Most Of Us Are Traited Againe For The Castors
We Bestowed On Them.
They resolve unanimously to goe on their designe.
Every thing ready, we march along.
The next day we arrived in a small
brough [Footnote: Brough probably means borough, used, as the French
applied it to "bourgade," for a town of Indians or whites.] of the
hollanders, where we masters them, without that those beere-bellies had the
courage to frowne att us. Whether it was out of hope of lucre or otherwise,
we with violence tooke the meate out of their potts, and opening their
coubards [cupboards] we take and eat what we [can] gett. For drinking of
their wine we weare good fellowes. So much that they fought with swords
among themselves without the least offer of any misdeed to me. I drunk more
then they, but more soberly, letting them make their quarrells without any
notice.
The 4th day we come to the fort, of Orange, wher we weare very well
received, or rather our Castors, every one courting us; and was nothing but
pruins and reasins and tobbacco plentifully, and all for ho, ho, which is
thanks, adding nianonnha, thanke you. We went from house to house. I went
into the fort with my brother, and have not yett ben knowne a french. But a
french souldier of the fort speaks to me in Iroquois language, & demanded
if I was not a stranger, and did veryly believe I was french, for all that
I was all dabbled over with painting and greased. I answered him in the
same language, that no; and then he speaks in swearing, desiring me [to
tell him] how I fell in the hands of those people. And hearing him speake
french, amazed, I answered him, for which he rejoyced very much. As he
embraces me, he cryes out with such a stirre that I thought him senselesse.
He made a shame for all that I was wild but to blush red. I could be no
redder then what they painted me before I came there. All came about me,
ffrench as well as duch, every one makeing [me] drink out of the bottles,
offering me their service; but my time yett was not out, so that I wanted
not their service, for the onely rumour of my being a frenchman was enough.
The flemish women drawed me by force into their houses, striving who should
give, one bread, other meate, to drinke and to eate, and tobacco. I wanted
not for those of my nation, Iroquois, who followed me in a great squadroon
through the streets, as if I had bin a monster in nature or a rare thing to
be seen.
I went to see the Governor, & talked with me a long time, and tould him the
life that I lead, of which he admired. He offred me to buy me from them att
what prise so ever, or else should save me, which I accepted not, for
severall reasons. The one was for not to be behoulding to them, and the
other being loathsome to leave such kind of good people. For then I began
to love my new parents that weare so good & so favourable to me. The 3d
reason was to watch a better opportunity for to retyre to the french rather
then make that long circuit which after I was forced to doe for to retyre
to my country more then 2,000 leagues; and being that it was my destiny to
discover many wild nations, I would not to strive against destinie. I
remitted myselfe to fortune and adventure of time, as a thing ordained by
God for his greatest glorie, as I hope it will prove. Our treatis being
done, overladend with bootyes abundantly, we putt ourselves in the way that
we came to see againe our village, and to passe that winter with our wives,
and to eat with them our Cagaimtie in peece, hoping that nobody should
trouble us during our wintering, and also to Expect or finde our fathers
retourning home.
Leaving that place, many cryed to see me among a company of wolves, as that
souldier tould me who knowed me the first houre; and the poore man made the
tears come to my eyes. The truth is, I found many occasions to retire for
to save me, but have not yett souffred enough to have merited my
deliverence. In 2 dayes' journey we weare retourned to our cabbans, where
every one of us rendered himself to his dearest kindred or master. My
sisters weare charged of porcelaine, of which I was shure not to faile, for
they weare too liberall to mee and I towards them. I was not 15 dayes
retourned, but that nature itselfe reproached me to leade such a life,
remembering the sweet behaviour and mildnesse of the french, & considered
with meselfe what end should I expect of such a barbarous nation, enemy to
God and to man. The great effect that the flemings shewed me, and the litle
space was from us there; can I make that journey one day? The great belief
that that people had in me should make them not to mistrust me, & by that I
should have greater occasion to save me without feare of being pursued.
All these reasons made one deliberat to take a full resolution, without
further delay, of saving meselfe to the flemings; ffor I could be att no
safty among such a nation full of reveng. If in case the ffrench &
algonquins defeats that troupe of theirs, then what spite they will have
will reveng it on my boanes; ffor where is no law, no faith to undertake to
goe to the ffrench. I was once interrupted, nor have I had a desire to
venture againe for the second time. I should delight to be broyled as
before in pitifull torments. I repented of a good occasion I lett slippe,
finding meselfe in the place with offers of many to assist me.
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