He Was A Great While Searching Me And Feeling
If I Was Fatt.
I wished him farr enough.
I looked [for] an opportunity to
be from him, thinking to be better sheltered by the woman. I thought every
foot he was to cutt my troat. I could [not] beare [it]. I had rather dye
[at] once then being so often tormented. I rose and satt me downe by the
woman, in whome was all my trust. Shee perceived I was in great feare,
whether by collour of my face or other, I know not. Shee putts her hands
uppon my head & combs it downe with her fingers. "My son," says shee, "be
chearfull. It is my husband; he will not hurt thee; he loves me and knoweth
that I love thee, and have a mind to have thee to our dwelling." Then shee
rose and takes my shirt from her husband and brings it me. Shee gave me one
of her covers. "Sleepe," said shee. I wanted not many persuasions. So chuse
rather the fatall blow sleeping then awake, for I thought never to escape.
The next morning I finding meselfe freed, which made me hope for the
future. I have reason to remember that day for two contrary things; first,
for my spirits being very much perplexed, and the other for that the
weather was contrary though very lovely. That morning they rendered all my
things againe, & filled my bagge with victualls. We left this place, which
feared me most then hurt was done. Some laughed att me afterwards for my
feares wherein I was, which I more & more hoped for better intertainment.
The weather was fair all that day, but the next wee must make a waynage,
which [was] not very hard; but my comrade drew carelessly, and the boat
slipps from his hands, which turned with such force that it had me along if
I had not lett my hould goe, chusing [rather] that then venter my selfe in
danger. Soe that it [no] sooner gott downe then we gott it up againe; but
by fortune was not hurted, yett it runn'd aground among rocks. We must goe
downe the river. I was driven to swime to it, where I found it full of
watter, and a hole that 2 fists might goe through it, so that I could not
drive it to land without mending it. My compagnion must also in the water
like a watter dogg, comes and takes hould of the foure oares. All the wild
men swims like watter doggs, not as we swime. We mende the boat there
neatly, not without miscalling one another. They spoake to me a word that I
understood not because of the difference betweene the low Iroquoits and
their speech, and in the anger and heat we layde the blame uppon one
another to have lett the boat flippe purposely. I tooke no heed of what he
alleadged. He comes sudainly uppon me & there cuffed one another untill we
weare all in bloode. Being weary, att last, out of breath, we gave over
like 2 cocks over tyred with fighting. We could not fight longer, but must
find strength to draw up the boat against the streame and overtake the
other, which was a good way from us. It was impossible to overtake the day,
nor the next. So that we must lay 3 nights by our selves.
The third day we arrived to a vast place full of Isls, which are called the
Isles of Toniata, where we overtooke our compagnions, who stayd for us.
There they killed a great bigg and fatt beare. We tooke some of it into our
boats & went on our journey together. We came thence to a place like a
bazon, made out of an Isle like a halfe moone. Here we caught eeles five
fadoms or more deepe in the waiter, seeing cleerly the bottome in abundance
of fishes. We finde there 9 low country Iroquoits in their cabbans that
came back from the warre that was against the nation of the Catts. They had
with them 2 women with a young man of 25 years & a girle of 6 years, all
prisoners. They had a head with short haire of one of that nation, that
uses to have their hair turned up like the prickles of an headg hogge. We
cottaged ourselves by them. Some of them knewed me & made much of mee. They
gave me a guirland of porcelaine & a girdle of goat's haire. They asked
when should I visit my ffriends. I promissed to come there as soone as I
could arrive att the upper village. I gave them my hattchett to give to my
ffather, and 2 dozen of brass rings & 2 shooting-knives for my sisters,
promissing to bring a cover for my mother. They inquired what was it that
made me goe away, and how. I tould them through woods & arrived att the 3
rivers in 12 dayes, and that I souffred much hunger by the way. I would not
tell them that I escaped by reason of the Duch. They called me often Devill
to have undertaken such a task. I resolved to goe along with them. Heere I
found certainty, and not till then, of the 6 ffrenchmen, whom they have
seene seaven dayes before att the coming in of the great Lake D'ontario;
and that undoubtedly the markes we have seene on the trees weare done by
seaven other boats of their owne nation that came backe from the warres in
the north, that mett 2 hurron boats of 8 men, who fought & killed 3
Iroquoits and wounded others. Of the hurrons 6 weare slained, one taken
alive, and the other escaped. Those 2 boats weare going to the ffrench to
live there. That news satisfied much my wild men, and much more I rejoiced
at this. We stayed with them the next day, feasting one another. They cutt
and burned the fingers of those miserable wretches, making them sing while
they plucked out some of their nailes, which done, wee parted well
satisfied for our meeting.
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