Att Last We Take Our Journey To See The Issue Of A Prosperous Adventure In
Such A Dangerous Enterprise.
We resolved not to be the first that should
complaine.
The ffrench weare together in order, the wildmen also, saving my
brother & I that weare accustomed to such like voyages, have foreseene what
happened afterwards. Before our setting forth we made some guifts, & by
that means we weare sure of their good will, so that he & I went into the
boats of the wild men. We weare nine and twenty french in number and 6
wildmen. We embarked our traine in the night, because our number should not
be knowne to some spyes that might bee in some ambush to know our
departure; ffor the Iroquoits are allwayes abroad. We weare 2 nights to
gett to mont royall, where 8 Octanac stayed for us & 2 ffrench. If not for
that company, we had passed the river of the meddowes, which makes an isle
of Mont royall and joines itselfe to the lake of St Louis, 3 leagues
further then the hight of that name.
We stayed no longer there then as the french gott themselves ready. We
tooke leave without noise of Gun. We cannot avoid the ambush of that eagle,
which is like the owle that sees better in the night then in the day. We
weare not sooner come to the first river, but our wildmen sees 5 sorts of
people of divers countrys laden with marchandise and gunns, which served
them for a shew then for defence if by chance they should be sett on. So
that the glorie begins to shew itsselfe, no order being observed among
them. The one sings, the other before goes in that posture without bad
encounter. We advanced 3 dayes. There was no need of such a silence among
us. Our men composed onely of seaven score men, we had done well if we had
kept together, not to goe before in the river, nor stay behind some 2 or 3
leagues. Some 3 or 4 boats now & then to land to kill a wild beast, & so
putt themselves into a danger of their lives, & if there weare any
precipice the rest should be impotent to helpe. We warned them to looke to
themselves. They laughed att us, saying we weare women; that the Iroquoits
durst not sett on them. That pride had such power that they thought
themselves masters of the earth; but they will see themselves soone
mistaken. How that great God that takes great care of the most wild
creatures, and will that every man confesses his faults, & gives them grace
to come to obedience for the preservation of their lives, sends them a
remarquable power & ordnance, which should give terrour and retinue to
those poore misled people from the way of assurance.
As we wandered in the afforesaid maner all a sunder, there comes a man
alone out of the wood with a hattchett in his hand, with his brayer, & a
cover over his shoulders, making signes aloud that we should come to him.
The greatest part of that flock shewed a palish face for feare att the
sight of this man, knowing him an ennemy. They approached not without feare
& apprehension of some plot. By this you may see the boldnesse of those
buzards, that think themselves hectors when they see but their shadowes, &
tremble when they see a Iroquoit. That wild man seeing us neerer, setts him
downe on the ground & throwes his hattchett away & raises againe all naked,
to shew that he hath no armes, desires them to approach neerer for he is
their friend, & would lose his life to save theirs. Hee shewed in deed a
right captayne for saveing of men that runned to their ruine by their
indiscretion & want of conduct; and what he did was out of meere piety,
seeing well that they wanted wit, to goe so like a company of bucks, every
one to his fancy, where his litle experience leads him, nor thinking that
danger wherin they weare, shewing by their march they weare no men, for not
fearing. As for him, he was ready to die to render them service & prisoner
into their hands freely. "For," saith he, "I might have escaped your sight,
but that I would have saved you. I feare," sayth he, "not death"; so with
that comes downe into the watter to his midle. There comes many boats about
him, takes him into one of the boats, tying a coard fast about his body.
There is he fastned. He begins to sing his fatal song that they call a
nouroyall. That horrid tone being finished, makes a long, a very long
speech, saying, "Brethren, the day the sunne is favourable to mee,
appointed mee to tell you that yee are witlesse before I die, neither can
they escape their ennemys, that are spred up and downe everywhere, that
watches all moments their coming to destroy them. Take great courage,
brethren, sleepe not; the ennemy is att hand. They wait for you; they are
soe neare that they see you, and heare you, & are sure that you are their
prey. Therefore I was willing to die to give you notice. For my part that
what I have ben I am a man & commander in the warrs, and tooke severall
prisoners; yet I would put meselfe in death's hands to save your lives.
Believe me; keepe you altogether; spend not your powder in vaine, thinking
to frighten your enemys by the noise of your guns. See if the stoanes of
your arrowes be not bent or loose; bend your bowes; open your ears; keepe
your hattchetts sharpe to cutt trees to make you a fort; doe not spend soe
much greas to greas yourselves, but keep it for your bellies. Stay not too
long in the way. It's robbery to die with conduct."
That poore wretch spake the truth & gave good instructions, but the
greatest part did not understand what he said, saving the hurrons that
weare with him, and I, that tould them as much as I could perceive.
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