffs of the rind of walnut trees. We made good
cheere and wished to stay there longer. We made 3 skiffs to hould 3 men,
and one to hould two. We imbarked though there weare ice in many places,
and yett no hinderance to us going small journeys, fearing least what
should befall us.
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