That Done, We Could Goe To Their Village Att The
Breake Of The Day, Where We Weare Sure There Weare Not 20 Men Left, Nor
Yong Nor Old.
It was no great matter to deale with 5 or 600 women, & may be
1000 children; besides, the huntsmen should not be ready this 2 moneths to
come home.
Having done so, we might have a great hole in the skirts of that
untoward & pervers nation, that it was in way of revenge, because of their
disloyalty, breaking the peace & watching an opportunity to doe the like to
us, that we should by that means have a better opportunity to escape;
shewing by this whosoever intends to betray, betrays himselfe. The
ffathers' answer was to this, that they weare sent to instruct the people
in the faith of Jesus Christ and not to destroy; that the crosse must be
their sword; moreover that they are told that we weare able to keepe the
place, having victualls for the space of 4 yeares, with other provisions.
[Footnote: The new Governor, Viscount d'Argenson, who arrived in Canada a
few months after, disapproved of the evacuation of Onondaga. "The location
of this fortification was probably about three quarters of a mile below
Green Point, on the farm now occupied [in 1849] by Mr. Myrick Bradley, in
the town of Salina, where the embankment and outlines were plain to be seen
fifty years ago." History of Onondaga, by J. V. H. Clarke, Vol. I. p.
161, n., 1849.] So done, in the meanewhile some 16 french should goe downe
to the french & tell the news; ffor the rest they weare able to oppose all
the Iroquoits, having such a strong fort, and before the time could be
expired some succour was to be expected out of ffrance, as well as with the
helpe of some of the wildmen, their allies, make an assault, and so free
ourselves of such a slavery & the many miseries wherin we weare dayly to
undergoe, that by that means we might save the lives of many french and
cleare a way from such inhumans. It was in vaine to think to convert them,
but the destroying of them was to convert them. So discover nations and
countryes, and that the ffrench finding some fourty resolut brothers that
would have ventured themselves full liberty & assurance of their lives to
preserve them from the cruelest enemy that ever was found uppon the earth.
All these sayings could prevaile nothing uppon people that will avoid all
slaughter.
So to be obedient to our superiours, without noise of trompet or drum, but
zeal with griefe, we left that place. We are all embarked, and now must
looke for the mouth of the river; and weare put to it, ffor it frized every
night and the Ice of good thicknesse, and consequently dangerous to venture
our boats against it. We must all the way breake the ice with great staves
to make a passage. This gave us paines enough. Att the breake of day we
weare in sight att the mouth of the river, where we weare free from ice. If
those had but the least suspicion or had looked out, they had seene us. We
soone by all diligence putt ourselves out of that apprehension, and came
att the first rising of the river, where freed from ice tenne leagues from
the fort, where we kept a good watch.
The day following we came to the Lake d'Ontario. The wind being boisterous,
could goe no further. There we sought for a place to make cottages, which
was in an Island very advantageous, where we stayed 2 dayes for the
weather. We weare not without feare, thinking that the wildmen should
follow us. They contrary wise stayed (as we heard) seaven nights, thinking
that we weare asleepe, onely that some rose now and then, and rung the
litle bell which stooke to the hogg's foot. So mystifying the businesse
affaire, [they] went & brought news to the village, which made them come
and looke over the pallisados, and saw in good earnest the Anomiacks weare
gone.
In our journey [we had] bad weather, high winds, snow, and every day raine
on our backs. We came to the river att last, where was difficulty enough by
reason of the goeing out of the lake, which is hard to find, by the many
isles that are about the opening of the river. We weare in a maner of
sheepe scattered. After many crossings to and fro we find ourselves att the
first streame; the watters high, went on without danger, but the navigation
proved worse & worse because we came into a coulder country and into the
most dangerousest precipices. Now the river [was] covered over with ice and
snow which made the river give a terrible noise. The land also covered all
over with snow, which rendered us incapable of knowledge where we weare, &
consequently found ourselves in great perils. It was well that the river
swelled, for not a mother's son of us could else escape; ffor where we
might have made carriages we [would] innocently have gone uppon those
currents. One of our greatest vessells runned on sand and soone full by
reason of the running of the stream, but by tournings, with much adoe we
gott it out againe, and by all dexterity brought to a harbour, which is
hard to find in that place, ffor the ice and the streame continually cutts
the coasts steepe downe, & so no landing thereabouts.
Heere a boat of 4 men made shipwrake. Heere every one for himselfe & God
for all. Heere is no reliefe. There the 3 that could swime weare drowned,
because they held not [to] the boat, but would swime to land. The other
that had held it was saved with much adoe. Afterwards we came where the
streame was not so swifte at all, but as dangerous for its ice. We cutt the
ice with hattchetts & we found places where [it] was rotten, so we hazarded
ourselves often to sinke downe to our necks.
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