Shee Was Seene In An Evening By A River, Whereby Shee Was
For 3 Dayes, By 3 Hurrons Renegades.
They tooke her, but in a sad
condition.
They not considering that shee was of their owne nation, stript
her. It is the custom to strip whomsoever is lost in the woods. They
brought her to the village, where the father was that brought her from the
place of murdering to that place whence shee runned away the second time.
This father, knowing her, brings her to our fort, that we might see her as
a thing incredible but by the mercy of God. I was in the village with the
father and with another frenchman, where we see the crudest thing in nature
acted. Those Iroquoits that came along the river with us, some weare about
fishing, some a hunting, they seeing this woman makes her [their] slave.
One day a man or theirs was forwearned for his insolency, for not referring
to the Governor, doing all out of his owne head. [He him] selfe was to come
that day, leading 2 women with their 2 children, he not intending to give
an account of anything but by his owne authority. The elders, heering this,
goes and meets him some 50 paces out of the village for to maintaine their
rights. They stayed this man. What weare those beasts? He answered they
weare his; he no sooner had spoaken, but one old man spoak to him thus:
"Nephew, you must know that all slaves, as well men as women, are first
brought before the Councell, and we alone can dispose [of] them." So said,
& turned to the other side, and gave a signe to some soldiers that they
brought for that purpose, to knock those beasts in the head, who executed
their office & murdered the women. One tooke the child, sett foot on his
head, taking his leggs in his hands, wrought the head, by often turning,
from off the body. An other souldier tooke the other child from his
mother's brest, that was not yett quite dead, by the feete and knocks his
head against the trunck of a tree. This [is] a daily exercise with them,
nor can I tell the one half of their cruelties in like sortes. Those with
many others weare executed, some for not being able to serve, and the
children for hindering their mothers to worke. So they reckne a trouble to
lett them live. O wicked and barbarious inhumanity! I forgott to tell that
the day the woman layed in, some houres before, shee and I roasted some
Indian Corn in the fire: being ready, shee pulled out the grains one by one
with a stick, and as shee was so doing, shee made a horrid outcry, shewing
me a toad, which was in the breadth of a dish, which was in the midle of
the redd ashes striving to gett out. We wondered, for the like was never
seene before. After he gott out of the fire we threwed stoanes & staves att
him till it was killed. That toad lived 2 dayes in or under the fire.
Having remained in that village 6 dayes, we have seene horrible cruelties
committed. Three of us resolved to turne back to our fort, which was 5
miles off. We brought above 100 women, hurron slaves & others, all loadened
with corne. We weare allwayes in scarcity for pollicy, though we had
enough, ffor certainty is farre better then the incertainry. Before we
departed this base place we received [news] that the hurron who was saved
by the consent of the rest in the Isle of Massacre, as is above said, 2
dayes after his deliverance run'd away by night towards the lower country
of the Iroquoits, where he arrived safe, not without sufferings in the way,
ffor such long voyages cannot be performed otherwise, having gon through
vast forests, finding no inn in the way, neither having the least
provision. Att his coming there he spoake whatever the reveng, wrath, and
indignation could provoke or utter against the ffrench, especially against
the ffathers, saying that it was they that have sold and betrayed them; and
that he would bestow the same uppon them if ever he should meet with them.
As for him, he gave heaven thanks that he was yett living; that he had his
life saved by them to whome he would render like service, warning them not
to lett the french build a fort, as the upper Iroquoits had done; that he
could tell them of it by experience; that they should remember the nation
of the Stagges so bigg. As soone as the french came there, nothing but
death and slaughter was expected, having caused their death by sorcery,
which brought a strange sicknesse amongst them. Such things can prevaile
much uppon such a wild, credulous nation; their minds alltogether for the
warrs in which they delight most of any thing in the world. We came our
way; this news troubled us very much, knowing the litle fidelity that is
[in] that wild nation, that have neither faith nor religion, neither law
nor absolut government, as we shall heare the effects of it.
The autumn scarce began but we heare that the lower Iroquoits contrived a
treason against the ffrench. So having contrived & discovered that they
weare resolved to leavy an armie of 500 men of their owne nation, who are
esteemed the best souldiers, having the Anojot to assist them; a bold, rash
nation, and so thought to surprise the inhabitants of that place. As they
weare contriving and consequently seased upon the fort and towne, thinking
to execute their plot with ease, because of their assurance, trusting (if
contrary to their contrivance) to the peace, saying that the ffrench weare
as many hoggs layed up to be fatted in their country. But, O liberality,
what strength hast thou! thou art the onely means wherby men know all and
pierce the hearts of the most wild & barbarous people of the world.
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